I would love to see someone like him make a YT channel with all of his knowledge on RV maintenance. I never knew that electronic brakes work the way he described it but it makes a lot of sense now.
For travel days put a piece of Plexiglass over the puzzle and clamp or tape it down to secure it and as an added bonus you can still use the table without having to put the puzzle away.
We r RV’ers & each spring hubby goes over entire camper. He is very particular & while it’s costly it saves us from those unwanted repairs while travelling. appreciate his type A personality most of the time 😊 🇨🇦 ❤
We made our appointment at MoRryde for the independent suspension and disk brakes. IT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT. Braking is far better, ride is far better. It won’t change your weight sticker but we went from 7000 to 8000 lb axles.
I replaced all 4 of my brake assemblies a couple weeks ago. It’s so messy with all of the grease I decided if I’m doing one might as well do them all and hopefully not have to worry about the for a bit. What an awesome fellow rv’er helping ya’ll out like that.
Thanks, Hanks, for videoing and showing us the eclipse. Also, the wheel repairs and the damage explanation were very interesting. I bet the mechanic had no idea that he'd reach almost 8K viewers within the hour after this video was posted.
Well Hanks, we bought our first travel trailer 3 weeks ago. Our maiden voyage is tomorrow. Thank you for all your content. I look forward to Thursdays. Watching the Hanks is like binge watching a good show on Netflix, once your caught up with the episodes you get sad cause now you have to wait. Camping seemed overwhelming when it came to campers. But because of your content it took the fear out and gave us excitement. Keep up the good work!!!
Hanks, this is one of your best videos ever. Why? Because you showed us real life on the road. And you handled it without significant stress or taking it out on each other. During a lunar eclipse! You are awesome and give us inspiration. Happy Travels!
I took my Nephew to Dallas to see the eclipse. It so so AWESOME! It was a great trip and memory for us. A month later he passed away. Makes me so glad I took this trip with him. The moment you guys showed the eclipse made me cry. Remembering where I was and who I was with. It was an awesome review of the exact moment during totality. I will remember this day for the rest of my life. Sorry about your breakdown!
Absolutely necessary to learn about your own rig and how to do your own maintenance/repairs. Sometimes it may not be feasible, but for the most part you can do most of it. So awesome of that guy to help and teach you guys something!
Regarding axle bearings . . if you’re already in a situation where you’ve removed a wheel & hub, it’s best to just clean & re-pack with grease “the old-fashioned way”, by hand. Using the grease-zerk on the spindle-end is “tricky” . . . real easy to “blowout” the rear seal, sending grease all over your brake assembly . . . kinda negates the “friction” of brake-shoes.
When you replace the brakes you are supposed to replace each end of the same axle so the braking force on the axle is equal. We broke two springs in 2021 / 2022. I learnedyou are supposed to replace both springs on the axle with the broken spring. If one side breaks it puts a lot of twisting stress on the remaining spring, weakening the remaining spring. We stopped by the Rocky Point Campground in Feb., 2023. Beautiful sunsets.
Just want to say thank you. Your video while traveling Alaska and broke a leaf spring motivated me to carry two. Three days ago i had a leaf spring break. I also carry two spare tires. 2 1/2 hours later I had the leaf spring fixed, tores replaced and on our way. Thank you again for all your information
We got the MoRide independent suspension on our 45’ fifth wheel. Great people to work with. Night and day difference with the new axels. The quality of their axels compared to the stock axels is unbelievable.
What a great guy to repair your brakes. You two also stay cool through the entire ordeal. The issue you two had shows us all how important it is to service the hubs and brakes etc. Thanks Hanks. Been probably five years since I pulled my 4 tires and wheels on my trailer. Now I think it is just about time.
When we replaced our leaf springs, we also upgraded to the next higher rated ones. It's been great for the past couple years. We were very surpised as well as to how little the traffic was in the days leading up to the eclipse. 🐾🐾
The birds chirping in the background are very telling. I experienced a full eclipse in 1978 in California. The birds nest cause they can’t see & think it’s nighttime. 10 minutes later the sun comes back out & they act like it’s sunrise.
Don’t know about the independent suspension but I have disc brakes on my 2019 5th wheel Reflections and I will tell you I will never own another bumper pull or 5th wheel without them. Highly recommended!
@@HappilyEverHanks I have no insight on the disc brakes on rv trailer applications, but in general disc brakes are always far better than drum. and more than likely WORTH the $$ they cost.
I have disc brakes on my 5th wheel too and i have had them on other trailers. They work fantastic but come with their own pitfalls. In an RV they have a hydraulic pump and fulid levels that need ot be checked and also the lines may need to be bled from time to time. My 2024 GMC had to have the brake controller replaced because the controller did not work properly with the electric/hydraulic pump which was a pain for us. We would just randomly loose the brakes which is not good when our RV is a 24k unit.... In regards to the drums, there is nothing wrong with them at all as long as they are maintained. My suggestion would be taking them apart annually to inspect the shoes, clean and inspect the brake hardware and clean, inspect and repack the bearings.
@@TDub_ADV I was unaware that disc on a tt was that big of a pain. makes sense tho. as they can't be "just" electric. and I agree my drums are fine with a bit of care. kinda like the misses.🤣
Hi we have a 2019 29 30 we put disk brakes on it in 2020 zero problems we also put slipper springs which have lifetime warranty. We purchased them at performance breaking and they install them where we wanted, they came to us.
