The brakes on my Airstream travel trailer have malfunctioned. The brakes started to “grab”, and the only way I could stop the grabbing was to reduce the gain on the brake controller from 5 – 5 ½ to 3 – 3 ½. At one time in a parking lot the trailer brakes brought my entire rig to a halt after I had gently applied the brakes and then released them. I am concerned that this issue is a safety hazard. I have brought the issue up with Airstream, and they have twice tried to fix the problem. They replaced some of the brake components, and finally declared that the problem cannot be with the trailer, it must be in the truck. In attempting to eliminate the truck as the problem, I had a truck dealer replace the truck’s brake controller with the same factory controller. The result was no change in the condition. I finally brought the rig into my local mechanic, who determined that the problem was that the right rear trailer brake was not releasing fully, thus causing the problem. The mechanic replaced the right rear Right Hand Brake Kit (Complete Electric Brake Assembly), P/N K23-459-00 and the problem appears to be resolved (at least for now). Please keep in mind that only two of the four wheels have been inspected by my mechanic. The mechanic found that a part in the brake assembly had more play than the same part in the adjacent wheel, which allowed to part to move more than it was supposed to, thus causing the brake to hang up. I saved the defective part for further evaluation. In diagnosing the problem, the mechanic evaluated the rig with the trailer hooked up to my truck. He moved slowly, then applied the brakes and stopped the rig. He then disconnected the 7-way plug, thus eliminating any power or signal coming from the truck. When he went forward we heard a squeal from the trailer. He jacked up the trailer and found that the right rear brake was still applied. PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT (1) FOR REMAINDER OF THIS NARRATIVE AS I HAVE RUN OUT OF SPACE HERE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11669659
- Incident
- Mar 9, 2025