wheel brake adjustment

[asiu]

Hi all,

Just got my 2018 Rockwood a213hw last week and has a question about the electric brake. Anyone know if the brake is self-adjusting? If not, any recommendations on how frequent it should be adjusted?

Thanks.

[D W]

Originally Posted by asiu

Hi all,

Just got my 2018 Rockwood a213hw last week and has a question about the electric brake. Anyone know if the brake is self-adjusting? If not, any recommendations on how frequent it should be adjusted?

Thanks.

Not knowing what axles you have it's hard to tell. One way is to pull a brake drum and look for a cable anchoring the primary shoe to the secondary shoe. The other way is to pop off the adjusting plugs in the back of the backing plate and shine a flashlight in to check to see if there is a "pawl" lever engaging the star wheel adjuster. This would indicate self adjusting or "Never Adjust" brakes. Manual adjusting brakes should probably be checked annually at a minimum.

[Fuji]

I just took mine apart and as the previous poster mentioned, if there is no steel cable inside, they are manual adjust. You need a brake adjusting "Spoon" tool to spin the adjustment star wheel. I adjusted mine until they started dragging on the brake drum. That made them stop a little better, but I have ordered self-adjusting brake assemblies from eTrailer. $66 for a set of two complete assemblies. I decided I didn't want to have to crawl under the camper again to adjust and now know I will have new brakes to start with.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by D W

Not knowing what axles you have it's hard to tell. One way is to pull a brake drum and look for a cable anchoring the primary shoe to the secondary shoe. The other way is to pop off the adjusting plugs in the back of the backing plate and shine a flashlight in to check to see if there is a "pawl" lever engaging the star wheel adjuster. This would indicate self adjusting or "Never Adjust" brakes. Manual adjusting brakes should probably be checked annually at a minimum.

A simpler way, not requiring the removal of a drum is to merely look at the axle. Usually there is a sticker on the back side of the axle that will say Nev-R-Adjust if the brakes are self adjusting.

If no sticker than pulling the drum is the way to go unless one wants to try and peek inside an adjustment port and look at the adjustment wheel.

Self adjusting wheel (inside) will have lots of notches and manual adjusting wheel (inside) will have fewer, widely spaced, notches looking more like a "star".

Look for sticker first. Much easier

[asiu]

Thanks all. I thought I will get notifications automatically when there are postings to my question. I just subscribed to this thread see if that notifies me in the future.

I will go check if there are any stickers then go from there.

[asiu]

found the Nev-R-Adjust sticker on the axle. no need to worry about manually adjusting the brake anymore.

Thanks again TitanMike and Fuji for your suggestions.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by asiu

found the Nev-R-Adjust sticker on the axle. no need to worry about manually adjusting the brake anymore.

Thanks again TitanMike and Fuji for your suggestions.

Great you found the sticker. The brakes just need a firm application of the brakes now and then to keep them adjusted.

Just inspect periodically, recommended annually, and service wheel bearings.

[asiu]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Great you found the sticker. The brakes just need a firm application of the brakes now and then to keep them adjusted.

Just inspect periodically, recommended annually, and service wheel bearings.

The brakes are original brakes from a 2018 trailer, so I assume they have self adjusted by now.

By servicing wheel bearings, are you referring to repacking with grease gun?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by asiu

The brakes are original brakes from a 2018 trailer, so I assume they have self adjusted by now.



By servicing wheel bearings, are you referring to repacking with grease gun?

Greasing with the EZ-lube still doesn't eliminate the need for a physinal inspection.

Dexter recommendation is more frequent than is really needed for my use. My brakes and bearings are never immersed like with boat trailers and I frequently do a "wheels up" spin and wiggle test, just before a planned long trip. I usually grease at that time.

[asiu]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Greasing with the EZ-lube still doesn't eliminate the need for a physinal inspection.

Dexter recommendation is more frequent than is really needed for my use. My brakes and bearings are never immersed like with boat trailers and I frequently do a "wheels up" spin and wiggle test, just before a planned long trip. I usually grease at that time.

Got it. Thanks a lot for your great advice!!