Caravan Brake Servicing Risk
Both me and my partner attended separate Practical Caravanning training' courses in Evesham put on by the Caravan and Motorhome Club and led by a very informed and entertaining guy called Vaughan. On both he suggested that because Caravan brakes operate differently to car brakes we'd be wise to ensure that any brake servicing we get done is done by a caravan mechanic rather than a normal garage mechanic because the latter don't usually know that caravan brakes are different. .All well and good we thought however we then found it impossible to find a caravan servicer available to check our brakes prior to our holiday so we booked it into the same place that a 'knowledgeable' bloke on our caravan site was having his brakes tested.
Ever since we've been concerned about Vaughan's advice however when I google about how caravan brakes work and I think I know the difference between van and car brakes, I cant see how not knowing the difference could lead to a car mechanic doing something during the testing that could lead to a real adverse impact - I don't see what the real risk is.
The only thing i can think of is as follows....
He might test the brakes as the caravan moves forwards and, providing they work correctly, he then ticks off that test.
He then tests the brakes as the caravan moves backwards and to his surprise he finds that they don't apply.
At that point he might be driven to ask around/google and ultimately finds the answer and so then proceeds to complete the test with that knowledge or he might adjust the brake more and more until,. even in its collapsed position, the shoes can reach the drum and they work and he then ticks of that test without re-testing the forward operation.
I don't know if it is possible to adjust the brakes so that they could be applied even from a collapsed position but if it were and he did that, I would have thought that as soon as the van moved forwards and the brake release switch spring restored the shoes to their non-collapsed position, it would be impossible to pull the van any further forwards by hand such that you would immediately know there was a problem.
Maybe you might pull it forwards with a car but even then i would have thought you would feel that the van wasn't freely rolling.
What I can say is that I didn't notice any issue when I towed it back from the garage however when I set it in place on the caravan site, I didn't have any need to pull it forwards by hand so I will be checking that when I next visit.
So please can anyone advise what the risk or risks are of having a car mechanic test caravan brakes - what could he do wrong that could then have a real consequence?
Please note I only took it to the garage to test the brakes and nothing else.
thanks
Ben
Comments
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Maybe Vaughan should just stick to testing/training people & leave the mechanics to mechs. Any mechanic will be able to see the difference in operation between a hydraulic slave cylinder drum set-up of a car and that of the all mechanical lever & rod set-up of a caravan.
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I think if Vaughan knew what he was talking about he would of also made people aware of the limited reuse procedure for the hub nuts on modern caravan chassis, a far easier mistake to make by someone not in the know.
As said above, he should stick to what he is skilled at.
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I would imagine most members(like me) that tow have a company/dealership or a independent service engineer to do all the mechanical /tech stuff for them.... I may be wrong.
My job is to fill the fresh water , empty the grey water & of course the toilet needs seeing to.
My OH doesn't have a job or anything to do with our caravan.... other than enjoying the holidays... when ive towed us to our destination.
Is there any other way to caravan.... but enjoy your holiday.
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My feeling is that virtually all brake adjustment is done professionally as part of a service by a caravan engineer. Unless he is doing it as a favour for a friend, I cannot see a car mechanic doing this, but it is a point.The difference is that caravan brakes are not activated by the brake pedal but are overrun models. The brake is applied when the towing vehicle slows down and the caravan pushes against the tow ball and depresses a valve. I would have thought that any good car mechanic would see this, but mistakes are possible.
The actual mechanism in the hub is similar to many cars, so adjustment there should not be a problem. It is basically knowing how to set the overrun mechanism correctly that could go wrong, which in all probability might mean the brakes were less effective.
Pulling the caravan on a flat surface would not tell you if there was a problem, as the overrun will not operate. It would let you know if the brakes were binding, but if you have been on a run with the caravan this sounds unlikely.
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I refer to the previous answer from my learned friend.
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Perhaps it may be that a caravan engineer uses a torque wrench when fitting the new hub nut and wheel nuts and all the mobile engineers I've used take you round and re torques the wheel nuts in your presence and gets you sign they have been done and I prefer to have the gas, electric etc checked at the same time so now my 2019 sticker is emblazoned on my A frame so you and I know it should be safe and after our freinds wheel came off their van some years ago we both now carry our own torque wrench.
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The OP asked “So please can anyone advise what the risk or risks are of having a car mechanic test caravan brakes”
In my opinion there are far more risks involved in letting caravan dealership ‘technicians’ play with the brakes.
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It appears caravan workshops don't seem to be able to cure brake squeal either?
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A lad at work had had his caravan serviced at a local caravan dealer each year & the service dept had even supplied him with the old one-shot-nut. He then did a job on his caravan that involved removal of the drum to find that it was an old style castellated nut & split pin!!! 🤐
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0001, that’s very helpful of you👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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With a history of over 40 years caravanning ourselves, it’s hard to see how you’ve survived without engaging some practical skills. We carry a small, but sensible toolkit, enough to tighten screws, check electrical connections, clear drains, change fuses and bulbs, lubricate sticking latches replace roof vents, clean contaminated cooker burners and a great deal more. Bigger jobs such as a fridge swap out, are left to the dealer. A couple of years ago, at an event rally, off EHU, our immediate neighbour suffered a flat battery because their water pressure sensor was stuck on. All he needed to do was turn the knob to a lower pressure threshold, then plug his car into the van and run the engine for half an hour. A quick search on Google shows us, in video, how to adjust the switch. As it was, he bought a new battery and called out a mobile mechanic.
So “yes there is another way to caravan” without waiting in for a mobile mechanic, buying an unnecessary leisure battery and spending money unnecessarily. A small toolkit, Haynes manual and Google combined could save a lot of time and money.
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Sounds like another silly scare story. Any decent mechanic would know the difference. For those owners with little or no mechanical ability having an annual service by a AWS is quite adequate.
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Apart from agreeing with previous observations regarding Vaughan sticking to what he knows best. One minor detail he seems to have overlooked is that very few vehicles these days (not for many year in fact) are manufactured with drum brakes, most now have discs so you might struggle to find a mechanic (sorry Technician) who has experience of working on them (unless they are a person of a certain age of course ;-) )
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Tell my neighbours son he is at uni ,comes home practices in garage ,annoys everyone ,mom says i dont want the noise in the house ,i had a word with him . Have i got the subject wrong ?
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I did say not many ;-)
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Quite a few base model cars have rear drums.
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And higher spec models, CY. See MM's post re disc foot brake and drum parking brake.
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I feel the adviser has a valid point, at least in as far as using someone competent. Caravan brakes in respect to involving an over run system and its associated auto reverse, are different to automobile brakes even drum types. There is the vital point that in testing for drag on setting the shoe clearance a drum must never be turned backwards. Then there is setting the rod energy spring clearances up correctly. It needs somebody who knows, as simple as that.
I am far from convinced even dealers always know what they are doing or invest long enough to do these things "well".
With our brakes unless you tow many thousands of miles so wear and dust become an issue, I am firmly in the "school" of leave the whole thing untouched, then it might work a lot better and the wheel bearings remain undamaged in the process. Saves the costs of the nuts as well!
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