Hiyer Motorhome people,
I need some help with a problem concerning brake failure. Here's the short version of the story...
This evening I drove our 345LE 1990 coach from Garberville, (Northern California) over the 2500ft mountain/hill to Sheltered Cove on the coast. A trip of about 25 miles. There were some REALLY steep grades up and down, with James Bond style hairpin bends. The guide books don't really give the idea of the scope of this. There are some very tricky bits for a bigger rig.
All went slowly and smoothly, the brakes worked fine. I was in low gear coming down into the bay and decided to stop to let things cool off at about 1000ft elevation.
There was a fair bit of smoke coming of the front disks and the rear drums, but not more than I would have expected given the situation.
After 10-15 mins I started up and found my foot went to the floor on the brake pedal. I was parked in a store parking lot that was about to close...I found I could pump the brakes and get pressure. The store clerk was bugging me to move out so they could close up so I pulled out. I had brakes as long as I pumped a couple of times.
The remainder of the trip down the hill was done very slowly at a crawl. I did have brakes as long as I pumped to keep the pressure.
I am now safely parked at the Sheltered Cove RV Park.
My questions - has this ever happened to anyone, or someone you know?
Will my brakes be ok in the morning when everything is cooled off?
I assume the brake fluid was boiling. Do I need to put more fluid in? Should I do a brake overhaul before I drive? That would be tricky as we are out in the sticks...
I keep the coach mechanically at 100% and have just had a service. The entire brake system was replaced about 6 months and 11,000 miles ago.
Thanks for any help! We are not scheduled to leave here for a couple of days. I'll check back on this forum Sat, or drop me a note to
willy@williamhenshall.com
Thanks !
Will
PS If you are wondering how I am able to get on line out here...it's my MotoSat 2 way satellite. It rocks!