RE Independent suspension: I've seen a few other full-time RV'rs that got independent suspension and can't say enough good things about them. In their video, they showed ceramic coffee mugs, staked in their cupboard hap-hazardly, as if they were at home. And on travel days, they don't do anything with them to protect them. they just pull out with them stacked like that. When they get where their going, they're just like they were when they left, unbroken. Also, they leave a lot of items out on their countertops that they wouldn't normally, before they got the new suspension, and for the most part, they stay were they were put. Granted, the items on the countertops had some weight and either rubber feet or they put something like Gorilla drawer liners under them to help keep them from sliding. I'll tell you that, if I could afford to, I'd do it right now. Unfortunately, we just got our truck and trailer, and had to spend an awful lot on the initial essentials for camping. FYI... initial "essentials" involved things to support my wife who has been diagnosed with "end stage" COPD. After a recent health scare, we decided to go ahead and do this 'now', before it was too late.
Probably the best one I’ve watched in a while, just now changing out my leaf springs before we go on a two month trip and the info with your brakes and changing them were awesome. The gentleman working with you was outstanding in explaining things.
Awnings are magnets for high wind and heavy rain. Particularly dangerous are those 15-minute trips to get beer and ice because that's when one little cloud transforms itself into a monsoon. I use ground tie-down straps religiously if I even roll my awning out, and I always put a good side-slope away from the doorway. That's an advantage of the non-electric awnings.
I just replaced the four springs, shocks, added Morryder CRE3000 equalizers and used the wet bolt kit, and replaced all four brake hub assembly's ( it will cost you more to replace just the pads and magnet than the whole hub and it's many times easier to install then just pads), bearings and seals. Figured while I was doing one thing, it made sense to do it all. I did all the work myself and all-in just less than $1500. The work itself was easy, just time consuming. I figured if I just replaced one spring here and one shock there, it would have gone on for a long time fixing stuff. Now, everything is brand new and I don't have to worry about it for years. Great video. Glad you were able to get your issue resolved onsite.
Awesome of that old boy to help you guys saved you a ton of money. One word of advice just change all four brakes and bearings. Give you guys a good piece of mind they all have lots of miles on them. Safe travels
We've been RV techs since 1977 & if you're full time RVing ... Pads are the way to go. They won't be magnet style but hydraulic fluid ... so there's a bit more but worth it. You should have ask that technician & very smart man to do that for you. Onward.
I literally just did this to our fifth wheel. 4 new brake assembly which includes bearings as well. It was actually cheaper to do everything same time vs break up services. Plus new tires and now we are heading out north east !!!
A suggestion for your jigsaw puzzle - get 2 large foam filled boards from wally world. Start making your puzzle on the first board. When you travel place the 2nd board on too and tape the edges up. Also when you just want the table space back for any reason, same thing. Added advantage also allows you to spin the puzzle easily while working on it.
We had the independent torsion suspension on our Rockwood Minilite and it worked great. No issues with 6 years of ownership other than servicing the bearings once a year. It is the same suspension system used with Airstream trailers.
Installed the IS and Disc Brake mod last October on my 341 RDS. Expensive, Yes - but it provides many improvements in braking , ride, and easier maintenance. No more worries about broken leaf springs or shackles. No more worries about magnets overheating and wondering what else is going wrong inside that brake drum. Disc brakes have less moving parts and almost all are exposed and easy to see. Mechanical things always talk to us when they need attention, but we have to learn the language.
We took our travel trailer from Tennessee to Texas to see the eclipse (800 miles). Of the 4 1/2 minutes of totality, we saw about 3 minutes before the clouds covered the sun. The massive shortages and crowds never happened. I think they say that so if it does happen, they can say "we told you".
After issues with spring shackle failure in 2022 on trip to Maine - Upgraded to the MORryde independent suspension last year - getting ready to head up to Alaska this summer - will let you know how the “IS” does. So far on short trips things stay put (window blinds especially) while traveling…
Great video. Great view of the eclipse. Very awesome music during the eclipse. You were very fortunate to not have catastrophic issues based on the brake failure. Compliments to the folks that helped you as well.
You guys did great picking that mechanic. It’s so hard to find people that will work on the chassis part of an RV. Tons of mobile RV mechanics but man to find a truck mechanic that works on anything but big rigs and doesn’t have a month long wait… that’s gold. Drum brakes intimidate me. Too many moving parts.
When we're about to start our travelling and living full-time in our RV,(my husband is a travelling nurse too) You guys are the first channel I subscribed.I learned how to dump our tanks,sanitized it,as in zero knowledge about RV for me and my husband you guys helped me a lot. At first we stayed at the KOA for 1 month then lateron we did boondocking,but once in a awhile we stayed in a RV park if we get to a place where we can't camp (our reflection 5th wheel can't fit or there is no available spot to camp) And yah sometimes problems 1 after another,now watching you guys Im like I hope we are as chill as them lol😅 Thank you guys I learned a lot from you guys and thank you for nice videos!
We had the MorRyde Independent Suspension installed on our brand new 2021 GD Reflection. Totally worth it especially in light of the recent complaints of frame flex. MorRyde will be doing a lot and I mean a lot of welding to the frame when the IS is installed. The result: a beefier frame and best of all, NO leaf springs to worry about breaking while traveling down our wonderful (joke) of an interstate highway system, 😖
First of all my wife and I love your videos, you keep it real. The Brooklyn Bedding ad had us laughing because even though we don’t have a Brooklyn Bedding mattress that’s us at bedtime! Now a couple of things about your brake repairs. General rule of thumb is when you change one assembly you need to change all of them. Please next time you install a grease seal use a block of wood so you don’t deform the metal cup and always make sure the spring in the seal is there before you install it. Now this is a biggie and most people don’t do it and it’s the most important step to get the most out of you new brakes. They must be burnished or broken in right after you install them to get the most from you trailers brakes. Please be safe out there!
