Community Forums

harrysteven · 04-18-2014, 12:06 PM

Folks:

We pulled our travel trailer (2007 Arctic Fox 30U) from Houston to the Chicago area about three weeks ago. Before we left Houston we had work done on the brakes by a certified RV tech: He checked the brakes' magnets and repacked & greased the wheel bearings.

We put the RV in storage when we got up here. A few days ago we went to visit it and heard a strange sound when we walked inside the rig. It came from the brake area of one of the wheels. The pitch of the sound was neither high nor low and its rhythm mirrored the motion inside the rig. It almost sounded like a swing.

Any idea what it could be?

Thanks!

Gma-n-Gpa · 04-18-2014, 12:11 PM

Odd kinda sounds like suspension... I am not a TT owner but this reminds me of the spring noise i had on an MG. a little tranny fluid sprayed on the leaf springs and the noise was gone. not sure if that helps or answers your problem just thought i would pass that on Good Luck on your quest.

rideandslide · 04-19-2014, 01:26 AM

I agree, souunds like some kind of suspension creek, i would spray all the springs and joints with PB Blaster or some other penetrating oil.

Jim

chaps2018 · 04-19-2014, 11:48 AM

I have the same thing. Mine comes from the length wise movement of the trailer. So I can push the trailer front to back and observe the squeek as the wheels move back and forth while chocked.

I have tried to lube the springs and any other metal on metal part but can't seem to find it. I did notice it is more prevalent when I first stop/setup then it is less noticeable the next day. I am thinking perhaps brakes just rubbing when hot.

One way to confirm is to loosen the brake adjustment star screw to confirm then retighten.

road dogs · 04-19-2014, 12:04 PM

Hopefully it just a squeaky spring. Brake shoes are hygroscopic, meaning they will absorb moisture from the air and may expand slightly. If your RV has been in storage for a while, especially in a damp place, could be the shoes are making slight contact with the drum and slight movement from walking inside may cause the wheel to rock back & forth enough to squeak a little. Additionally, the drum/rotor could develop a thin film of rust while in storage which rubs off the first time you apply the brakes. Another possibility if the noise is in fact coming from the brakes is, when you had your bearings serviced did the tech remove the drums, disassemble & repack and install new seals? Some AF axles use a grease fitting that is supposed to lube the bearings by judiciously squeezing a little grease into the bearings. Too much grease will cause some to get past the seal and onto the brake drum, not a good scenario as it can cause brake lockup, sticking, noise, damaged shoes etc. Wouldn't hurt to check, the only real fix for this is to replace the affected shoes and drum. Another check you can make is to pull the breakaway plug on your trailer brakes, which will lock them up and stop the noise. Don't forget to reset the breakaway brake switch or it will drain your batteries in a hurry!

chaps2018 · 04-29-2014, 12:22 PM

I tried the brake switch suggestion this weekend. It didn't seem to have any affect on my setup.

I am due for brakes here in a month or so. I already have the complete brake assemblies on the shelf ($50ea at etrailer) and will report back on the elusive squeek then.