Brake Controller drag

NE_AL

I picked up my T@B Sofitel last week - my TV is a 2006 Lexus RX 330. I had the brake controller installed at the RV dealership and they flew through the instructions so I am not quite sure how it should feel. 

I have years of experience towing a 21' Bayliner behind a 2000 Tahoe. This feels VERY different. And not in a good way.

Here's my question: Is it possible that the brake controller is causing "drag" on my suv while driving? Braking is great, towing "feels" like I am dragging, not rolling.

Am I imagining this?

wizard1880

The brake controller shouldn't under any circumstances send power to the brakes unless you have your foot on the pedal.

Here's something you can try.  Drive it on a long straight road, or the freeway, using as little braking as possible.  For 5 miles let's say.  Then, pull into a gas station, and immediately check the temperature of the black brake drums.  You can stick your fingers between the spokes of the T@Bs wheels to reach them.  They should be either cold or lukewarm.  If they're hot, or one side is hot and the other cold, the brakes need to be adjusted ASAP.

The T@B is very susceptible to wind drag, so keep this in mind if it feels like pulling back.

NE_AL

Wizard - thank you! My AAA RV towing kicks in tomorrow so I will give this a try.

So you're saying if the brakes feel hot, then they are indeed engaged and need adjusting? Brakes can be engaged even if my foot is not on the brake pedal? This is exactly what I suspect based on how it "feels" under tow.

If they feel hot, is this something the RV dealership needs to adjust? Or can any car dealership tackle this?

Thank you for weighing in on this!

wizard1880

If they're hot after doing that quick test, it's likely they're dragging.  Unless something is absolutely bizarre with your vehicles wiring and it is sending power to the brakes constantly (very unlikely but theoretically possible), the brake shoes just need to be adjusted inward a bit.  You can do this yourself if you're mechanically inclined, but any auto shop or RV dealer can handle it easily.

When we test-pulled a T@B before we bought ours, one side of the brakes were almost smoking after a couple miles of towing!  Now given they were the hydraulic type, the dealer apologized and said they hadn't adjusted them yet as part of their vehicle prep before sale.  Not to say this is what's happening of course.

NE_AL

Wow - just the fact that this is a possibility makes me test this for sure. I'll report in - thank you again Wizard1880 for your input. I'm not at all mechanically inclined but I do have a good auto shop. Stay tuned...!

ScottG

The brake adjustment instructions in the axle manual says to adjust the brakes so the wheel turns freely "3/4 to one full turn." Intuitively and in practice, I've found this to involve a bit more drag that I am comfortable with. Confounding matters, I also discovered that the brakes on one wheel have a "high spot" in the rotation that rubs a little more tightly. I'll be checking them again this year and am curious to see if that has smoothed itself out.

Admittedly I'm no brake expert, so I'm happy to hear of others experiences or opinions. I do agree the brake drum/wheel/hub should not be hot to touch after driving normally.

mona

Safety cable possibly activating the brakes?

Sharon_is_SAM

Complete novice here having just completed our first trip AND first ever towing experience with a minivan.  As a passenger, both my husband and I feel an intermittent resistance at higher speeds which we attributed to the normal air drag of the TaB.  After we adjusted the RF brakes (they were grabbing just before coming to a stop) there was no change to the towing resistance, but the braking was a lot smoother.