Trinity gets New Brakes and Bearings

After three major RV trips including the ALCAN to Alaska we decided it was finally time to replace our trailer brakes. Since we purchased the rig in December 2021, we've driven 40,548 miles on the original brakes so we wouldn't just replace the brakes pads on all four wheels but the entire brake assembly as well as repack all the bearings.

Getting our "ducks in a row" for the work.

One of the four new brake assemblies all shiny and new!

I researched on YouTube doing the work myself and quickly realized it was worth the money to pay some else to do the work. We hired My Mobile RV Tech, Donnie Klesel out of La Grange, Texas on a recommendation from folks in the Village to do the work. He arrived at our site in the Village on Wednesday, November 11 and had the work done in about three hours. When he removed the first brake drum assembly I got to see first hand the physical condition after 3 years on the road. We were definitely ready for new brakes. I was frankly expecting the wear to be much worse. The brake pads exhibited uneven wear depth with thinning on one end more than another. But all the pads still had some material left which I thought was amazing.

The wheel bearings were last replaced and repacked about a year ago in South Carolina, so they needed to be redone. The old bearing grease looked dark but there was still plenty in the bearing/spindle assembly even after a year's travel and the ALCAN highway up and back.

Before and After comparison.

I'm convinced, after talking with Donnie, the brakes lasted this long because of our RAM 3500 diesel truck's exhaust braking feature. For those who are unfamiliar with what it does, here's a brief explanation:

A Ram 3500 diesel exhaust brake works by electronically controlling the opening of the exhaust valves to restrict the flow of exhaust gases, creating backpressure that slows down the engine and thus the vehicle, essentially acting as a braking mechanism when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal; it's primarily used on downhill stretches to reduce strain on the regular brakes, especially when towing heavy loads.

Is it good to keep your exhaust brake on? Running the exhaust brake all the time, except in very slick road conditions, is a very good idea and reduces wear on the service brakes. And, the mechanism that changes the turbo vane angles needs to be worked to keep any carbon buildup from accumulating and obstructing it.

Yet another advantage of a diesel truck over the gasoline version for towing. With this RV maintenance job completed we are all ready for the road again come February 2025. Thank you Donnie for doing a great job and getting the work done so quickly!