I loved the totality video; so happy you were able to experience the eclipse! RV life...always learning about and fixing things. The wheels and suspension are a constant worry for those of us who fulltime. We have had the upgraded Roadmaster slipper springs and comfort ride on all of our rigs. It's about half the cost of the Moreryde IS system and it makes a huge difference on ride quality. We don't find very many things that need fixing after a day on the road (if any) since the upgrade a year ago. And disc brakes are a game changer! You will stop so much better and with greater confidence compared to disc brakes (lots less maintenance too). Stay safe out there!
Be very careful greasing the hubs. If you put to much grease in it will go onto the brake pads and ruin them and you will be replacing them again. I have replaced more brake pads for grease on them then I have for them being worn out.
That's why I switched to disk brakes on my trailer . Drum brakes get easily overheated on heavy trailers and parts inside break . Plus after having problem with springs I replace the equalizer spring system to slider spring system with shocks from Roadmaster . Much more comfortable towing and easier on trailer due the much less transfer of bouncing from roads to the box. Stuff I put inside the trailer cabinets or kitchen counter don't fly around anymore .
appreciate the practical content - the fix overview - important ballast to the lifestyle content for me. Where is the Hanks app to track a reminder for the next brake inspection?
We love hearing this!! That little bell icon near the subscribe button guarantees that it will show up for you when the video releases. No pressure though, that's the only app tracker we know of 😄
I have replaced brakes and bearings on several non-RV trailers, same electrically operated system. The man who helped you saved you a ton of money, and happy times, he really appeared to know how to do a proper job. I hope you fed him a nice dinner! 🥰
That guy was so cool to show and explain the whole braking system. I'm a car nut. Love the mechanics. Brakes being expensive... how much is your life worth if they fail??? That guy was fantastic!!!
You should replace the other axle brakes also. You would be good to check them at least twice a year and replacing the brakes with the entire plate like you did is the best way to go, if there is rust or junk in the old parts it can cause issues. If you know what axle you have which should be on the sticker on your RV you can tell them you have a dexter 8K axle and want both ends of the loaded brake kit. Good to learn this so you can check your bearings twice a year. Hope you are staying safe and healthy.
Glad to see you two enjoyed the eclipse, we were in Dallas/Arlington koa for it. wow I've never felt so small in my life! beyond amazing. I'm a retired heavy equipment mechanic and have worked on / owned a few RVs! I would not spend the $$ to make your trailer suspension independent. to do it right would be $$$ and not give much back for the money. unless you're going to want the trailer lifted and plan on off roading a lot it's to long and heavy to gain a lot for the money. my 2 cents anyway. and I used to be all into 4X4s when I was a young man. anyway I'll admit I was kinda hoping you two might also have been heading to Dallas for the show, that would have been a blast! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TWO KIDS!!! both my wife and I enjoy your videos and look forward to more! keep it up!
At 18:50 in video the the brake shoes looks backwards to me like the whole assembly is for the other side of axle. The front shoe looks like a secondary shoe which should be a primary
Btw, the wheel bearings need a special procedure to make sure they are tight enough! Normally you torque the spindle nut to 50ft-lbs then rotate the drum three full turns, they back off 1/4 turn, then rotate the drum three full turns, then torque it again to 50ft-lbs then rotate the drum three full turns, they back off 1/4 turn, then rotate the drum three full turns, then torque it a third and final time to 50ft-lbs then rotate the drum three full turns, they back off 1/4 turn then install the lock ring or cotter pin depending on the type off lock. IF the lock does not line up back off the nut until it does line up and done. Make sure to sue your greaseable hub to fill the bearings! As well, I thought I saw you ask the question if anyone used Independent Suspension on their RV. I have had trailer with Leaf Springs like your 5th wheel and I have had a travel trailer and now a 5th wheel with Dexter TorFlex Axles...now that I have used the TorFlex axle trailer for almost 10 years, I would never want a trailer without the independent suspension ever again! The Ride is super smooth and stable at all times. Even the harshest roads doesn't cause things to swift in the 5th wheel and they technically cannot break! I would also like to mention that you should consider replacing your trailer tires, I saw in two of your videos a belt issue in the sidewall of the Westlake tires you currently have. I would suggest the Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires for your trailer, they will even reduce your fuel consumption by 1 to 2 mpg! And if you change your tires, consider getting them balanced, it helps with even wear and reduced vibrations to the rest of the trailer and therefore reduces repairs! Thanks, Kevin
Yes yes yes disc brakes are a must. Love ours. We are upgrading to independent suspension in June. We are full timers too and want this rv to last. It makes a huge difference.
Great video!! Not sure if they told you or not but after you get 500-1000 miles on your new leaf springs....go back and torque down your u bolts again.. those miles will cause your springs to "settle" and you want to re-tighten the ubolts so they don't start getting really loose. Cheers!! Safe travels!!! Love your channel.
Y’all are so lucky, if you remember I had a simple issue with our RV last year. We had a spring break on our brakes and not knowing over heated the drum and overheated the bearings. Ended up replacing the entire axle. $1700.00 later. Good video.
