What you're probably noticing
You feel the camper pushing you at stop signs. Braking is grabby or uneven. There's a squeal or a grind from one wheel. The controller reads no output. One hub runs hot. Or you simply haven't looked at them in years, which is the most common answer I get.
Electric camper brakes wear quietly. Magnets thin out, shoes glaze, drums score, and nothing tells you until the day you need them.
What I do about it
I pull the drums and look. Shoes, magnets, drum surface, springs and hardware, wheel bearings and seals, backing plates, wiring and grounds, breakaway switch, and controller output all get checked.
Then I do the work: brake shoe and magnet replacement, complete brake assembly replacement, drum service, bearing repack or replacement, wiring and connector repair, breakaway switch replacement, and brake adjustment.
Brake work is best done in the shop in Roscoe where I have the tools and level ground, though I can inspect and handle wiring on site.
Questions I get
Straight answers
- How often should camper brakes be checked?
- Once a year, or every 10,000 to 12,000 miles. If it's been longer than that, get them looked at before your next long trip.
- Do you repack wheel bearings too?
- Yes, and I recommend it any time the drums are off.
- My brake controller shows no output. Camper or truck?
- Could be either. I test at the connector and at the wheels to tell you which side of the plug the problem is on.
- Can you replace brake assemblies?
- Yes, and on older campers that's often cheaper and better than piecing worn hardware back together.
Brakes across my service area
I bring this work to towns throughout the 100-mile radius around Roscoe, SD.
Throughout a 100-mile radius of Roscoe, South Dakota.