Brake problems

[HiLo]

I'm having trouble with the brakes on a 2016 Scamp 13. I have a Prodigy 2 controller and the brakes don't engage enough to have much effect. I've adjusted the brake shoe play using the star adjuster so you can hear it touch the drum when spinning the wheel. I've maxed out the electric settings on the controller and it only slows down or stops the wheel when the lever is used. I'm doing this while the trailer is jacked up on one side and the wheel is spinning freely. A friend connected the trailer to his truck that he uses to tow his camper and unless he puts the maximum settings on his controller and brakes hard, it will finally stop the spinning wheel. So I don't think the problem is with the brake controller. The brakes never did really work as they should. Any ideas?

[Jack L]

I would state by checking electrical connections on the trailer. Checking at the 7 pin on the trailer and wiring at the wheels.

[Thinh]

Originally Posted by HiLo

I'm having trouble with the brakes on a 2016 Scamp 13. I have a Prodigy 2 controller and the brakes don't engage enough to have much effect. I've adjusted the brake shoe play using the star adjuster so you can hear it touch the drum when spinning the wheel. I've maxed out the electric settings on the controller and it only slows down or stops the wheel when the lever is used. I'm doing this while the trailer is jacked up on one side and the wheel is spinning freely. A friend connected the trailer to his truck that he uses to tow his camper and unless he puts the maximum settings on his controller and brakes hard, it will finally stop the spinning wheel. So I don't think the problem is with the brake controller. The brakes never did really work as they should. Any ideas?

After checking good electrical connection and the issue still exists, I think the problem could be your defective magnet. Depend how old the trailer brakes are, if too old I would by a new pair of magnets. Just a thought...

[floyd]

The bad news is that the 13 has 7" brakes. They often don't meet the expectations of those who have experienced 10" brakes.
At their best they are a pleasant assist to the TV, enough to do the job but seldom enough to lock the wheels.
On the practical side, it just sounds like you need to manually adjust the brakes since trailer brakes are not self adjusting. What you may be hearing is the sound of the magnet dragging. Adjust until you can't turn the wheel then back off a couple of clicks.

[Mr Lynn]

I had a similar problem with the brakes on my new-to-me 2013 Casita. The brakes didn't seem to be working when I jacked it up and spun the wheel (the original owner had never used the electric brakes, as he had no controller in his truck). See this thread:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post587591

The problem was solved by Jack L, who wrote:

Your brakes may be just fine. Let me TRY to explain. When you energize the brake circuit, a magnet "grabs" the drum on the drum face surface. Then the magnet holding onto the drum engages the brake shoes. The forward rotation of the drum is what puts pressure on the shoes. For the brakes to work, the wheels have to be turning. I know you said you spun them, but maybe not enough. If you are getting power to the magnet, hitch the trailer up and drive forward. When moving slowly, you should be able to feel the brakes working as well as hear the noise of the shoes contacting the drum. Hope this explains it and helps.

I hitched the trailer up and went out on some of the quiet suburban roads nearby. Sure enough, going slowly, using the manual 'squeeze' control on the brake controller, I was able to get the brakes to lock the wheels. Then it was just a matter of setting the controller to the level necessary for the brakes to work without locking up or overheating.

For good measure I had a shop go over the brakes and bearings, which turned out to be in good shape (they did repack the bearings). Any good auto mechanic can do this, or you can do it yourself.

/Mr Lynn

[Borden]

if above fails to work check by removing a brake drum, maybe to much ware on drums or pads or both