Ok Hanks! The eclipse coverage and video WOW just wow! Our experience was just as phenomenal. I got the same feels with your video as I did experiencing it IRL. Keep doing you and we will keep watching, laughing and learning! ❤
Great content as always. For parts on your trailer or vehicle anything touched the ground like tires or bearings. Ball joints ECT. Think like your shoes you replace them in pairs even if the other shoes have Abit of tread left it might fall apart sooner then you think. And it sure feels good walking with equals pairs same thing with auto parts . Cheers from Québec Canada.
Great music for eclipse. We were close by watching too. Yes there was no traffic and no crowds. We fled the next morning because of tornado warnings. We have great memories just like you.
do not have the independent suspension but, i did have Disc Brakes installed on my RV and the roadmaster slipper springs with shocks installed by performance trailer braking. Made a world of difference in towing and stopping. The installer told me that one disc brake has more stopping force than all 4 drum brakes combined. he was not wrong the disc brakes are "wonderful" and with the new slipper spring system the trailer pulls so much better! dump the drums you won't be disappointed and the cost is worth the peace of mind they provide!
As a mechanic, you need to replace components in pairs. If you replace one side, then you need to replace the other side. And with your high mileage on the trailer, not only would I increasing your spring weight, I would upgrade the axle weight to include disc brakes. One way to check brakes, is to use an infrared thermometer. Drive little and hold the brake actuator on the brake controller. Then check temperatures for each brake. Then you can identify which brakes are working, not working and those over heating.
The eclipse footage was so beautiful!! Thanks for sharing it. Here in NC, we could only see a crescent eclipse! But it was cool to see it also. That’s a bummer that yall had to fix the leaf spring and the brakes, but I’m glad you got it fixed before you really had a bigger problem!! Happy Camping and Safe Travels! ❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
A good lesson in not putting off inspecting a new noise source. Glad you had some helpful neighbors, they seem few and far between these days. You did the right thing buying new backing plate assembles after that much damage.... The drums might have been reusable unless they had a bad groove in them so erring on replacing them was good. I been towing trailers with electric drum brakes for over 25 years and I can count on one hand how many failures I have had on the road. Coupled with never having issues stopping the truck and trailer I am not sold on electric over hydraulic setup (AKA disk brakes) as must upgrade. Annual maintenance and inspection has caught every time they been worn down enough to need replacing or failures as they where about to happen. That alone has convinced me I not to spend any money on retrofitting on a trailer and use those thousands of dollars towards travel and making memories.
That kind gentleman saved you a few hundred dollars. There are not many like him left.
We completely agree! He was so wonderful for taking the time to help us. Thank you for your great support!
That mechanic deserves to be named and put on the short list of real gentlemen still doing great jobs.
Yes! Please share the mechanic and get him more business. He was great! Definitely someone I would want.
He was certainly so kind to help us out ❤ Thank you for your wonderful support
I liked the way the guy that helped you with your brakes had you learning and helping not just doing it for you. Always good to learn.
Exactly. Great tutoring!
I would love to see someone like him make a YT channel with all of his knowledge on RV maintenance. I never knew that electronic brakes work the way he described it but it makes a lot of sense now.
Couldn't have said it better ourselves!
That man helping you was awesome! He was patient and let you record. What a gem!
For travel days put a piece of Plexiglass over the puzzle and clamp or tape it down to secure it and as an added bonus you can still use the table without having to put the puzzle away.
Great idea!
Great idea 💡
We r RV’ers & each spring hubby goes over entire camper. He is very particular & while it’s costly it saves us from those unwanted repairs while travelling. appreciate his type A personality most of the time 😊 🇨🇦 ❤
Sounds like you got a keeper there ❤️ Thank you both for your wonderful support in watching!
I got one of those too😎
Your Brooklyn Bedding commercial is GREATNESS!! 😂😂😂😂😂 now you have to do more promos in that format. Waiting for your Challenge Accepted reply!!! 🤣
We are so glad you enjoyed!! 😊 Thank you for your amazing support in watching
Right, more embedded commercials. but there is a plus side, skip over them to make the vid shorter, YES>
The young man helping you was outstanding. Safe travels.
We made our appointment at MoRryde for the independent suspension and disk brakes. IT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT. Braking is far better, ride is far better. It won’t change your weight sticker but we went from 7000 to 8000 lb axles.
This is great to hear! We are happy you have found the upgrade to be worth it. Keep on keeping on 😎
I replaced all 4 of my brake assemblies a couple weeks ago. It’s so messy with all of the grease I decided if I’m doing one might as well do them all and hopefully not have to worry about the for a bit.
What an awesome fellow rv’er helping ya’ll out like that.
Thanks, Hanks, for videoing and showing us the eclipse. Also, the wheel repairs and the damage explanation were very interesting. I bet the mechanic had no idea that he'd reach almost 8K viewers within the hour after this video was posted.
Well Hanks, we bought our first travel trailer 3 weeks ago. Our maiden voyage is tomorrow. Thank you for all your content. I look forward to Thursdays. Watching the Hanks is like binge watching a good show on Netflix, once your caught up with the episodes you get sad cause now you have to wait. Camping seemed overwhelming when it came to campers. But because of your content it took the fear out and gave us excitement. Keep up the good work!!!
Grease your bearings, and good luck
Wow. That guy seemed to be a good teacher. You two always do good in hard situations. Thank you so much for sharing. Blessings
He certainly was! Thank you 🤗
Hanks, this is one of your best videos ever. Why? Because you showed us real life on the road. And you handled it without significant stress or taking it out on each other. During a lunar eclipse! You are awesome and give us inspiration. Happy Travels!
