Disc brakes on my 303

[Rgpracer]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I will get disc brakes on mine ASAP.

[COGrandDes]

Guess I'll be the odd man out here. With the stock brakes my trailer would pull the truck back too without reducing braking voltage. Seeing as I can lock the trailer wheels up, I can't see any advantage to the Kodiak disc brakes. Certainly don't need more braking strength/ability. All the parts are more expensive and there is less chance of spare parts being stocked by regular trailer shops if you break down. So how would a disk conversion help me? IMO, money is better spent elsewhere.

Scott....I can resonate with some of your same thoughts. I've been reading allot about upgrading to the disc system but have some reliability and serviceability concerns. I restore muscle cars on the side and understand the value of disc brakes...don't get me wrong and I could see value having them on a camper. My biggest concern would be the pump/motor and the fact that it's a single point of failure for this braking system. Although disc braking is superior to drums for stopping distance and performance....this is one main component that could fail and therefore eliminate all braking. And if a person is in the middle of no-where camping off-grid...where would that replacement part come from? At least with drums....the parts are easily serviceable and easy to get at many stores. I wonder what the failure rate has been by those that have a disc conversions with the pump/motor assembly?

As far as locking up the brakes......locking up brakes on a heavy camper would be scary. My 16K lb Montana would not lock the brakes and was designed that way for safety. I have not tried it yet on the 303RLS.

[Jomani]

Guess I'll be the odd man out here. With the stock brakes my trailer would pull the truck back too without reducing braking voltage. Seeing as I can lock the trailer wheels up, I can't see any advantage to the Kodiak disc brakes. Certainly don't need more braking strength/ability. All the parts are more expensive and there is less chance of spare parts being stocked by regular trailer shops if you break down. So how would a disk conversion help me? IMO, money is better spent elsewhere.

Right there with you. I couldn’t see spending the money to upgrade to disc brakes myself - perfectly happy with the way my 303 stops with factory drum brakes when properly adjusted. If I were a full timer who put a lot more miles on, it might be different.

[COGrandDes]

Right there with you. I couldn’t see spending the money to upgrade to disc brakes myself - perfectly happy with the way my 303 stops with factory drum brakes when properly adjusted. If I were a full timer who put a lot more miles on, it might be different.

I was thinking the same thing after I hit submit on my last post. There are a ton of good upgrades that the members are recommending to their campers in these forums, but I think the value for some depends on whether you're a full timer or a weekend warrior who may only camp during the summer and fall weekends. I know that's the way I'm looking at several of them.

[huntindog]

Guess I'll be the odd man out here. With the stock brakes my trailer would pull the truck back too without reducing braking voltage. Seeing as I can lock the trailer wheels up, I can't see any advantage to the Kodiak disc brakes. Certainly don't need more braking strength/ability. All the parts are more expensive and there is less chance of spare parts being stocked by regular trailer shops if you break down. So how would a disk conversion help me? IMO, money is better spent elsewhere.

A biggie is no more concern about grease on your brakes....And, oh yeah, they WILL stop better. Locking them up is not the best test for this.
Drum brakes are 1950s technology. There is a reason you cannot get them on a new car anymore.

[Hoopy Frood]

"There is a reason you cannot get them on a new car anymore." Yeah discs are cheaper.

[Rgpracer]

+1 for me.


UOTE=huntindog;457889]A biggie is no more concern about grease on your brakes....And, oh yeah, they WILL stop better. Locking them up is not the best test for this.
Drum brakes are 1950s technology. There is a reason you cannot get them on a new car anymore.[/QUOTE]

[Scott'n'Wendy]

There is a reason you cannot get them on a new car anymore.

There is a reason...but it doesn't relate to trailer brakes..lol

No grease on brakes....ya, ok, definitely a positive, but for those of us doing our own bearing service...not a concern.

I'm not trying to knock disc brakes. They are better than drums. Just my 11,000 pound 303RLS doesn't need them. The drums can brake it just fine. It's not like I'm autocrossing it. The brakes rarely have to work very hard at all.

[jsm180]

The concept of disc brakes on the 5th is excellent, but like others have said, I'm not comfortable with an electric hydraulic pump controlling them.

From what I can tell, the greased brake issue is a maintenance/design problem. I never had greased brakes in the 10 years I owned my last 5th wheel, it didn't have ez lube axles. I just finished doing the wheels and brakes on the 27RL, 3 out of 4 had magnets greased, no greased linings on any of the wheels. The seals had been installed with a punch with obvious damage. All the hubs had excessive end play, the worst was over 1/8". My only concern with 27RL is the 10" brakes, I would prefer 12" and may swap to those in the future. Time will tell.

Aren't 18 wheelers still running drum brakes?

[daltontrio]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I will get disc brakes on mine ASAP.

1st, thank you for your service. 2nd, you won’t regret working with PTB or getting the upgrade. We upgraded our axles and springs and converted to disc brakes through PTB in March of this year in advance of a swing out west. Roughly 10k miles later, zero regrets.