|
12-07-2021, 10:53 AM
|
#1
|
New Member
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3
M.O.C. #27963
|
2021 brake issue
We purchased our 2021 3120rl new in January and took it out several times before a summer 3-month long trip. About 6 weeks into the trip we discovered we were having brake issues. We checked out our vehicle and found it to be working fine. We did what we could to check the trailer but were not able to pull the drums and wheels off the trailer to check the brakes. By the end of the trip we had virtually no brakes and still had to complete an elevation change of 7500 feet coming out of the Sierra Nevada range in California. (very scary situation)
After getting home we had a certified technician look at the brakes and we discovered that they were totally destroyed. We are waiting for Keystone to reply to our warranty claim.
Anyone else had similar brake issues?
FYI - this is not our first time towing a trailer and tow it with a 2019 Ram 3500. Our trip was through the northwest, leaving from Arizona. My husband regularly tows trailers in his business so we are by no means new to towing.
|
|
|
12-07-2021, 12:32 PM
|
#2
|
Montana Fan
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: STUARTS DRAFT, VA
Posts: 140
M.O.C. #27830
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Montana AZ owner
We purchased our 2021 3120rl new in January and took it out several times before a summer 3-month long trip. About 6 weeks into the trip we discovered we were having brake issues. We checked out our vehicle and found it to be working fine. We did what we could to check the trailer but were not able to pull the drums and wheels off the trailer to check the brakes. By the end of the trip we had virtually no brakes and still had to complete an elevation change of 7500 feet coming out of the Sierra Nevada range in California. (very scary situation)
After getting home we had a certified technician look at the brakes and we discovered that they were totally destroyed. We are waiting for Keystone to reply to our warranty claim.
Anyone else had similar brake issues?
FYI - this is not our first time towing a trailer and tow it with a 2019 Ram 3500. Our trip was through the northwest, leaving from Arizona. My husband regularly tows trailers in his business so we are by no means new to towing.
|
Do you have disc (legacy package) or drum brakes?
__________________
John and Carrie
2021 Montana 3121RL Legacy
2020 F-250 Lariat 4X4 Short 3.55
|
|
|
12-07-2021, 12:39 PM
|
#3
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Catoosa
Posts: 772
M.O.C. #18384
|
Could you provide more information describing the damage to your brakes? Disc or Electric? It would be very unusual to damage all four brake assemblies at once unless there was either an electrical or hydraulic fault. If the brake away pin cable was to hang up on something in the bed and the pin became disconnected that could cause you to overheat the brakes and ruin all four assemblies. With the pitiful drum brakes on most of the Montanas that could easily happen without your knowledge. If you have disc brakes than it’s highly unlikely, as they would lock up the wheels and smoke the tires. Have you checked to see if that pin has become dislodged?
__________________
2015 3100RL legacy...2005 Ford F-250 CC SB. Tows like a charm! 4/19 Updated to 2017 Chevy 3500 CC SB SRW -hope it tows as well as my F 250 did!
|
|
|
12-07-2021, 03:18 PM
|
#4
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Posts: 2,702
M.O.C. #7992
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theunz
Could you provide more information describing the damage to your brakes? Disc or Electric? It would be very unusual to damage all four brake assemblies at once unless there was either an electrical or hydraulic fault. If the brake away pin cable was to hang up on something in the bed and the pin became disconnected that could cause you to overheat the brakes and ruin all four assemblies. With the pitiful drum brakes on most of the Montanas that could easily happen without your knowledge. If you have disc brakes than it’s highly unlikely, as they would lock up the wheels and smoke the tires. Have you checked to see if that pin has become dislodged?
|
I don't have any experience with the later models but when the brake away was operated on my 2006 at about 10mph there was no doubt as it jerked the truck to a stop in the middle of an intersection. Understanding the technology of the break away system I don't know why the newer models would act any different.
__________________
2006 3000RK
2009 Ram 2500
|
|
|
12-08-2021, 04:41 AM
|
#5
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 2,109
M.O.C. #25165
|
On my 2019, I had one wheel where the magnet was destroyed and the wires were wrapped around the axle. I received it that way, but only found it when I did the first bearing service. Dexter ended up reimbursing me for the parts. I found the part on eTrailer cheaper than what Dexter had them for.
__________________
Robert & Diana McNeal
2019 Montana Legacy 3791RD 20th Anniversary Edition
2014 F350 4x4 6.7L SRW
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 08:06 AM
|
#6
|
Established Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Wenatchee
Posts: 38
M.O.C. #14662
|
sounds similar to what happened to me. same symptoms, just didn't seem right when stopping. When the pulled the drums off the pads were gone and the drums were scored. they were forward adjusting and my belief is they adjusted frequently and wore out premature. being used to car brakes I didn't think they could go that fast it was only a year (we don't tow it that much). started paying more attention and the wear rate is extremely high. so I followed the advice of this forum before getting another set of shoes - I got the disk brake conversion done - I will never have another big rig without disc's. easy to check pads, smoother stopping, stronger stopping, ..... better all around
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 08:21 AM
|
#7
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sebring
Posts: 3,657
M.O.C. #9969
|
We just had our Disc Brake Pads changed this summer, and that was just over 6 years and 50K miles and still had pad left, but were at the replacement point.