I took my Nephew to Dallas to see the eclipse. It so so AWESOME! It was a great trip and memory for us. A month later he passed away. Makes me so glad I took this trip with him. The moment you guys showed the eclipse made me cry. Remembering where I was and who I was with. It was an awesome review of the exact moment during totality. I will remember this day for the rest of my life. Sorry about your breakdown!
Absolutely necessary to learn about your own rig and how to do your own maintenance/repairs. Sometimes it may not be feasible, but for the most part you can do most of it. So awesome of that guy to help and teach you guys something!
C.O.E. parks cannot be beat . . . especially for us “seasoned citizens” ! 😁
We have camped there at Rocky Point several times, very nice !
YES!! How cool that you have been there as well. What a small world 🙂
We have 2021 Rockwood 5th whl ; their entire product range has the Dexter Torsion Axles. Just luv’em !
Regarding axle bearings . . if you’re already in a situation where you’ve removed a wheel & hub, it’s best to just clean & re-pack with grease “the old-fashioned way”, by hand.
Using the grease-zerk on the spindle-end is “tricky” . . . real easy to “blowout” the rear seal, sending grease all over your brake assembly . . . kinda negates the “friction” of brake-shoes.
That man has the hart of a saint and was willing to teach you exactly what he was doing and why. That is a good a good man
Your helper man is a smart cookie! Thank God for his help and expertise.
When you replace the brakes you are supposed to replace each end of the same axle so the braking force on the axle is equal. We broke two springs in 2021 / 2022. I learnedyou are supposed to replace both springs on the axle with the broken spring. If one side breaks it puts a lot of twisting stress on the remaining spring, weakening the remaining spring. We stopped by the Rocky Point Campground in Feb., 2023. Beautiful sunsets.
Just want to say thank you. Your video while traveling Alaska and broke a leaf spring motivated me to carry two. Three days ago i had a leaf spring break. I also carry two spare tires. 2 1/2 hours later I had the leaf spring fixed, tores replaced and on our way. Thank you again for all your information
Thank you very much, Joseph! We are so grateful for hear that the content has been valuable for you. Glad all worked out 😊
We got the MoRide independent suspension on our 45’ fifth wheel. Great people to work with. Night and day difference with the new axels. The quality of their axels compared to the stock axels is unbelievable.
What a great guy to repair your brakes. You two also stay cool through the entire ordeal. The issue you two had shows us all how important it is to service the hubs and brakes etc. Thanks Hanks. Been probably five years since I pulled my 4 tires and wheels on my trailer. Now I think it is just about time.
Really glad you were able to see the eclipse. As I told you before, weather made us turn around in Las Cruces, NM thanks for this video.
Get a puzzle mat, they're made of felt and you can simply roll up your puzzles when you travel. We use on on our puzzles while traveling.
Yes! We need to get one of those for sure :)
We were a bit further south, in Lampasas TX area, and we had a bit more cloud cover. We saw about 30 second out of the 4 minutes of totality.
We did the IS and disc brakes. Game changer! We won't own another 5th wheel without it.
When we replaced our leaf springs, we also upgraded to the next higher rated ones. It's been great for the past couple years. We were very surpised as well as to how little the traffic was in the days leading up to the eclipse. 🐾🐾
Love it. So glad ya'll were also able to see the eclipse 😊
The birds chirping in the background are very telling. I experienced a full eclipse in 1978 in California. The birds nest cause they can’t see & think it’s nighttime. 10 minutes later the sun comes back out & they act like it’s sunrise.
Isn't it just an incredible experience?! Wow..we were just blown away. So happy that you were able to experience as well 🙂
See y’all soon. Kim Edwards & Ken Martin.
Don’t know about the independent suspension but I have disc brakes on my 2019 5th wheel Reflections and I will tell you I will never own another bumper pull or 5th wheel without them. Highly recommended!
Great information! Thank you for sharing. We have always been curious on how well they worked.
@@HappilyEverHanks I have no insight on the disc brakes on rv trailer applications, but in general disc brakes are always far better than drum. and more than likely WORTH the $$ they cost.
I have disc brakes on my 5th wheel too and i have had them on other trailers. They work fantastic but come with their own pitfalls. In an RV they have a hydraulic pump and fulid levels that need ot be checked and also the lines may need to be bled from time to time. My 2024 GMC had to have the brake controller replaced because the controller did not work properly with the electric/hydraulic pump which was a pain for us. We would just randomly loose the brakes which is not good when our RV is a 24k unit....
In regards to the drums, there is nothing wrong with them at all as long as they are maintained. My suggestion would be taking them apart annually to inspect the shoes, clean and inspect the brake hardware and clean, inspect and repack the bearings.
@@TDub_ADV I was unaware that disc on a tt was that big of a pain. makes sense tho. as they can't be "just" electric. and I agree my drums are fine with a bit of care. kinda like the misses.🤣
Beautiful music during the eclipse. Thanks for sharing. 🌖
Hi we have a 2019 29 30 we put disk brakes on it in 2020 zero problems we also put slipper springs which have lifetime warranty. We purchased them at performance breaking and they install them where we wanted, they came to us.
Loved the eclipse shots! You filmed it so well. And just a great campsite with really helpful folks.
