Dexter E/H Actuator to replace ActiBrake Actuator

[nickmeloy]

I would greatly appreciate hearing from owners that have replaced Actibrake actuators with Dexter E/H actuators, or have installed Dexter actuators for any reason. Information on the exact Dexter model number used, ease of installation, if you did it yourself, etc. Of special interest is how well the Dexter actuator worked with a Ford ITBC.

My Actibrake unit stopped working recently, and I am giving consideration to replacing it with a Dexter unit. Our trailer is a 2006 model year Classic, 30 ft., pulled by a 2010 Ford F-250 with the ITBC.

F. A. Meloy

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by nickmeloy

I would greatly appreciate hearing from owners that have replaced Actibrake actuators with Dexter E/H actuators, or have installed Dexter actuators for any reason. Information on the exact Dexter model number used, ease of installation, if you did it yourself, etc. Of special interest is how well the Dexter actuator worked with a Ford ITBC.

My Actibrake unit stopped working recently, and I am giving consideration to replacing it with a Dexter unit. Our trailer is a 2006 model year Classic, 30 ft., pulled by a 2010 Ford F-250 with the ITBC.

F. A. Meloy

Most of the owners that required a replacement went with the Carlisle actuator.

Andy

[WK57ABF]

nickmeloy,

According to the Carlisle web site, their actuator is not compatible with your truck.

The Titan Brake Rite II SD is compatible with the adapter module.

The Dexter DX1600 is compatible with the 2008-2010 Super Duty Ford ITBC.

I'll be fitting the Dexter unit, at my own cost, if Airstream don't replace the Actibrake unit currently fitted and subject to a recall. Although it works at the moment, I have no faith in it and it probably wont work in the future.

Our truck is an 2008 F350 6.4 Super Duty.

John in the UK

[4RXLA]

I have a 2010 F-250 with ITBC and my Carlisle actuator works just fine.

[nickmeloy]

I removed the Actibrake actuator last weekend, cleaned and painted the metal box at the front of the trailer (2006 model, 30 ft. Classic with hydraulic disc brakes), traced and cleaned up the wireing, and installed the Dexter actuator. The unit was tested with the breakway switch and it performed as specified. The unit was confirmed to work with the manual slide when connected to the truck (2010 F-250 with Ford's ITBC), which was then used to bleed the brakes.

I road tested the trailer today, and the brake operation seems to be more agressive than when using the previous actuator (Actibrake) at the same gain setting (7.5) on the ITBC.

I would appreciate hearing from other Ford ITBCs controlling a Dexter actuator as to the gain setting that they have found to be satisfactory on this size trailer (30 ft. Classic).

Nick Meloy

[4RXLA]

Nick, for what it is worth, I have my ITBC set to 7.5 also for my Carlisle actuator.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by nickmeloy

I would greatly appreciate hearing from owners that have replaced Actibrake actuators with Dexter E/H actuators, or have installed Dexter actuators for any reason. Information on the exact Dexter model number used, ease of installation, if you did it yourself, etc. Of special interest is how well the Dexter actuator worked with a Ford ITBC.

My Actibrake unit stopped working recently, and I am giving consideration to replacing it with a Dexter unit. Our trailer is a 2006 model year Classic, 30 ft., pulled by a 2010 Ford F-250 with the ITBC.

F. A. Meloy

If you can have a dealer do the "Recall" it could save you big $$.
There is a problem with the brake fluid getting on the electronics. This causes the actuator to fail.
BTW I went with the Carlisle unit. It is supposed to work with my 2006 F-250 with Tow Command.

[pattonsr]

Is the Carlisle actuator a 1600 or 1200?

[4RXLA]

1600

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by pattonsr

Is the Carlisle actuator a 1600 or 1200?

1600 for disk, 1200 for drum.

[adonh]

I installed the Kodiak disk brakes and the Actibrake actuator on my 1976 A/S a little over 2 years ago and I have not had any problems, yet. Is the Actibarke failure more frequest with the newer factory installed Airstreams or does the failure occur in the retro fit installations as well. Thanks

Don

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by adonh

I installed the Kodiak disk brakes and the Actibrake actuator on my 1976 A/S a little over 2 years ago and I have not had any problems, yet. Is the Actibarke failure more frequest with the newer factory installed Airstreams or does the failure occur in the retro fit installations as well. Thanks

Don

Don.

It appears that the bulk of the problems, was with the latest Actibrake actuator, that's housed in a plastic jacket.

Andy

[adonh]

Andy I bought the Disk brakes and Actibrake from you at the end of 2008. It's gray about the size of a shoebox. Would that be it.

