calipers

[babybeaver]

I would like to put this out there and see if anybody has alot of expierience in this dept. Took our coach, 2000 beaver patriot 33' diesal cat 3126 330 out for the weekend. Got about 10mi out and started smelling burnt brakes. Had the dash ac on but it was just blowing warm air. Had gen on and overhead ac on. New dash ac wasn't working, had a new compresser on order and was bringing it back to shop mon for installation. Turned dash ac off since it was just blowing warm air and smell stopped. At first i just thought it was a passing car causing the smell. I pulled over and checked everything out, all is well and continued. Now abs light comes on, I am alarmed but what can i do as i am now about 50 miles from my destination. I get where i am going ok, check everything out nothing seems to be out of place. Hook up to 30 amp and enjoy the weekend. Now leaving, light still on. Get home ok, next morn take coach to mech for ac compresser to be installed. I tell mech about abs light. 3 days later i call to check on status of coach. He tells me ac working fine. Front left caliper burnt. Ok, so my question to you all is what would cause this? Brake fluid leak would be my guess but there was no evidence of a fluid lead on my driveway or on the concrete pad i had it sittin on over the weekend. I have not had the chance to talk to mech yet, called today he tells me he is busy and he will call back in 30 min. I wait all day no call. Two days now wasted friday and today mon. I do not feel good about this guy, actually i am pissed and am going to see him tomorrow. We already have had our fill of him and have let him know about his lack of communication skills. To no avail. I would not mind it if he told me he was busy, but when someone lies to you and disrespects you i cannot deal with that. He is supposed to be researching parts availability to let me know. Now i am thinking calipers both will need to be replaced since its advised to replace both as well as pads. I will also have brake fluid replaced as i do not know how old it is and i have heard it advised that it should be replaced every 3 or 4 yrs. We recently bought the unit with 39k miles on it. It has been sitting for over a year. I really do not trust this mech, does all this sound about right to any of you who may have expierienced a problem similiar to this?? any input appreciated.

[DriVer]

Originally Posted by babybeaver

...any input appreciated.

Do you have air or hydraulic brakes?

[speed racer]

Having brake fluid they must be hyd. brakes. Calipers seazing up is a problem with hyd. brakes more so when the fluid is contaminated and the vehicle sets for long periods of time. I don't know what kind of calipers you have but some are hard to get because of the aplication. The ABS sensor was damaged due to the heat from the brakes. If it was mine I would replace both sides.

[babybeaver]

I am having both wheels done, calipers, pads. The unit had been sitting for over a year. Probably have fluid changed as well. Fired tony at eastern diesal and took coach to camping world, will try them. Finding out quickly how expensive motorcoaches can be. Plan on putting some miles on it, eventually all the bugs will get worked out. We have a 33' beaver patriot concord, which is probably the only one ever made. Diesal 330 year 2000. I have yet to find another. I do know it was custom made. It was well taken care of 39k miles. Bought from a elderly couple who can no longer travel.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Probably air over Hydraulic. Some of the Magnum chassis were like that. Still odd to have a caliper failure, though. Big diesel motorhomes seldom have brake issues. Must have got dirty and hung up, so it burned.

Good luck with Camping World, Last place I would have thought of for chassis work.

[babybeaver]

Quite the opposite. From the research i have been doing its common to have caliper failure when a coach has been sitting for months. Also, bosh had a recall on calipers awhile back.