RE Independent suspension: I've seen a few other full-time RV'rs that got independent suspension and can't say enough good things about them. In their video, they showed ceramic coffee mugs, staked in their cupboard hap-hazardly, as if they were at home. And on travel days, they don't do anything with them to protect them. they just pull out with them stacked like that. When they get where their going, they're just like they were when they left, unbroken. Also, they leave a lot of items out on their countertops that they wouldn't normally, before they got the new suspension, and for the most part, they stay were they were put. Granted, the items on the countertops had some weight and either rubber feet or they put something like Gorilla drawer liners under them to help keep them from sliding. I'll tell you that, if I could afford to, I'd do it right now. Unfortunately, we just got our truck and trailer, and had to spend an awful lot on the initial essentials for camping. FYI... initial "essentials" involved things to support my wife who has been diagnosed with "end stage" COPD. After a recent health scare, we decided to go ahead and do this 'now', before it was too late.
Probably the best one I’ve watched in a while, just now changing out my leaf springs before we go on a two month trip and the info with your brakes and changing them were awesome. The gentleman working with you was outstanding in explaining things.
Awnings are magnets for high wind and heavy rain. Particularly dangerous are those 15-minute trips to get beer and ice because that's when one little cloud transforms itself into a monsoon. I use ground tie-down straps religiously if I even roll my awning out, and I always put a good side-slope away from the doorway. That's an advantage of the non-electric awnings.
I just replaced the four springs, shocks, added Morryder CRE3000 equalizers and used the wet bolt kit, and replaced all four brake hub assembly's ( it will cost you more to replace just the pads and magnet than the whole hub and it's many times easier to install then just pads), bearings and seals. Figured while I was doing one thing, it made sense to do it all. I did all the work myself and all-in just less than $1500. The work itself was easy, just time consuming. I figured if I just replaced one spring here and one shock there, it would have gone on for a long time fixing stuff. Now, everything is brand new and I don't have to worry about it for years. Great video. Glad you were able to get your issue resolved onsite.
Awesome of that old boy to help you guys saved you a ton of money. One word of advice just change all four brakes and bearings. Give you guys a good piece of mind they all have lots of miles on them. Safe travels
We appreciate this, Justin! You are absolutely right. Thank you for your great support 😊
Hows the trucks brakes look? The pads and rotors?
Here in Houston it was so cloudy couldn't even see a partial eclispe..glad you got to see it and shared with us.
We've been RV techs since 1977 & if you're full time RVing ... Pads are the way to go. They won't be magnet style but hydraulic fluid ... so there's a bit more but worth it. You should have ask that technician & very smart man to do that for you. Onward.
Wonderful to know! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us 😃
What a good guy to help out!!!!!!!! Thank you sir.
Such a great guy!! Thank you for watching 🙂
One of your BEST episodes yet! loved the eclipse music too! Thanks Hanks 🙂
Thank you very much for saying this! You totally made our night 🙂
I literally just did this to our fifth wheel. 4 new brake assembly which includes bearings as well. It was actually cheaper to do everything same time vs break up services. Plus new tires and now we are heading out north east !!!
Wahoo!! Let the good times roll 😁
Glad I saw this. Reminded me I have 4 sets of the brake assemble left over from another project. Will get them on marketplace.
A suggestion for your jigsaw puzzle - get 2 large foam filled boards from wally world. Start making your puzzle on the first board. When you travel place the 2nd board on too and tape the edges up. Also when you just want the table space back for any reason, same thing. Added advantage also allows you to spin the puzzle easily while working on it.
We had the independent torsion suspension on our Rockwood Minilite and it worked great. No issues with 6 years of ownership other than servicing the bearings once a year. It is the same suspension system used with Airstream trailers.
The birds singing! 😍
Installed the IS and Disc Brake mod last October on my 341 RDS. Expensive, Yes - but it provides many improvements in braking , ride, and easier maintenance. No more worries about broken leaf springs or shackles. No more worries about magnets overheating and wondering what else is going wrong inside that brake drum. Disc brakes have less moving parts and almost all are exposed and easy to see. Mechanical things always talk to us when they need attention, but we have to learn the language.
We took our travel trailer from Tennessee to Texas to see the eclipse (800 miles). Of the 4 1/2 minutes of totality, we saw about 3 minutes before the clouds covered the sun. The massive shortages and crowds never happened. I think they say that so if it does happen, they can say "we told you".
Thought I’d died and gone to heaven while the music played.
That guy was AWESOME. He knew everything there was to know about RV brakes. I wish him delicious burgers and large baked potatoes! ❤️🩹
Lol
Hey that's my dad at the end there! ❤ I still have so much to learn!
Love it!! He was such a HUGE help 😊
After issues with spring shackle failure in 2022 on trip to Maine - Upgraded to the MORryde independent suspension last year - getting ready to head up to Alaska this summer - will let you know how the “IS” does. So far on short trips things stay put (window blinds especially) while traveling…
This is so wonderful to hear, Cheryl! Have an amazing time in Alaska 😊
Great video. Great view of the eclipse. Very awesome music during the eclipse.
You were very fortunate to not have catastrophic issues based on the brake failure. Compliments to the folks that helped you as well.
Yes, we are thankful that all is well. Thank you for your support! Stay safe 😃
You guys did great picking that mechanic. It’s so hard to find people that will work on the chassis part of an RV. Tons of mobile RV mechanics but man to find a truck mechanic that works on anything but big rigs and doesn’t have a month long wait… that’s gold. Drum brakes intimidate me. Too many moving parts.
When we're about to start our travelling and living full-time in our RV,(my husband is a travelling nurse too) You guys are the first channel I subscribed.I learned how to dump our tanks,sanitized it,as in zero knowledge about RV for me and my husband you guys helped me a lot.
