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Old 06-11-2015, 05:25 AM   #1
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winnebago brakes

the 1987 Winnebago I just bought takes a too long to come to a stop. the front discs seem to be good. I have bled the brakes on my cars and trucks but I am reluctant to mess with those big lugs. any suggestions? I am retired and prefer to do my own work on it if possible. Also where do you put the jacks? thanks
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Old 06-11-2015, 08:22 AM   #2
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You just found out a very important thing about motorhomes....they do not stop like a car
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Old 06-11-2015, 09:35 AM   #3
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Depending on the braking system you have the issue could be bigger than you want to mess with. If you have a frame mounted hydro-boost the bleeding procedure is not like a car. Look things over closely before you dive in. One of the most overlooked maintenance item is brake fluid. Brake fluid is designed to absorb water and does a good job of doing so. What this means is...if you live in a high humidity area the fluid can have a high water content and not be as effective as it should be. Also disc brakes and especially motor homes need a extreme duty brake fluid. Also you cannot leave brake fluid sitting around like we used to...it needs to be fresh. My two cents.
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Old 06-11-2015, 09:41 AM   #4
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the 1987 Winnebago I just bought takes a too long to come to a stop. the front discs seem to be good. I have bled the brakes on my cars and trucks but I am reluctant to mess with those big lugs. any suggestions? I am retired and prefer to do my own work on it if possible. Also where do you put the jacks? thanks

Ford, Chevy, Dodge, or other chassis???
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Old 06-12-2015, 06:03 AM   #5
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winnebago brakes

the chassis is a chevy one with a 454 cu. inch motor. If the brake fluid is old, how do I go about changing it. The reservoir is hard to get to and I don't want air getting into brake lines. thanks guys.
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Old 06-12-2015, 06:53 AM   #6
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Old brake fluid can cause 2 problems.

1 If it has absorbed water, that water can cause corrosion to the master cylinder, wheel cylinder and or calipers.

2, During a long or hard stop, the braking action can cause the brake fluid, to get very hot. During that stop, it is unlikely that the water will turn to steam, being under pressure. Once you let off the brake, it will boil and expand. This will push the fluid back to the master cylinder.The next brake application will be very poor, with a low pedal, since you now have to compress that steam, back into water, causing loss of brake pad movement.

Changing brake fluid is a maintenance item, usually done when replacing the wheel cylinders and brakes. Since low mileage, RVs don't wear out brakes for years, it should be done between brake jobs.

To change the fluid you need to open, then close each caliper, bleeder, one at a time, while someone pushs the brake pedal down. Each time, you should refill the master cylinder.

They also make a power blender, that hooks to the master cylinder, eliminating all of the pedal pumping and refilling.

If you are having brake problems, during normal, average driving, corrosion has already happened or there is something else, mechanically wrong, and bleeding or changing the fluid is not going to fix it.

I usually jack up the rear axle, under a spring, U bolt, close to the tire and fit the jack stand, next to it.

Hope I helped
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Old 06-12-2015, 09:19 AM   #7
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the chassis is a chevy one with a 454 cu. inch motor. If the brake fluid is old, how do I go about changing it. The reservoir is hard to get to and I don't want air getting into brake lines. thanks guys.
Then you have a Chevy P32 chassis. They are not known for having overly-powerful brakes, and many owners have complained about having to apply too much force on the pedal to achieve quick stops. Other than making sure you have fresh fluid and that the pads and rotors are not glazed over, there isn't much you can do to make them "better". If you tow, whatever you tow needs to have a supplemental braking system of some kind to provide an additional level of safety.
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Old 06-12-2015, 09:39 AM   #8
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the chassis is a chevy one with a 454 cu. inch motor. If the brake fluid is old, how do I go about changing it. The reservoir is hard to get to and I don't want air getting into brake lines. thanks guys.
You take a brake vac (like Mighty-Vac) put it on the rear most brake line, and open the bleed valve, pump that stuff out while keeping it full up front. Do the same on the other 3 corners too. As long as you don't suck it dry, you'll incur zero air.


The other thing on a chassis this old - is the rubber lines tend to get soft over time.
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Old 06-12-2015, 07:13 PM   #9
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I am towing a Ford ranger, 5 speed standard, rear wheel drive. Some people have told me to disconnect the u bolt on the drive axle. Others have told me to keep the truck running while being towed and others have said to just put it in neutral. Is there a brake pump that I need for towing? I don't think there are electrical brakes for the truck but I could be wrong. Thanks.
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Old 06-12-2015, 07:29 PM   #10
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The owners manual will tell you if you can flat tow.

Google, flat tow brake brake actuators or look in camping world for them.

Some mount on the floor and push the pedal and some use cables from the hitch, to pull the pedal.
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Old 06-13-2015, 01:34 AM   #11
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Take your rig in and have the entire system checked. I'm a shade tree mechanic from way back, but maintaining the brakes on a big rig is something I'll let the professionals do. Even with an entirely reworked brake system and the extra brakes my tag axel provides I still know to begin slowing down a lot further behind traffic in order to avoid a fender bender, or worse. My brakes are good and in fact I have locked them up once when a knucklehead in a smart car pulled in front of me and hit his brakes. I came close to taking him out, but didn't thank God. People seem to think we can stop on a dime... we can't.

Don't take any chances. Have a brake shop look your system over. It's worth the money and peace of mind. JMHO
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Old 06-13-2015, 06:37 AM   #12
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You just found out a very important thing about motorhomes....they do not stop like a car
We recently drove a new Winnebago Tour and if we hit the brakes hard any car behind us would have hit us. These brakes are solid.
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Old 06-13-2015, 08:05 AM   #13
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We recently drove a new Winnebago Tour and if we hit the brakes hard any car behind us would have hit us. These brakes are solid.
Nothing to do with an old '87 Winnibago ! You are talking about a new top end diesel pusher coach just over $400,000 machine !
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Old 06-13-2015, 09:48 AM   #14
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I am towing a Ford ranger, 5 speed standard, rear wheel drive. Some people have told me to disconnect the u bolt on the drive axle. Others have told me to keep the truck running while being towed and others have said to just put it in neutral. Is there a brake pump that I need for towing? I don't think there are electrical brakes for the truck but I could be wrong. Thanks.
Keeping the engine running MIGHT protect your tranny, but I would "think" a manual tranny IN NEUTRAL would not be harmed by flat towing. CHECK WITH FORD on that. Regardless, that has NOTHING to do with adding supplemental BRAKING. There are numerous systems out there, some apply the brakes after an electrical signal from the coach, some are simple hydraulic "surge" brakes, some are a box that pushes the truck's brake pedal, etc., etc., etc. You need to search "supplemental Brake systems to see what fits your needs and pocketbook. The really good ones are not cheap. "Stay & Play" and the U.S. Gear "Unified Tow Brake" are among the best, IMO, for gassers without an air system used to power some of the models used on DPs.
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