Dexter self adjusting electric brakes on 17' Escape

[Ian Hall]

Hello, I am buying a 17' Escape Plan A trailer...does anyone have experience with Dexter self-adjusting electric brakes on this, or any other rv trailer? Any pros or cons....? Am also getting easy lub bearing set up...any pros or cons on this? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Ian

[Brian B-P]

No experience, but I don't know why I would want brakes that need manual slack adjustment if I could have brakes that do it for me... like the brakes in every car.

Just a note if anyone is confused: this is a feature to adjust slack only; it has nothing to do with the need to adjust the brake controller.

I don't have a boat trailer, so I have no use for E-Z Lube. I would't object to its presence, but wouldn't pay any premium for it. I suggest a search of this forum for many previous discussions of this somewhat controversial feature.

[Donna D.]

Ian, are you getting the true Dexter E-Z lubes or just sticking on the Bearing Buddies as Brian alluded to in his Boat Trailer statement.

E-Z lubes are NOT Bearing Buddies. I have the E-Z lube system on the axle on my Scamp and like it very much. However, I also changed the axle to get it.

[cpaharley2008]

I know Escape now offers EZ Lube as an $75 option, it is an entirely different axle, not sure if the self adjusting brakes is an option.

[Ian Hall]

Yes I am getting the axle with easy lub, not bearing buddies. Thanks, Ian

[Donna D.]

good for you Ian. Like all things, it still requires maintenance, but not as much and not as "greasy" as often without...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

... Bearing Buddies as Brian alluded to in his Boat Trailer statement.

I did not refer to Bearing Buddies, and intended no allusion to them.

Originally Posted by Donna D.

E-Z lubes are NOT Bearing Buddies.

True; I understand that. My comment was specifically about Dexter's E-Z Lube - my apologies for mis-punctuating it the first time - although it would apply equally well to similar grease-injection schemes from other axle manufacturers.

[cpaharley2008]

Ian,
Has Escape told you that self NV-R-Adjust brake axles are now available? I know airstream uses some on some models.

[Ian Hall]

Yes, Reese has said they can be ordered with the e-z lub axle... he wasn't too keen on them; said they were fairly new and there might be problems. But I'm inclined to get them unless others nix them enough. Ian

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Ian,
Has Escape told you that self NV-R-Adjust brake axles are now available? I know airstream uses some on some models.

What's the difference between "self adjust" and "Nev-R-Adjust"?

I ask because Dexter's promo vid for the latter on Youtube actually uses the words "never adjust self adjusting brakes again!".

Does that mean that "self-adjusting brakes" actually do need adjustments of some kind????

Francesca

[rabbit]

I have Dexter Nev-R-Adjust brakes on the Burro. They are $37 in the box price per wheel for 10" from Eastern Marine. I think that's reasonable for an after-market brake carrier but pricing as an option package on a new trailer may make them appear a bit more dear, as would buying for a dual axle, as in the case of the larger Escapes. I have had no trouble with mine on two short (200+mi.) camping trips.

jack

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

What's the difference between "self adjust" and "Nev-R-Adjust"?

I ask because Dexter's promo vid for the latter on Youtube actually uses the words "never adjust self adjusting brakes again!".

Does that mean that "self-adjusting brakes" actually do need adjustments of some kind?

No, there's no difference, it's just poor scriptwriting. Nev-R-Adjust brakes adjust themselves, so you should never need to adjust them... just like cars with drum brakes.

[cpaharley2008]

Don't you mean disc brakes, Brian? Drums brakes needed adjusting.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Don't you mean disc brakes, Brian? Drums brakes needed adjusting.

Cars with drum brakes are self adjusting - at least for about the last 40 years.

[cpaharley2008]

Now I'm showing my age, I remember having to back up to adjust drum brakes and that was innovative then.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Don't you mean disc brakes, Brian? Drums brakes needed adjusting.

No. That's the point.

Hydraulic disc brakes inherently do not need slack adjustment - even a trailer parts supplier can't mess that up.

Basic drum brakes, as traditionally used on trailers and probably used on cars before my elderly parents got their drivers licenses, need to be adjusted to take up the slack caused by lining wear. The drum brake mechanism in a modern car's service brakes (maybe not a parking-only brake) includes a clever little ratcheting mechanism which turns the adjusting screw just enough to take up the slack, so you don't need to. Dexter is now offering essentially the same thing under the Nev-R-Adjust name "so you should never need to adjust them... just like cars with drum brakes."

