Disk Brakes installed - Montana Owners Club

be18driver · 04-07-2022, 07:02 PM

Bright & early Josh & Heather arrived at our home to install A Performance Trailer Braking kit on our 2019 3561 Montana. The parts had arrived about 2 weeks earlier so after a couple of handshakes they started to work and about 5 1/2 hours later we went for a test drive. I suppose that I should not have been surprised at how much better they worked but I was. After reading many other posts from other forum members regarding their evaluation of disk brake performance I thought it can't be that much better but I was wrong. The difference in stopping ability is major ! I was very impressed with the smoothness and lag free response to the brake pedal in our 2019 F350. I admit that I only had maybe a 10 mile test drive but I know that as I add more miles I will be even more convinced that I should have made the upgrade sooner. The disk brake kit that Performance sells was complete and well packaged. The installers Josh & Heather were wonderful. They were very knowledgeable and professional and worked together well as a team. They also saw that one of the leaf spring eye bolt nuts was about to fall off and immediately re-tightened it and applied some locktite. Before they put the wheels back on they took the time and applied grease to all the wet bolts without being asked to do so. So I highly recommend both the Performance Trailer Braking kit and Josh & Heather for your disk brake upgrade.

Foldbak · 04-07-2022, 07:17 PM

How much?

Lee-CI · 04-07-2022, 08:20 PM

S&B gets paid off this summer. Tax return time next year, disc brakes are getting installed come heck or high water. Going with the same supplier too as they aren't terribly far away from us. To me it is a whole lot easier to move calipers up out of the way to pull the rotor / hub assembly to service wheel bearings that it is to wrestle getting drums over brake shoes. Drum brakes work, but to me the whole setup is just too fragile and I've see way too many component failures over the years. YMMV
Happy camping all! Looking forward to the season ahead. Heading up East of Lake Ouachita in Arkansas in about a week and a half.

rohrmann · 04-07-2022, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foldbak

How much?

This is the PTB website, and they have basic kit prices. You can also call them and they will help you out figuring what the price will be. Remember though, that you will pay the installer for the labor part, but PTB will tell you what that price will be. You may also have to pay the installer for grease, brake fluid, and other minor supplies, but that will not be that much. They installed the 8K package to our 7K axles, and that gave us heavier outer bearings and 9/16" wheel studs. I have also been very impressed with the package and how well the brakes work. We had the upgrade done at the spring rally at Coos Bay in 2019. This is the website: https://performancetrailerbraking.com/disc-brakes

432bartman · 04-09-2022, 09:17 AM

That is great news. An upgrade I want to do and tackle myself.

dieselguy · 04-09-2022, 09:23 AM

Swapping the drums for disk part is a piece of cake. Installing the actuator also straight forward. Running the lines and double flairing as needed takes 70% of the install time. Some go with the one size fits all kits or use rubber brake line for the main runs and just loop the extra line in some convenient place. That's just not what I prefer to do.

LJSantore · 04-09-2022, 12:23 PM

Looking into the MORyde Disc Brakes. There are some youtube videos on this. they say you can stay in the coach on site while they do it. The also have an Independent suspension/ Disc Brake upgrade. We ordered our Legacy with the Disc Brakes, But due to supply chain They where not able to deliver. Maybe Ill swing By Moryde during the rally this year.

mhs4771 · 04-09-2022, 06:09 PM

If you want to do much of anything with MORryde during the Rally time frame, I would be making an appointment now!

RipNC · 04-10-2022, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhs4771

If you want to do much of anything with MORryde during the Rally time frame, I would be making an appointment now!

Ditto! Last summer the earliest appointment we could get for our IS install was 11/4/22. Only a couple days ago we were offered an earlier date (in May) and jumped on it. I think they added another service bay and probably have had some cancelations due to fuel cost.

So make an appointment now!

PS - we're at the mid-Atlantic rally right now with several rigs that have the IS and every one has said how much better it is...

snowmanfx4 · 04-14-2022, 05:39 AM

I had PTB install 8k axles,, disk brakes and shocks on my last 40ft Montana. Think it was $5,500 instead. My new 3931fb Montana came with disk brakes. Will never own a 5th wheel with out disk brakes. The came right to the RV park

Dave and Beta · 04-14-2022, 05:52 AM

I had the Legacy package with the disc brakes but still got the IS from Morryde. What an improvement. But we got it last September and I made the appointment in the beginning of the year. Saved some money by already having disc brakes, the actuator and lines are all there. If you have the Lippert pin box, I also recommend the Morryde pin box. Between the IS and the pin box you won’t believe the difference. But make that appointment ASAP.

snowmanfx4 · 04-14-2022, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave and Beta

I had the Legacy package with the disc brakes but still got the IS from Morryde. What an improvement. But we got it last September and I made the appointment in the beginning of the year. Saved some money by already having disc brakes, the actuator and lines are all there. If you have the Lippert pin box, I also recommend the Morryde pin box. Between the IS and the pin box you won’t believe the difference. But make that appointment ASAP.

If you had PTB put new dish brakes on. I would have had them put on there actuator because it is a lot better than Montanas.

johnsfrost · 04-14-2022, 08:07 AM

We have a 2021 without disc brakes. What was your cost to convert? Thanks

Dave and Beta · 04-14-2022, 08:11 AM

I didn’t convert to disc brakes I ordered my unit with disc brakes with the Legacy Package. The I. S. was about $5000 because the hydraulics were there.

snowmanfx4 · 04-15-2022, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsfrost

We have a 2021 without disc brakes. What was your cost to convert? Thanks

On my last camper (2016 3911fb) cost me about $5,500 for 8k axles, disk brakes and shocks. PTB came to the campgrounds and installed them there.

loadmaster · 04-16-2022, 07:05 AM

After reading about everyone installing disc brakes on their Montana camper, my brother and I ordered the kit and installed the disc brakes one weekend at our house, I was a little apprehensive about installing the brakes thinking that this was going to be a hard job to install. But being mechanically inclined, we jumped in and before we knew it we had them installed. It is a straight up installation the only thing that was hard was running the wire to the seven (7) pin plug. After running the wire and bleeding the calibers and checking to make sure we had installed the brakes right we went for a ride and to my surprise the brakes worked great stopping the camper on a dime. The installation is straight forward for someone that is mechanically inclined you can do it. The only thing is running the hydraulic brake lines to insure they are secured along the frame of the camper.

I would not own a camper without disk brakes on it. This should be and standard on all camper coming from the factory. The kit we order did come from Performance brakes.

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