__________________
Michelle & Ann
2018 Chevy 3500HD High Country DRW 4X4 Crew Cab w/Duramax/Allison, Formally 2010 Montana 2955RL, Now Loaded 2016 SOB, Mor/ryde IS, Disc Brakes & Pin Box, Comfort Ride Hitch, Sailun 17.5 Tires.
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 12:10 PM
|
#8
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Livermore
Posts: 5,134
M.O.C. #1920
|
First, still waiting on OP to tell which brake system they have, because it is different issues that cause brakes to fail. On electric brakes, the most common cause of brake failure (and in 1000 miles you can destroy the whole system) is pumping grease into the lube zerk, blowing by the seal and getting onto the brake shoes. I had this happen to me. I had a company grease the bearings. One of their new guys greasing the suspension “greased” the wheel zerks after the bearings were greased.
__________________
Ron and Terrie Ames - MOC #1920/KF0NTA
2021Montana 3230CK Super Solar Legacy Package
2021 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn, BIM Charging
4x4, SRW, LB, Crew Cab, Pullrite 3900 Hitch
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 04:08 PM
|
#9
|
New Member
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3
M.O.C. #27963
|
from OP
we have electric drum brakes, no legacy package,
here are pic of brakes
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 04:40 PM
|
#10
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Livermore
Posts: 5,134
M.O.C. #1920
|
I am assuming your dealer is doing the contact. It shouldn’t take them long to approve it and availability of parts from Dexter will determine how quick the repairs are done. Best of luck and keep us posted on the repairs. I would still think possibly grease past the seal.
__________________
Ron and Terrie Ames - MOC #1920/KF0NTA
2021Montana 3230CK Super Solar Legacy Package
2021 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn, BIM Charging
4x4, SRW, LB, Crew Cab, Pullrite 3900 Hitch
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 04:52 PM
|
#11
|
Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Park Hill
Posts: 166
M.O.C. #10841
|
I had a friend of mine accidentally pulled his emergency brake application device out from his king pin while up in the back of his truck for some reason and that was what his brake pads and drums looked like before he realized what was going on. I think another person in another vehicle got his attention to the smoke. I ask him how do you not see that much smoke coming from your camper wheels. I kinda enjoyed harassing him how someone could do that and not realize something was not quite right when started pulling his camper from a dead stop right off the bat.He didn't see quite as much hummer in it as I did. Good thing he was a good friend.
|
|
|
12-13-2021, 05:33 PM
|
#12
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mountain Home
Posts: 827
M.O.C. #20949
|
In your pics I DO NOT SEE the classis telltale sign of grease contamination from blow by thru the rear seal due to a faulty rear seal or incorrect lube technique if the EZ lube methods was used... Which I WILL NEVER USE THE EZ LUBE ZERKS
What I THINK I see in both images is missing or damaged brake shoe hold down springs... the brakes should be flush against the backing plate..
Either there was an issue with the hold down hardware or auto adjusters not working correctly..
I have over 38K miles on my original Dexer 7K brakes and bearings..
|
|
|
12-25-2021, 01:10 PM
|
#13
|
Established Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 39
M.O.C. #29650
|
Warped drums
What happens a lot in self adjusting drums is you overheat them and they warp. The drums go out of round and when you brake, the self adjuster will ratchet up a notch when it goes past the egg shape side(wide side). That in turn makes it even tighter and drag more on the the skinner side which wears the shoes even more. Vicious cycle.
|
|
|
12-26-2021, 07:30 AM
|
#14
|
Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Hagerstown
Posts: 856
M.O.C. #16013
|
Yikes!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Montana AZ owner
we have electric drum brakes, no legacy package,
here are pic of brakes
|
This would be beyond scary coming down a mountain. Really just bite the bullet and put on disk brakes and forget about worrying every time you start down another mountain and you will after seeing this. I can`t believe everyone doesn't do this as the their first modification. It took a near miss from a rude driver in a panic stop for me. As everyone says after they put them on " I`ll never tow a big unit with out them again." Just $1600 dollars in parts and about 5 hours of work on a weekend and then you can forget about brakes.
Just ask the wife.......
__________________
2018.5 3791 Rear Den Montana, on the lake no 3rd A/C, Mini Split, just do it
Electric Brakes ..... Disk Brakes, it`s the only way
F350 Ford Dually 4:10`s w/bags (payload 5595 lbs) Sumo Springs 63 gal aux tank
Reese Goosebox Mor/Ryde SRE 4000 X Factors Monroe shocks.... real smooth ride
|
|
|
12-26-2021, 11:45 AM
|
#15
|
Montana Master
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Alton
Posts: 2,648
M.O.C. #24086
|
My TPMS Saved us from a brake failure that could have been a lot worse than it was.
I would suspect a brake shoe retainer clip failed.
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84766&highlight=Tpms+saved
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|