I believe that the adjustment still happen on reversing. It may be that there was some previous assumption that trailers don't brake in reverse enough for this design to work.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Dexter is now offering essentially the same thing under the Nev-R-Adjust name "so you should never need to adjust them... just like cars with drum brakes."

I believe that the adjustment still happen on reversing. It may be that there was some previous assumption that trailers don't brake in reverse enough for this design to work.

Since many brake controllers don't work in reverse, you may have struck the nail right on the head, Brian.

To get back to my "is there a difference" question...

Confusion still reigns in my mind as to whether there's some difference between "ordinary" self-adjusting trailer brakes as mentioned by the O.P. as an upgrade on his Escape, and this subsequent post by Jim:

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Ian,
Has Escape told you that self NV-R-Adjust brake axles are now available? I know airstream uses some on some models.

Is that a further "upgrade" on the Escape, or is Nev-R-Adjust just Dexter's name for whatever upgrade the O.P. is contemplating???

Whew!

Francesca

[cpaharley2008]

We have 3 conversations going on and I'm going to try and clarify one of them.Stock Escape Dexter axles have regular bearing and brakes that need maintenance yearly. I assumed they had the E-Z lube feature when I ordered mine. Now I find out they do offer that as an option. I will get them on my new 21'.
Over on airstreams @ Colonial Airstream they list features as "12" Electric Drum Brakes Nev-R-Adjust Brakes (10" Brakes-23; Only) • Nev-R-Lube Hubs (25'-30')". Not knowing which axle Airstream uses, they use torsion plus shocks, I thought that Dexter may now offer and perhaps Escape can order the E-Z lube and the Nev-R-Adjust. Now I see that Airstream calls them Nev-R-Lube, perhaps totally different axle.
Anyway, I'll ask Escape when I fill out my build sheet as to what axle upgrades will be available. They are using 15" tire/wheel combo's on the new Escapes now. Perhaps they have new axles also?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Ian Hall

Yes, Reese has said they can be ordered with the e-z lub axle... he wasn't too keen on them; said they were fairly new and there might be problems. But I'm inclined to get them unless others nix them enough. Ian

Ian if Reese isnt keen on them I would pass - but thats just based on having a developed a great deal of respect over a number of years for Reese & his know how and knowledge. The truth is the checking and adjusting the brake settings is pretty easy and not a big job to have to do once a year. You need to take the wheels off once a year to check the bearings etc anyways so checking the brake adjusting is not going to take much more time.

Francesca my Prodegy P2 works in reverse - you need to push a button to temp turn it off if need be. Suspect the P3 does as well.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Over on airstreams @ Colonial Airstream they list features as "12" Electric Drum Brakes Nev-R-Adjust Brakes (10" Brakes-23; Only) • Nev-R-Lube Hubs (25'-30')". Not knowing which axle Airstream uses, they use torsion plus shocks, I thought that Dexter may now offer and perhaps Escape can order the E-Z lube and the Nev-R-Adjust. Now I see that Airstream calls them Nev-R-Lube, perhaps totally different axle.

Nev-R-Adjust is the self-adjusting brake feature; Nev-R-Lube is a no-maintenance bearing feature (completely different from E-Z Lube, which is also for bearings). Nev-R-Adjust and Nev-R-Lube are completely unrelated. You could have both, or only one, or only the other, or neither on the same axle. I see no reason why Escape (or anyone else) couldn't order both Nev-R-Adjust and E-Z Lube.

Nev-R-Lube bearings are a large-diameter assembly right in the middle of the wheel, so they are incompatible with small-diameter bolt patterns (but independent of the brakes). I don't think (just from memory - please check the Dexter catalog if interested) that they are available with the 5x4.5" pattern which is standard for 3500 pound axles. If you can get them with that axle size, you probably need to go with the optionally available 6x5.5" bolt pattern. I don't think it was offered, but Nev-R-Lube (with or without Nev-R-Adjust) might be available through Escape as well.

Last I checked (about a year ago) Airstream was using Dexter Torflex axles. The use of Dexter trademarks in the material quoted by Jim suggests that they still do. No, you can't buy Torflex with shock mounting brackets; Airstream either made a special deal with Dexter, or has them welded on later.