Troubleshooting Weak Electric Brakes on New R-Pod Trailer

Updated 05/11/2018 | Published 05/10/2018

Question:

Hi, we just purchased a newinch 2016 Rpod 10 days ago. The brakes seemed very weak right out of the box. In my excitement, I didnt turn around like I should have. I took it to a more local dealer and everything checked out electronically, the P3, wiring, the amperage going through each side of the trailer. They took off the hubs and made sure no oil or grease was present, reassembled them and sent me on my way. I turned right around because if anything things were worse than before, very weak to no braking. I am able to turn the wheels by hand with full braking applied. They are working but terribly, terribly weak. My only guess is cheap Chinese components. Forest River the Axle manufacturer and the brake supplier to the axle manufacturer are in a pissing contest on this issue. We cancelled 2 planned outings including Mothers Day camping. My question is: Should I just go ahead and purchase and install a set of USA made brakes to try to solve this problem?

asked by: Ronald S

Expert Reply:

It's certainly possible to replace the electric brakes on your newly purchased R-Pod trailer, but it's hard for me to know if this will resolve your issue, as it's still possible (and more likely) that there is something else going on that is causing the weak braking.

You did mention checking the wiring and brake controller, along with the brake assemblies themselves for any grease or oil, but it sounds like they might not have been adjusted. When weak braking occurs, more times than not it is simply a matter of the brake assemblies not being adjusted properly.

In order to adjust the brakes, you will need to raise the trailer and first check that the wheel and drum rotate freely. You can then use a brake adjusting tool like # W80630 to turn the star wheel at the bottom of the assembly until there is a slight but constant drag of the shoe pads on the drum. I have attached a video demonstration of an electric brake installation that you can take a look at. At around the 4:40 mark in the video, you can see the brake adjustment process.

If this does not resolve the issue, please let me know and I will be happy to look into this further.

expert reply by: Chris R