Brakes

[Chitown AirStreamers]

We'll be putting an electric brake on our new tow vehicle - our question , do I need to do anything to the AS? Does the AS already have brakes from the factory?( Hope this doesn't sound stupid) or do we need to upgrade something on the AS? Thanks- still newbies!!

[upallnight]

What year and model A/S do you have? What kind of tow vehicle?

[airhead]

I just completed my brake job on my 61 Overlander. I have dual axles with leaf springs. I replaced the backing plates to electric and used my old bearings and drums. You can do this or replace the entire axle set up. I recommend talking to Andy at Inland RV, he can help you with the right direction for your A/S. I had a bad experience with Orange Products Inc. in Orange Ca. (don't recommend them). Talk to Andy, make sure you give him your name make and model of your Airstream trailer and serial number. These will be necessary for prompt response.
I'm still working on my wiring so I can't help you there, but I'm sure someone else can!
Steve

[overlander64]

Greetings Chitown AirStreamers!

Originally Posted by Chitown AirStreamers

We'll be putting an electric brake on our new tow vehicle - our question , do I need to do anything to the AS? Does the AS already have brakes from the factory?( Hope this doesn't sound stupid) or do we need to upgrade something on the AS? Thanks- still newbies!!

If my memory is correct, your coach is a mid-1960s which means that it has at least one axle with electric brakes (my '64 Overlander originally only had electric brakes on one of its two axles). While your coach likely has factory electric brakes, you may find them to be inoperable for any number of reasons - - wiring, magnets, shoes/springs related hardware, etc. You may find that the trailer connector wiring will need adjustment to match that used in your tow vehicle (likely the current industry standard) since Airstream used its own unique wiring schematic for the connector plug in the 1960s.

One thing that you might want to check for is a "variable-resistor" on the tongue of the trailer. This was a device used with early hydraulic brake controllers and was usually mounted on the tow vehicle - - for some reason, my '64 Overlander had one on the tongue and this signficantly reduced the effectiveness of the brakes with the modern electronic controller in my tow vehicle - - once this "variable resistor" was removed from the wiring the brakes were much more effective.

Good luck with your brake setup!

Kevin

[Chitown AirStreamers]

We have a 66 Safari , the old tongue on the trailer had been removed & replaced with a new one. We just bought a 97 Suburban 1500 4x4 , but I hope to buy a 2500 Suburban as our main tow vehicle (If I sell my other car this week) ...

[upallnight]

When I installed the new plug on my trailer I used a small 12 V. converter to energize the plug wires to see what was what, then I just wired to the plug manufacturer's diagram. This was after I packed the wheel bearings and checked the brakes to make sure everything was in working order.

[uwe]

You might consider having a professional mechanic look your rig over, to make sure that the wiring and brake system on the trailer is in good working order, and that it matches that of the tow vehicle's connector plug. Your post reads like you are not quite sure where to look, in which case I strongly recommend professional help, especially with brakes, crucial to everyones safety.