Don

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by adonh

Andy I bought the Disk brakes and Actibrake from you at the end of 2008. It's gray about the size of a shoebox. Would that be it.

Don

Don.

This is a photo of the original Actibrake, that's OK.

Andy

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by adonh

I installed the Kodiak disk brakes and the Actibrake actuator on my 1976 A/S a little over 2 years ago and I have not had any problems, yet. Is the Actibarke failure more frequest with the newer factory installed Airstreams or does the failure occur in the retro fit installations as well. Thanks

Don

the leak/failure issue isn't a function of WHO did the install.

coverage under the recall is apparently NOT available to diy'ers...

the USEFUL info is in this thread

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f439...ics-67620.html

cheers
2air'

[adonh]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Don.

This is a photo of the original Actibrake, that's OK.

Andy

That is not the unit I have so I am at risk.

Don

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by adonh

That is not the unit I have so I am at risk.

Don

Unfortunately.

But, not all the units are failing, just a small percentage,best we can find out.

Andy

[nickmeloy]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

If you can have a dealer do the "Recall" it could save you big $$.
There is a problem with the brake fluid getting on the electronics. This causes the actuator to fail.
BTW I went with the Carlisle unit. It is supposed to work with my 2006 F-250 with Tow Command.

My ActiBrake unit is not covered under the recall, so your statement above does not apply. Mine is the one in the picture posted by Andy. My unit failed due to a motor control board failure, not due to a hydraulic fluid leak.

While one cannot reliablely predict failures of the sort that I experienced, I believe that, if I currently owned an AS with a working Actibrake unit, I would replace the ActiBrake unit with another manufacturer's unit. This statement is based on ActiBrake no longer being in business.

[fred bartlet]

Yes, our Actibrake unit failed on an outing to the Grand Canyon but luckily it happen while the A/S was parked. The pump was full on when I returned to camp after setting on the site for three days. This was a DIY install, so I was fulling aware of the brake sound, and proceeded to scramble to shut it down. The pigtail was not engaged, the brake away switch was in tack, and now I had to shut it down before it started a fire. The pump was very hot, so I pulled the DC power cord fuse, no good. I pulled the A/C power, no good. The batteries were next, but I couldn't find the keys in the panic, so I when for the DC buss wiring under the sofa and disconnected the ground lead for the unit. Not fun, cuse it's behind the sofa, after you pull out the drawer under it and get to the wire run behind it. No breaker had tripped on overload, it was just full on and failed internally.

Now, I have a 10K trailer, without brakes, up the creek at 7,250 ft, and 100 miles from an RV repair station. Well, you call Good Sam, schedule a tow and wait to see what happens. I checked around after calling Flagstaff RV and found that I could only use the Dexter 1600 unit to replace the Actibrakey that I installed in the forward tool box. Andy sold me the bad unit and his replacement unit was too big for my application, but a lot less expensive. (10 lbs in a 5 lb box)

I had to stay the weekend before they could get me in, but we over nighted the Dexter unit and installed it the next day. Flagstaff RV was very good to us, unlocked the trailer after a lock out, and then helped again after we locked the truck after hooking up the repaired A/S. ???? We left in the PM and drove in the dark to make a schedule for our next stop, only to find out they were hit with a bad storm the next day, that could have stopped us permanently if we had not left town.
(Trip from Hell?) Brakes failed and the storm missed us, strike two.

Well, the Dexter is stopping us fine and we're only wounded in the pocket book. The Actibrakey lasted about 2 1/2 years but only ran 2-3 hours in it's life cycle, but all's well that ends well.

So, if you own one of those Actibrakey Plastic Bast-rds, I suggest, you find a hole for it and get a replacement that will get you home in one piece. If my unit had failed on the road, full on, I might not be here to tell this story. And no fault to Andy, he only sold them but I'm sorry that Actibrake couldn't have send out notices to registered owners of these BAD Brakes, so owners could protect themselves from premature failures. Maybe they were suppose to and I didn't get the word.???? What say Andy??

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by fred bartlet

So, if you own one of those Actibrakey Plastic Bast-rds, I suggest, you find a hole for it and get a replacement that will get you home in one piece. If my unit had failed on the road, full on, I might not be here to tell this story. And no fault to Andy, he only sold them but I'm sorry that Actibrake couldn't have send out notices to registered owners of these BAD Brakes, so owners could protect themselves from premature failures. Maybe they were suppose to and I didn't get the word.???? What say Andy??

We first heard of Actibrake going out of business, when we called them to place another order.

They were very good on warranty coverage, at least until they closed their doors.

Since that is history, that none of us can change, we must move on.

Feedback to us, says that the Carlisle is a better actuator, and has less problems than the Dexter.

Anyone wish to chime in with current info?

Andy