At first we stayed at the KOA for 1 month then lateron we did boondocking,but once in a awhile we stayed in a RV park if we get to a place where we can't camp (our reflection 5th wheel can't fit or there is no available spot to camp)
And yah sometimes problems 1 after another,now watching you guys Im like I hope we are as chill as them lol😅 Thank you guys I learned a lot from you guys and thank you for nice videos!
gUYS that is the best picture of the eclipse I have seen. You both a real good. Thanks Hanks
Beautiful shots. Awesome. We were with LJMJ and FOS for the eclipse. Thrilling.
Love it!! So glad ya'll were able to be with some wonderful people during a great event 😊
We had the MorRyde Independent Suspension installed on our brand new 2021 GD Reflection. Totally worth it especially in light of the recent complaints of frame flex. MorRyde will be doing a lot and I mean a lot of welding to the frame when the IS is installed. The result: a beefier frame and best of all, NO leaf springs to worry about breaking while traveling down our wonderful (joke) of an interstate highway system, 😖
First of all my wife and I love your videos, you keep it real. The Brooklyn Bedding ad had us laughing because even though we don’t have a Brooklyn Bedding mattress that’s us at bedtime! Now a couple of things about your brake repairs. General rule of thumb is when you change one assembly you need to change all of them. Please next time you install a grease seal use a block of wood so you don’t deform the metal cup and always make sure the spring in the seal is there before you install it. Now this is a biggie and most people don’t do it and it’s the most important step to get the most out of you new brakes. They must be burnished or broken in right after you install them to get the most from you trailers brakes. Please be safe out there!
I've got to say, out of all the eclipse photos and videos I've seen this has to be the coolest!
I loved the totality video; so happy you were able to experience the eclipse! RV life...always learning about and fixing things. The wheels and suspension are a constant worry for those of us who fulltime. We have had the upgraded Roadmaster slipper springs and comfort ride on all of our rigs. It's about half the cost of the Moreryde IS system and it makes a huge difference on ride quality. We don't find very many things that need fixing after a day on the road (if any) since the upgrade a year ago. And disc brakes are a game changer! You will stop so much better and with greater confidence compared to disc brakes (lots less maintenance too). Stay safe out there!
Be very careful greasing the hubs. If you put to much grease in it will go onto the brake pads and ruin them and you will be replacing them again. I have replaced more brake pads for grease on them then I have for them being worn out.
100%, I've had to do this as well. it happens, just cuz you can pump more grease in does not mean you should!
That's why I switched to disk brakes on my trailer . Drum brakes get easily overheated on heavy trailers and parts inside break . Plus after having problem with springs I replace the equalizer spring system to slider spring system with shocks from Roadmaster . Much more comfortable towing and easier on trailer due the much less transfer of bouncing from roads to the box. Stuff I put inside the trailer cabinets or kitchen counter don't fly around anymore .
good tutorial on brakes. Great that you found someone there who has done their own mechanical work.
appreciate the practical content - the fix overview - important ballast to the lifestyle content for me. Where is the Hanks app to track a reminder for the next brake inspection?
We love hearing this!! That little bell icon near the subscribe button guarantees that it will show up for you when the video releases. No pressure though, that's the only app tracker we know of 😄
I would recommend greasing any points at least every other travel day. Don’t over grease but hit them with a pump or two. Great episode!
Appreciate the insight! Thank you!
You two capture the true spirit of enjoying life and I enjoy the videos and your approach to it all!
Thanks for sharing the eclipse, I didn’t see any of it. Great video in general
Great job capturing the Eclipse! and good luck with all these repairs. Stressful I can imagine.
Y’all did an amazing job with the eclipse sequence! Outstanding! 😘
I have replaced brakes and bearings on several non-RV trailers, same electrically operated system. The man who helped you saved you a ton of money, and happy times, he really appeared to know how to do a proper job. I hope you fed him a nice dinner! 🥰
What great footage of the eclipse!!!
That guy was so cool to show and explain the whole braking system. I'm a car nut. Love the mechanics. Brakes being expensive... how much is your life worth if they fail??? That guy was fantastic!!!
You should replace the other axle brakes also. You would be good to check them at least twice a year and replacing the brakes with the entire plate like you did is the best way to go, if there is rust or junk in the old parts it can cause issues. If you know what axle you have which should be on the sticker on your RV you can tell them you have a dexter 8K axle and want both ends of the loaded brake kit. Good to learn this so you can check your bearings twice a year. Hope you are staying safe and healthy.
Glad to see you two enjoyed the eclipse, we were in Dallas/Arlington koa for it. wow I've never felt so small in my life! beyond amazing. I'm a retired heavy equipment mechanic and have worked on / owned a few RVs! I would not spend the $$ to make your trailer suspension independent. to do it right would be $$$ and not give much back for the money. unless you're going to want the trailer lifted and plan on off roading a lot it's to long and heavy to gain a lot for the money. my 2 cents anyway. and I used to be all into 4X4s when I was a young man. anyway I'll admit I was kinda hoping you two might also have been heading to Dallas for the show, that would have been a blast! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TWO KIDS!!! both my wife and I enjoy your videos and look forward to more! keep it up!
