Need to apply a lot of pressure to brake pedal in 2011 Open Road

[calsteve]

Hi,

We have a new 2011Tiffen Open Road on a Ford chassis and is seems that the brakes are not as responsive as they should be. I have to a great deal more pressure to the pedal than I did in my previous RV to make it slow to a stop.
Is this normal for this model?

Thanks,
Steve
________

[LVJ58]

Hi Steve, We have a 2000 coach on the f53 chassis and yes, the brake pedal does seem to require more pressure than our old 84 on the P30 chassis.

Hydraulic pressure for the Hydromax brake booster on the ford chassis is supplied from the power steering pump. Additionally, there's an electric powered hydraulic pump on the master cylinder to supply hydraulic pressure should the power steering pump fail and/or your engine shut down. If you step on the brake pedal with the ignition off you can hear the electric pump run.

The extra pressure on the pedal takes a bit of getting used to.

Have fun and safe travels,...

Jim

[Z714X4]

My 2011 Open Road brakes do not seem excessively hard to me.
More pressure needed than my car, yes.
More pressure needed than my truck, yes.
Excessive, no.

Responsive, yes, for me anyway, considering its a 22,000 lb brick.
I just got back from Big Bear and the road on the north side going down was posted with 11% grades and one point the sign said 16% grade . The brakes worked flawlessly and I was very happy with them.
I also give myself lots of room and go into vacation mode when driving. I'm not in a hurry and I don't let any other vehicles bother me. I use my brakes less and roll to stops with only slight braking. I figure I'm pushing 22,000 lbs and respect what it takes to stop that mass.

Have you had them checked by the dealer?
Can you test drive another 2011 Open Road and compare the two units?
Please let us know what you find.

[JacknKay]

I thought my Allegro Open Road's brakes were weak when I first started driving it. The difference was between my previous unit and this one. Now that I only drive the new one, I'm not sure what the difference was. I think I noticed something similar when I went from my old Dodge Caravan to the new Honda Odyssey. They each just have a different feel to the pedal, but both stop the coach. By all means have it checked out.

[fujii103]

Hi, We have a 2011 35 ft QBA Open Road and I found I almost had to stand on the brakes to slow down. However after a few thousand miles I am finding them better( I am actually getting used to them).We had a 30 foot before and this unit is heavier so more to stop. I actually thought of going to the Ford dealer to have them checked.But I'm happy with them now.....Dave

[calsteve]

The rig is at the dealer for awhile some warranty work and they will have the brakes checked while it is there. Will post the results when I get it back.
Steve

[LandHo]

I too notice the same "I need to press harder" feel vs my old workhorse MH... I am getting used to it though. I think the pivot point is diff and it feels like you are stepping on it vs pushing fwd on the brake pedal... Hence, the diff in "effort applied" and "feel" IMO.

[ohiobill]

I notice the same thing on our 2011 FR Georgetown. I doubt I could push hard enough to lock them, even without abs. Have driven it about 3000 mi so far, and find using tow-haul helps a lot. I am getting used to them, but would like more power assist.

I asked the dealer to check them out and the response was that it felt like similar units to them.

[Hipshot]

My 2008 Bounder requires a good bit of brake pressure as compared to a car or pickup. When I first drove it I thought it would never stop. It has been checked by a Bounder dealer, a truck front end alignment shop and yesterday a truck safety inspection station. They all say my brakes are normal for a 36 ft 20,000 lbs + motorhome. I do like the trans/engine braking provide by Tow/Haul. I allways engage it in traffic and hills. After 5000 miles it seems to stop just fine. You learn quickly to allow prenty of room and to anticipate the idiots.

[Z714X4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hipshot ... After 5000 miles it seems to stop just fine...

Wow, and I thought I gave plenty of room to stop.

[Luv2go]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calsteve Hi, We have a new 2011Tiffen Open Road on a Ford chassis and is seems that the brakes are not as responsive as they should be. I have to a great deal more pressure to the pedal than I did in my previous RV to make it slow to a stop. Is this normal for this model? Thanks, Steve ________

I have the same feeling with our F53 based coach, especially as compared to our old E350-based coach. I just got used to pressing harder, the coach stops as well or better than the old one.

Maybe it is the difference between vacuum assist and the HydroMax assist?

[jimbooth25]

I have a 2012 coachman mirada 32 foot class a and the breaks on mine feel just like the ones in my ford pick up and my coach only has about 2800 miles on it