Oh! dear ....... (1 Viewer)

gixermark

Free Member
Sep 8, 2009
105
4
Hereford
Funster No
8,372
MH
None
Exp
2 years ! Ex "Tugger" of 7 years + !!
Yes all ..... Oh! dear !!!! :cry::cry::Doh:

Just posting this as a wee warning ( most won't need it but to us silly few, read on ! ) re brakes binding on during the 'lay-up' period over the winter.

Last used our M/H over New year when we were away for 5 days. Duly reversed her back up onto the parking spot next to our drive, drained waters etc and pulled the hand brake on ( BIG mistake ! :cry:) and left her til this past weekend when I decided to make her ready for the coming season.

Checked everything over, gas .... water ..... lights etc and all 100%. Gave her the once over and decided as it was a beautiful day yesterday I'd give her a clean.

Started the engine, into 1st .... clutch out .... Nope, going no where !:Sad: "What the bloody hell's wrong now" shouts the wife .... " M/H ****** dear" ........... Then, after several more attempts to drag the thing off the drive I realised my mistake .... Left the handbrake on over winter !!!!:Blush:

Had to lift the back up ( on a 28 ft tag-axle this isn't fun believe me ! :cry:) remove all four wheels and release each bound wheel individualy ..... not a happy chappy!:Angry:

Took her around our 'test circuit' and on the 1st few occasions of using the brakes I thought they were well and truly U/S .... horrible cluncky feel to the brake pedal ... however, after several more pushes they settled down and all is Ok now ..... PHEW ! :thumb:

So the moral is folks, if your away Easter on you 1st trip of the season ..... move the M/H before you intend to go away ..... else you could end up in a right palavour !!!!! :thumb:

As a foot note to this, and what makes me even more annoyed, we were 'Tuggers' for 7 or 8 years before the M/H and every winter I laid the caravan up in the same spot I ALWAYS left the handbrake off to stop binding!

"Live & Learn", eh! ....."Live & learn" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

rainbow chasers

Free Member
Oct 30, 2009
3,680
1,725
Mid Cornwall
Funster No
9,132
MH
Various
Exp
9
Top tip over winter, when leaving your handbrake off - use your leveling blocks/chocks to hold her in place. There are special anti flat spot chocks you can purchase if you like.
 

moandick

Free Member
Jul 28, 2007
1,312
112
Landrake, Cornwall
Funster No
24
MH
Euro-shed
Exp
40 +
When leaving your handbrake off - use your leveling blocks/chocks to hold her in place.

Even more important when considering an RV.

The hand-brake generally only works on the back wheels so if you are parked on a slight slope - and then lift the back wheels off the ground - oooops!:Angry:

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IrasciBill

Free Member
Mar 6, 2010
194
37
SW Scotland
Funster No
10,521
MH
Auto-Roller 500
Exp
Since 2009 (after many years camping)
Handbrake

Hi,
Glad you got going eventually. Hope there are no "after effects" and that all goes smoothly at Easter. :Smile:
I find that, with drum brakes, it is often best to use reverse gear when trying to free a stuck brake. Depends on the design layout of the brakes but worth a try if it saves hours of work removing wheels etc.
But then, if your luck is anything like mine, the MH would be reversed hard up against a wall or something! :Angry:
 
OP
OP
gixermark

gixermark

Free Member
Sep 8, 2009
105
4
Hereford
Funster No
8,372
MH
None
Exp
2 years ! Ex "Tugger" of 7 years + !!
Hi,
Glad you got going eventually. Hope there are no "after effects" and that all goes smoothly at Easter. :Smile:
I find that, with drum brakes, it is often best to use reverse gear when trying to free a stuck brake. Depends on the design layout of the brakes but worth a try if it saves hours of work removing wheels etc.
But then, if your luck is anything like mine, the MH would be reversed hard up against a wall or something! :Angry:

Hi Bill

Yep, tried reverse .... tried rocking .... tried swearing .... tried praying .... but nothing worked so had to remove the bleedin wheels ............. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :Doh:
 

Snowbird

LIFE MEMBER
Apr 24, 2009
11,818
22,345
Liverpool.
Funster No
6,422
MH
Fifth wheel.
Exp
Since 11-05-2000
My handbrake works off the propshaft,but never leave it on when laid up for any time.
I think I would have the same problem.
Cant leave it in gear becouse its an auto,so I chock everything up when parked for long periods.

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Peter JohnsCross MH

Funster
Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
6,194
East Sussex
Funster No
1,134
MH
Autotrail
Exp
1995
Top tip over winter, when leaving your handbrake off - use your leveling blocks/chocks to hold her in place. There are special anti flat spot chocks you can purchase if you like.


Bit late now, the lay up season's over (I hope!) but believe it or not we are still selling them:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Peter
 

finby

Free Member
Oct 3, 2007
217
2
norfolk
Funster No
522
MH
coachbuilt
Exp
about 8
We leave ours in gear during the winter with a lamenated A4 sign on the stering whell saying "warning - vehicle in gear"
Works for me (but not for you guys with auto boxes:ROFLMAO:)

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gazz

Formerly "gazznhelz"
Mar 16, 2010
142
2
Eastwood, Notts
Funster No
10,650
MH
C class
Exp
14
the people with auto boxes should have a park position,

this engages some pegs into a plate in the box, locking the drive wheels via the box and drive shaft/s, which is why you see automatic cars lurch forwards a bit when they turn the engine off and take their foot off the brakes, it's the pegs being located into the slots which arent always lines up till they are rotated by the propshaft moving a bit.

but vehicles with disc brakes all round that use a lever on the calipers for handbrake are a nightmare for seizing up, even if they are left in the off position they can seize, but i guess no handbrake is a little easier than a stuck one,

i know the older iveco's like i have, use discs all round but a set of small high friction shoes inside the rear hub for the handbrake, they should never wear out unless you like to do handbrake turns or stop the van on the handbrake a lot, which is a good job as to get at them you have to undoo the main axle nut that's 65mm in diamiter and torqued to about 650Nm.
 

RichardnGill

Free Member
Sep 22, 2007
183
1
Durham
Funster No
323
MH
C Class
Exp
3
Must admit I did the same after we parked the van up after newyear. We used the van again in Feb and when I pulled away there was a loud clunk, I guess it was the rear brakes locked on after being stood for 7 weeks.

Ours is disk all-round not sure if they are better or worse for this than drums?

Next year I will get some cocks and leave the hand brake off.


Rich...
 

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,821
71,977
Thetford Norfolk
Funster No
4,189
MH
C class, Chieftain
Exp
since 2006 ( I think ! )
I have an absolute top tip that will ensure this NEVER happens to you !

After considerable trial and error, experiments and false starts the answer turned out to be....

Use you motorhome all year ! ::bigsmile:
Longest lay up our van had was 4 weeks and even that was only cos woman wanted to do Krimble shopping instead on doing a show on a site in Cambridge ..

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Oct 1, 2009
39
0
Near Tenterden, Kent
Funster No
8,712
MH
Looking to buy
Exp
Since 2009
A little trick if the handbrake has "stuck" the rear brakes on after lengthy exposure to the elements.

If rocking the M/H backwards and forwards in 1st and reverse doesn't work, try tapping the wheels hard in different places with a mallet or a large headed club hammer. If you have alloy wheels, use a block of wood between the hammer and the wheels to protect them.
 

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