Emergency Brake

[E Z Livin]

Question on my emergency brake. I do not think it is working. I have to hold my foot on the pedal to use the hydralic levelers. If I turn the key to on without my foot on the brake, the levelers will go up.
Is there a fuse I should check. Workhorse dealer is about 70 miles.

[E Z Livin]

Question on my emergency brake. I do not think it is working. I have to hold my foot on the pedal to use the hydralic levelers. If I turn the key to on without my foot on the brake, the levelers will go up.
Is there a fuse I should check. Workhorse dealer is about 70 miles.

[Bigdaddy]

What's the brand name of your levelers?

[Gary RVRoamer]

Your parking brake pedal should engage a latch and stay down when pressed down sufficiently. You may not be pushing firmly enough. The latch is not electronic, so no fuse is involved. If you can't push it far enough to stay down, see a Workhorse dealer for warranty service. If no longer under warranty, any local mechanical service shop should be able to dianose why the latch is not engaging. It's a common mechanism and not very complex.

The jacks are supposed to go up automaticaly if the brake is off and the key on - i's a safey feature so you can't drive off with the jack s down.

[E Z Livin]

RV Roamer, thanks. I will try this. My left foot does not work all that well after coming down a step ladder way to fast years ago. I might not be putting enough pressure.
Will try it with my left foot and give it a good press.

[Freddy]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by E Z Livin:
I might not be putting enough pressure.
Will try it with my left foot and give it a good press. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It takes more force than normal! I practically have to stand up on mine to get it to engage.

[lwmuddy]

I had to keep my foot on the foot brake in a KOA Park with the Toad behind because the entrance at the office was very steep. Except for a real incline it works, but is weak. When I'm at a WH SC I'll have them adjust the driveshaft brakedrum.

[E Z Livin]

Freddy, thanks.
You stating that you had to stand up on it.
I went out last night and stood up on it. It locked. For the first time in a year, I had the brakes on.
Thanks again. I would have never put that kind of force before your answer.

[Freddy]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by E Z Livin:
Freddy, thanks.
You stating that you had to stand up on it.
I went out last night and stood up on it. It locked. For the first time in a year, I had the brakes on.
Thanks again. I would have never put that kind of force before your answer. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Great! With the force required to set the brake, I have often wondered how long it will take to break something!

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Freddy:
Great! With the force required to set the brake, I have often wondered how long it will take to break something! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>You're not going to break anything push as hard as you as you feel you need to.

May I also suggest the following technique when using the manual parking brake. When you stop the motorhome and need to park, shift to neutral with your foot on the brake, apply the foot operated parking brake first and take your foot off the brake. The drivetrain should now set itself in place as parked. Final operation, place the gear selector in "Park".

This technique will assure that there isn't the entire weight of the motorhome sitting on the parking pawl. About that let me say this, the Allison's parking pawl is designed to hold the entire GCWR of the vehicle so that's not the issue. Occasionally if there is a lot of tension on the parking pawl it may be a little difficult getting it out of park but it'll eventually come out.

Using the brake first then park technique will assure a smooth transition from park to drive without any difficulty whatsoever. Under most conditions this doesn't present any type of problem my purpose is to suggest an alternate method.

Using your foot make a light contact with the park brake pad and then release it allowing your foot to offer resistance to the returning pedal so you don't get the "wham" full force of the return spring acting on the pedal stop. Make sure the pedal completely disengages as your foot comes off the pedal.

[Freddy]

I had that problem; e.g., wouldn't come out of park, until I "fixed" the brake switch.

Your procedure sounds reasonable. I'll use it from now on.