Brakes are hot...
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins
Forum Discription: Have a warranty or service experience to share?
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4460
Printed Date: 21 Jun 2025 at 11:47am
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Topic: Brakes are hot...
Posted By: rimshot
Subject: Brakes are hot...
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 12:10am
| When I was bringing my rig home a couple of weeks ago, the brakes just didn't feel right. I would turn the correct knob on the control to loosen the brakes up and they still got very hot. They were smoking when I pulled up. I had to go back to the dealer to pick something up and asked if I could bring it back and have them run me through the brake operation again. To be safe, kind of, I drove all the way back to the dealer without the plug in so any brakes would be applied. Straight shot down a country road so it was okay. The left side was smoking hot and the right side was just warm when I got to the dealer. I ended up leaving it there and they said all they had to do was re-adjust the one side. Well driving it home today they got hot again. Both sides. They said it could be the pads breaking in since these are trailered down from Oregon and not towed. At one point, slowly coming up to a stop sign they locked up. I loosened them more and they seemed to work alright the rest of the way home but were still hot. They were so loose that when testing at 20 MPH they barely stopped the trailer when just using the control. I'm going to take her for a spin tomorrow and see how they feel. The drag about this is I bought a pop-up trailer there last year, which I traded in for this, and had to take it back due to bad surge brakes. They seem to think I’m rough on brakes. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get some input from all you folks….Thanks, Bill |
Replies:
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 1:28am
|
I had the same problem with my 2010 174 brakes over heating,man what a brain buster. We bought it from a private owner soon no dealer. I tried everything to no avail so wen took it to a rv repair shop they said all they had to do was adjust them. BS!!!!!!!!!!!! less than a mile from their shot the brakes were so hot you couldn`t touch the drum. I have lippert axels so they said it was the drums ,OK put new ones on they said it`s fixed, a mile down the road the same thing,oh must be your tow vehicle,duh you guys installed the brake controller, the plug in and set it up. well the put my old drums back on and they gave up.I backed the brake shoes off till the didn`t drag at all and ran my controller on 2.5-to 3. you might want to check your bearing and seals after that heat. I hope you took it back to the dealer and insisted they fix it. Take them on a test drive with your tow vehicle and show them. They can check to see if maybe something wrong with the brake controller. If you say no heating problem with the trailer unplugged,and with it plugged in but not touching the brake no heat, then either the controller or the brakes not backing off when you take your foot off the brake is. I put a lot of time and work into mine , one thing i found was that the flanges that the backing plates are bolted to were not straight and I had to put shims in to fix that. moe
------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150 
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 2:20am
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Dumb idea here, but you aren't one of those people who ride the brake pedal all the time with your left foot are you? With at least some brake controllers, the longer your foot is on the brake the more pressure is applied to the trailer brakes. Backing the controller off should only effect how much pressure is applied to the trailer brakes when the brakes are used, per my understanding. If your brake pedal is not depressed there should be no trailer braking at all. If the controller is turned all the way up a light touch of the brakes will lock up the trailer brakes, but not until your foot hits the pedal. It's probably something else, but I thought I'd throw that out there. You might check the brake wire at the TV and see if it's getting voltage all the time, even when there is no foot on the brake. That would indicate faulty wiring or a bad controller. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Hairy Podders
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 3:58am
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If you unplugged the trailer from the tow vehicle for the return trip to the dealer, you have completely taken the brake controller & wiring out of the equation. Either something in the brakes was assembled/adjusted wrong or something is defective.