At 18:50 in video the the brake shoes looks backwards to me like the whole assembly is for the other side of axle. The front shoe looks like a secondary shoe which should be a primary
Btw, the wheel bearings need a special procedure to make sure they are tight enough! Normally you torque the spindle nut to 50ft-lbs then rotate the drum three full turns, they back off 1/4 turn, then rotate the drum three full turns, then torque it again to 50ft-lbs then rotate the drum three full turns, they back off 1/4 turn, then rotate the drum three full turns, then torque it a third and final time to 50ft-lbs then rotate the drum three full turns, they back off 1/4 turn then install the lock ring or cotter pin depending on the type off lock. IF the lock does not line up back off the nut until it does line up and done. Make sure to sue your greaseable hub to fill the bearings!
As well, I thought I saw you ask the question if anyone used Independent Suspension on their RV. I have had trailer with Leaf Springs like your 5th wheel and I have had a travel trailer and now a 5th wheel with Dexter TorFlex Axles...now that I have used the TorFlex axle trailer for almost 10 years, I would never want a trailer without the independent suspension ever again! The Ride is super smooth and stable at all times. Even the harshest roads doesn't cause things to swift in the 5th wheel and they technically cannot break!
I would also like to mention that you should consider replacing your trailer tires, I saw in two of your videos a belt issue in the sidewall of the Westlake tires you currently have. I would suggest the Carlisle Radial Trail HD tires for your trailer, they will even reduce your fuel consumption by 1 to 2 mpg! And if you change your tires, consider getting them balanced, it helps with even wear and reduced vibrations to the rest of the trailer and therefore reduces repairs!
Thanks, Kevin
Yes yes yes disc brakes are a must. Love ours. We are upgrading to independent suspension in June. We are full timers too and want this rv to last. It makes a huge difference.
The 2017 Total Eclipse was centered over my county and we had people from around the world who came to watch it. It was wonderful for sure!
We were at yegua creek just down the road from rocky creek this past weekend. Love somerville
Hanks, ya’ll are just the cutest! Loved the mattress ad 🤣
Thank y’all so much!! 🤗
Great video!! Not sure if they told you or not but after you get 500-1000 miles on your new leaf springs....go back and torque down your u bolts again.. those miles will cause your springs to "settle" and you want to re-tighten the ubolts so they don't start getting really loose.
Cheers!! Safe travels!!! Love your channel.
It was AMAZING! I'm glad you got to see it!
Your mattress video had me rolling! 😂 You guys are absolutely 💯 AMAAAAZING!!!
Oh good! We are so happy you enjoyed the skit. We had such a fun time putting that together 😂 Thank you for your support
Y’all are so lucky, if you remember I had a simple issue with our RV last year. We had a spring break on our brakes and not knowing over heated the drum and overheated the bearings. Ended up replacing the entire axle. $1700.00 later. Good video.
Ok Hanks! The eclipse coverage and video WOW just wow! Our experience was just as phenomenal. I got the same feels with your video as I did experiencing it IRL. Keep doing you and we will keep watching, laughing and learning! ❤
Great content as always. For parts on your trailer or vehicle anything touched the ground like tires or bearings. Ball joints ECT. Think like your shoes you replace them in pairs even if the other shoes have Abit of tread left it might fall apart sooner then you think. And it sure feels good walking with equals pairs same thing with auto parts . Cheers from Québec Canada.
Great point! Thank you for your wonderful support 😊
Glad you're safe!
Good that you not only found a friend who knew how to do it but also taught you how.
Great music for eclipse. We were close by watching too. Yes there was no traffic and no crowds. We fled the next morning because of tornado warnings. We have great memories just like you.
Love hearing this, Debbie! Glad ya'll were able to see it as well. Thank you for watching 😊
do not have the independent suspension but, i did have Disc Brakes installed on my RV and the roadmaster slipper springs with shocks installed by performance trailer braking. Made a world of difference in towing and stopping. The installer told me that one disc brake has more stopping force than all 4 drum brakes combined. he was not wrong the disc brakes are "wonderful" and with the new slipper spring system the trailer pulls so much better! dump the drums you won't be disappointed and the cost is worth the peace of mind they provide!
Living in central Florida I never see anything but a quarter cover. This was very well done, thank you, both.😊
Sweet! Yall were at one of my favorite campgrounds! Wright Patman Lake! That place is very nice.
As a mechanic, you need to replace components in pairs. If you replace one side, then you need to replace the other side.
And with your high mileage on the trailer, not only would I increasing your spring weight, I would upgrade the axle weight to include disc brakes.
One way to check brakes, is to use an infrared thermometer. Drive little and hold the brake actuator on the brake controller. Then check temperatures for each brake. Then you can identify which brakes are working, not working and those over heating.
The eclipse footage was so beautiful!! Thanks for sharing it. Here in NC, we could only see a crescent eclipse! But it was cool to see it also. That’s a bummer that yall had to fix the leaf spring and the brakes, but I’m glad you got it fixed before you really had a bigger problem!! Happy Camping and Safe Travels! ❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
Watching the eclipse while replacing stuff sums up the rv life in a sentence
A good lesson in not putting off inspecting a new noise source. Glad you had some helpful neighbors, they seem few and far between these days. You did the right thing buying new backing plate assembles after that much damage.... The drums might have been reusable unless they had a bad groove in them so erring on replacing them was good. I been towing trailers with electric drum brakes for over 25 years and I can count on one hand how many failures I have had on the road. Coupled with never having issues stopping the truck and trailer I am not sold on electric over hydraulic setup (AKA disk brakes) as must upgrade. Annual maintenance and inspection has caught every time they been worn down enough to need replacing or failures as they where about to happen. That alone has convinced me I not to spend any money on retrofitting on a trailer and use those thousands of dollars towards travel and making memories.
You may need to check your truck brakes also. They have been bearing the burden from the trailer.