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Weak brakes on ‘22 GD Transcend??

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  • Weak brakes on ‘22 GD Transcend??

    Hi. New to the forum & Grand Design campers. We purchased a 2022 GD Transcend 265 BH camper. Once done with the familiarization, the dealer guy said “enjoy it”! I said I wanted to text the brakes.

    I have a 2021 Ford F150 that I’ve towed a 2004 Pioneer camper with. I checked dash screen settings, tow mode, entered info for the new camper, set brake effort to medium, had gain on 6. While rolling in the lot, I slowly squeezed the pinch lever on the dash. Only a slight drag noted & truck kept rolling.

    Upon more testing by dealer, we concluded:
    - truck is sending a signal;
    - camper brakes are energizing;
    - increasing dash settings to high effort & 10 for the gain did not help;
    - dealer jacked up camper axle & showed that brake was holding the tire & “working properly”;
    - I explained that a static test vs 15,000 pounds rolling at 60 MPH were not the same thing!

    I’m kinda ****** at their attitude. He gave me 2 choices. 1) unhook it & leave it (1.5 hour drive to get there) or 2) take it and see if it improves. After 75 miles, absolutely nothing got any better. The camper now sits in our pole barn.

    Should I: a) try the 50 mph test using the pinch switch or b) take it back and demand repairs on the spot while I wait??

  • #2
    If your mechanical and can handle performing a brake adjustment this is your best option. If not, your only choices are to take the rig back to have it done at the dealer or just pay to have it done locally. You can pay for a brake adjustment which would cost less than a 3 hour tow.

    Completely agree a free wheeling brake test makes no sense other than checking that the magnets are working. That they did this test to try and convince you the brakes are good tells me its not worth having them look at it.

    Jim

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    • #3
      The brakes should be manually adjusted and then burnished following the procedure in your owners manual. This could quite likely take more than 75 miles after the manually adjusted starting point.

      Rob
      Cate & Rob
      (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
      2015 Reflection 303RLS
      2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
      Bayham, Ontario, Canada

      Comment


      • #4
        Skibc -- welcome to the forum and RV ownership. This forum is dedicated to the "DIYer" and also educating owners so they know what's going on with their trailer, making it easier for them to deal with service technicians.

        That's a long way to state now is as good a time as any to dive into maintaining your RV. Knowing how to properly adjust the brakes is just one of a slew of maintenance tasks an average RV owner should know how to do (assuming the physical capability).

        Please take a moment and check out the Welcome Letter--it should give you a better grasp on how to get the most from your time here on the forum. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/main-fo...to-new-members

        If you'd like more info on what Rob and Jim (the two who responded previously) don't hesitate to ask--they are two (of many) here that can help or point you to resources.

        Howard
        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

        2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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        • #5
          Skibc I bought a new 2500RL this year, and had the exact same experience you had. There is a lot written about this topic in this forum, worth a search. I adjusted all four of mine, which needed it. However, the braking was still very marginal, even with the truck set at a gain of 10. However, our first trip was about 1000 miles round trip, and after around 500 miles (quite a few little towns on our way, so some braking for stop lights, etc.) I had to dial down the gain to get a "neutral" feel. I think I'm at about 7.5 now. The braking when actuating them manually from the truck is night and day different after those 500 miles. I suppose whoever towed it from Indiana to MN didn't need to use the brakes hardly at all, so no burnishing/break occurred.
          Ottertail, Minnesota
          2022 Imagine 2500RL VIN 573TE3029N6637046
          2022 Ford F-150 Lariat, SuperCrew, long box, max tow

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          • #6
            My Nev R Adjust brakes didn’t work very well for the first 1000 miles or so. Now they work great. Use setting of 6.5 which is likely a bit high.

            Comment


            • #7
              So far everyone has related my thoughts on this except........ My 2 GD trailers a 2600RB Imagine and my current 337 Reflection fifth wheel have both had the rear seals blown out on every wheel by some overzealous power grease gun use by someone prior to my taking possession. Both required an extensive cleaning of the brakes and the 337 required replacement of all 4 due to the level of contamination.

              If you are not satisfied with the performance after the adjustment and break in period outlined by the other posters it would be prudent to have them inspected and corrections made if needed.

              Keep in mind that depending where you are in the country youre brakes were likely used during the transport of your trailer from Elkhart IN to your dealer

              Pop some popcorn and do a search of weak brakes on this forum, theres plenty of reading on this subject
              Last edited by familytruckster4; 10-04-2022, 07:33 AM.
              2021 Reflection 337RLS, 2021 Silverado 3500HD 6.6 gas. Nellie the wonder boxer

              Comment


              • #8
                Skibc

                My Reflection was delivered with grease contaminated brake shoes. Others on various forums have reported the same. Might be wise to go ahead and pull a couple of drums off and check.

                After replacing all 4 brake assemblies, it still took about 500 miles before the brakes began to really feel good.
                2020 Reflection 273MK
                2005 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD

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                • #9
                  Must agree with skibc. You might feel better after getting eyeballs on those pads

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I have a ‘21 Ford F-150 and a Transcend 265BH as well. I started with my gain set at 7 and increased to 8 for better braking. I did the squeeze test at 20mph and had noticeable braking. I agree with the other postings, it sounds like the brakes need adjustment. Some campgrounds that I have stayed at advertise for mobile RV techs. If you aren’t comfortable diving into your brakes, perhaps that is an option. Contact a local RV park, they may able to help.
                    Tim
                    Tim & Beth
                    2022 Transcend Xplor 265BH
                    2021 Ford F-150 XLT, 3.5L Ecoboost w/ Max Tow Pkg

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks for all the comments. 👍 I’ll do a review of the manual and crawl underneath the camper yo look over the back of the drums for access to adjust them. Likely the camper is in the barn until next spring / summer.

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