As my father says " The Lord isn't building many trailer brakes these days. And he's the only one that I know of that's infallible". ------------- Darryl, Julie & Lindsey Cooper & Libby- Devoted Canines 2014 RP178 2006 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon |
Posted By: HuronSailor
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 11:59am
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The brakes should not get "smoking hot" during the break in period. That's just ridiculous. If the pod were to come loose from the tow vehicle somehow, the breakaway cable is designed to pull out from its socket and use the pod's battery to apply the brakes. Check to be sure this is plugged in all the way. If it's not plugged in or not working right, it makes no difference whether or not the brake controller is plugged in. If the pod's battery is connected, your brakes are going to be applied. A competent service person should be able to diagnose this problem pretty quickly. In my experience competent service people are in the minority. You might suggest they check the breakaway cable while they're bumbling around billing you by the hour. ------------- .: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :. |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 12:12pm
| I agree. The drums should just be warm if you're not applying the brakes much. I'm going to drive it around today and if they get real hot again I'm taking it back again. Thank goodness they're not billing me by the hour. Only had it three weeks. As I stated before though, this will be the forth time I've had to take one of my trailers back to them for bad brakes and the "vibes" are starting to get a little bad. I was thinking of contacting Forest River and asking if I could take it to another shop. Anybody else ever have to do that? |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 12:25pm
|
Here is a suggestion. If possible tow the trailer with a different vehicle if you don't have a heat problem and the brakes work good, you might say it's youR tv if they still heat up it's the trailer. Good luck,I know it is very flustrating , again make sure they check your bearings and seals Moe ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 12:38pm
| The guys at the shop said it could be my TV. How could that be? It's a 2012 Dodge Ram with 6000 miles on it. Brakes work just fine in it. I could use my sisters vehicle to test it but I'd have to wait about a month since she lives in San Francisco and I'm half way to Yosemite and she don't plan on coming out for a while. I still think I'm going to contact FR and request to take it to a brake shop. |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 12:39pm
|
I missed the comment about pulling it with the 7-pin cable disconnected. If the brakes are sticking with no electrical connection to the TV then of course the problem must be behind the hitch. I agree the first and easiest thing to check would be the breakaway cable. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: HuronSailor
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 1:36pm
Maybe they're thinking the trailer harness in your vehicle is wired wrong so it's constantly applying the brakes? Hmmm... Not likely, but possible I guess. Could the trailer be wired wrong? Maybe, but I've been to the factory and they check all the wiring with a diagnostic tool before it leaves the door. Could the dealership have attempted to repair some type of damage to the trailer's wiring harness and mucked it up? Your dealership's tow vehicle theory is easily checked with a voltmeter. Stick voltmeter probes in correct holes in connector, step on brakes. Theory confirmed or eliminated in seconds, bam. No need to find another tow vehicle. ------------- .: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :. |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 4:01pm
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Lots of possibilities. One that hasn't been mentioned yet is the breakaway system. It could also be a short or crosscircuit somewhere. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2014 at 4:46pm
| Well, what ever it is I hope they find it. Took it back again. Took it for a spin and in 3 miles the drums were way too hot to touch. Left it plug in for this trip and half way there the trailer would pull to the left when I hit the brakes. The right wheel is covered in brake dust now as well. I told them I want them to actually take the wheels off this time and check for any damage due to the heat and ask them to upgrade the controller and I'd pay the difference. He was sure it's not the controller though....We'll see |
Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2014 at 9:46pm
|
I have never had a brake problem. If you unplugged your t.v. and the drums got hot its as someone earlier said, its behind the hitch. is one side hotter than the other. if you jack up the pod and turn the wheel by hand does it drag or is it free. could you leave the t.v. hooked up and then try to turn the wheel while jacked up to see if there is a difference. something aint right. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2014 at 4:18pm
| Well I took it back in to the dealer and they had their brake “expert” check it out while hooked up to my truck. He said he checked both ends of the plugs and they were fine. He did say that the one knob on the left of the controller was out of adjustment. I think it’s the leveling knob? We took it out and they still got hot but not as hot. They said they’ve gone through it tooth and comb and can’t find anything wrong and that the left brake on the trailer does in fact get hotter since it’s the dominant brake. Huh? I drove home, took the long way, and they were still kind of hot. It didn’t get squirrely or lock up on me this time at least. I stopped at Les Schwab by my house and they said the drums do feel a little hot. I think I may take it for a short spin tomorrow without the plug in and stop by Les Schwab and see what they think then. If they’re hot then I guess I’ll contact the factory and see about exchanging it or taking it to a different shop. I’m about worn out from this crap. |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2014 at 6:56pm
|
Rimshot, sounds to me you need to go to a different dealer cause it sounds like the one you are going to may be giving you the runaround. The brakes should not get hot unless you are using them a lot . I went through this with mine. Kinda hot or a little too hot does not seem to be a professional diagnostic term or fix. Moe ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: HuronSailor
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2014 at 11:13pm
Huh indeed. ------------- .: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :. |
Posted By: Boomertype
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2014 at 11:43pm
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Left dominate brake????? Someone was blowing smoke! Time to forget that dealer. |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2014 at 12:13am
|
Brakes really aren't that complicated and they aren't supposed to smoke unless maybe you've been riding them down a long mountain descent. Even their I threw in a "maybe". You say the brakes still heat up when the the trailer isn't hooked up electrically the towing vehicle? No trailer brake lights, no trailer turn signals and no trailer brakes?? Then either the breakaway switch is pulled or there is something wrong with your brakes. If it only happens when the electrical hookup is connected to the tow vehicle, then several other options open up. I'm a little surprised you can pull the pod if the brakes are getting that hot. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Hairy Podders
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2014 at 8:03am
|
Time to get a second opinion. See a different Doctor.... ------------- Darryl, Julie & Lindsey Cooper & Libby- Devoted Canines 2014 RP178 2006 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon |
Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2014 at 9:40pm
|
As an A.C. Delco tech shop owner I can assure you there is no "dominate brake side" drum brakes are set up so that the lead shoe can sometimes wear faster than the trailing shoe. drums will get warm or hot during stop and go driving as that is how they work. If it were not for good old friction, brakes would not work, they convert motion to heat. You need to find a good shop that can repair your problem. I bet its a simple fix. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2014 at 7:38am
| Well I brought the heat sensor gun home and me and my brother in law took it for a spin yesterday. First 5 miles without the plug in. No heat at all on the drums. Plugged it in and drove about 25 miles up to hiway speed with lots of braking. Brakes were kind of hot to the touch but read 172*. Everything seemed fine. Maybe their "expert" did get them adjusted right. I still may take it to a second shop and get another opinion though... |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2014 at 11:25am
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If you can hold your hand on the hub of each wheel immediately after stopping, you are ok. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
|
Posted By: bcan
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2014 at 2:45pm
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I'm curious whether your brakes are self-adjusting or manually adjusted. I'm new to the forum and joined because R-Pod is currently at the top of my buy list. One reason is that FR lists self adjusting brakes as a feature in their 2014 R-Pod brochures and I don't like crawling under a trailer every 3.000 miles or so to manually adjust the brakes. While researching self adjusting brakes I saw a post on another forum that described a problem similar to yours. The owner had installed Dexter Nev-R-Adjust brakes and one of the brakes was overheating. He eventually discovered that the drum was not within tolerance and that was causing the constantly adjusting brakes to be too tight. bcan ------------- bcan |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2014 at 12:06am
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The brakes are self-adjusting, you only really need to adjust manually after replacing the bearing seals and greasing. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
|
Posted By: Cap-n-Cray
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2014 at 1:09am
X2... I check the hubs every time I stop. Check the tire temperature too. I had a fire in one of my big trailers - bearing. ------------- Cary 2014 RP-177 |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2014 at 1:28am
| Well I just drove about 200 miles to the be a challenge with no problems. Yahoo... |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2014 at 1:30am
| love this auto correct just drove 200 miles with no problems |
Posted By: rcamper
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2014 at 7:14pm
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if under warranty or not have professional take a look at i. i would let them test drive it first t ------------- gone camping |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2014 at 7:51pm
I know the problem the OP had has hopefully been solved but- When I picked up my 2014 179 I noticed the left and right turn signals were reversed...dealer thought it must be my tow vehicle- I thought not as I have pulled many trailers with it. They brought out a fancy tester box (diagnostic tool) and confirmed the rpod was wired wrong. Tech found the problem where they spliced the 7 way pigtail under the left front corner...left and right wires were reversed somewhere between there and the taillights. He cut the splices flipped the pair and fixed it. I laugh every time I see the blurb on the back of their brochure about their 20,000 square foot quality assurance facility and their "premium" product. ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |