MaureenK

Sorry for the delay! I've been doing a lot of driving and now am at my workkamping job in Colorado so internet has been sketchy. Bottom line is that I left North Carolina for Indiana. A mechanic friend hooked me up with a Ford dealership in Brownsburg IN and they put it up on the lift but decided that although they had the ability to fix it, they didn't have the time or the parts to do the repair quickly. After several calls to places in and near Elkhart, someone suggested I call Kelley Chevrolet and RV in Ft. Wayne, IN. Bingo! I feel like I found a RV fairy godmother! They recognized the problem and knew how to fix it. I had an appt for the following Monday morning. Upon arrival, I was met and directed to a level place to stop. As soon as I disconnected the toad, they pulled it into a bay and put it up on a lift. I had a diagnosis in less than 45 minutes. They replaced the worn brakes pads and explained that I should use the parking brake as an emergency brake only bc putting the transmission in park was sufficient. While waiting for parts, they installed the genny filters that I bought in Quartszite, installed new windshield wiper blades and installed the new tow plug that I also bought in Quartszite. I was out the door by 2 that day and the total repair plus the extras was under $500.

Here's the latest. I can drive this thing just fine and I'm still getting the same gas mileage and can use all the gears except Park so I continued my trip. I was headed to Wheaton IL and was routed through IN so I thought maybe someone in the Elkhart area might be up to the task. I also recalled a mechanic friend who lived near Indy and called him. He's an instructor in auto mechanics now but he did some legwork and set up an appointment for me with a Ford dealership that works on fleet trucks and cars. They put it up on the lift but decided that they were hesitant to do the work because they'd have to figure it out, find parts, and couldn't even start it until Monday. They suggested I take it to an RV place and thought going to Elkhart was a good idea. I did have them do an oil change and chassis lube as both were on my list. So, back to the phone. I didn't find a place in Elkhart but someone I spoke with suggested Kelley Chevrolet and RV in Ft. Wayne. I called and spoke to Ken who said he's seen and repaired this before and likely has all the parts! I have an appointment there on Monday morning. Fingers crossed I'll be on my way to CO by Tuesday morning! I did hear back from Roger who said he wanted to talk to the person who will be doing the work. I've kept him updated as to who that might be but haven't heard any more from him. rvrev2, I'll keep your offer in mind as well. Thank you so much. As suggestions are made here, I add them to my list to discuss with the person who will actually do this. BTW, the Ford place seemed to think I had two issues: the PB and the Transmission. He asked me if putting it in Park held before this issue cropped up. Welll....in years and years of driving a stick shift, I would automatically use the PB when stopped and I do the same thing with the rig when I'm on any kind of a slope. It sure seems to hold fine when I'm flat or if the rig is nose up. In other words, it only rolls forward, not backward. Anyway Ford thinks there is a pawl in the Transmission. But wouldn't it work for backward motion, too? What an adventure! And, into the bargain, I get to drive all over these wonderful Indiana roads. They look like they've been hit with meteors.

I'll update this when I have more info but won't have access to computer for the next few days. Still looking for a mechanic who will take this on. Suggestions coming in but nothing booked just yet. But I need to move toward CO for a job and dodge the dicey weather. Be safe out there!

Thanks abyrd! I'm almost thinking I'm going to have to do this myself but even so I'd need an expert to tell me it was okay. I have several lines in the water so to speak to find a place that will do chassis work so I'm hopeful something will turn up. In the meantime, I can drive with no problem. I just have to be careful where I stop.

Well, here's the update: I got to the Chevy dealer early this morning and was told they could not help me. They were nice and several tried to find someone nearby who would but heard the same thing I heard. One young man called his uncle in Mt. Airy, another 30 minutes up the road from Winston-Salem. He works on big trucks and said he could help me do up the road I went. He found that something was touching the drum (?) so he disengaged the parking brake and adjusted it. We tested it on an incline in his yard and it held! Being as Mt. Airy is aka Mayberry, I had to go into town to check it out. I parked in the lot of a funeral home and set the brake. It held! Had it not held, it would have coasted backward into a grassy area. When I got back to the coach and got back on the road, it felt funny. It felt like there was a governor on it or something like that. I found an incline and tested the Park function and sure enough, it rolled forward several feet until I stopped it with the regular brake. So I called the shop back and they had me drive back in. I explained that it seemed fine until I set the parking brake so he looked again and determined that the parking brake wasn't releasing. So he got it to release and we decided that I won't use it until I can get it in to someone who will look at the whole issue. I'll be buying chocks as soon as I can get to a store and I'll be parking on level ground. But, I just got back to my campground in Advance and it is not holding. So there goes $75. The people at the shop were very, very nice and he really tried hard to help, which was nice to find. So, I think Dutch_12078 has stated the issue correctly and that there is something wrong with the hydraulic system bc it's not releasing the brake. I'm going to be workkamping near Pueblo CO in early May. I would like to steer toward a shop anywhere between NC and CO that will actually fix this problem. Can anyone recommend such a place?

Thank you, Wayne77590. That makes a lot of sense. I do travel alone. At this point I know I can't park on an incline at all. But if I'm on level ground I could chock it just to be a bit more secure. I have been calling all over to find someone to check out the brake system and finally had some luck. I'll be heading in to a Chevrolet dealership in Winston-Salem tomorrow. They can handle my 31' rig and will do a complete inspection. They can also do an oil change and chassis lube, which I'm due for anyway. And I'll update this thread afterwards. Thanks very much everyone!

Thanks. Here's an update. After calling several RV Repair places and hearing they don't do chassis work, I was referred to a gentleman named Reggie. He doesn't do that work but was in the park and came over to look. He said everything he can see looks fine i.e. no cracking, etc. He also said he could not smell anything, stating that there would be a smell if things were burnt. He also said I would have smelled it and would have seen smoke. Since I know the regular brakes work when I'm driving, I think I'll move on and make sure to get everything checked out SOON. I'm looking for a place to do that now. And I'll buy chocks. I'll also update again once I've had things checked out.

I've sent a detailed email to Roger and have a reply saying they'll be in touch within 24 hours. I'm going to check to see if I can extend my stay here but I might need to jump on this today. I'm en route to a workkamping job in Colorado.

Thank you! Taking notes and following suggestions. I'll let you know how this turns out for edification.

Per the manual that came with the vehicle, it's a Chevy 454 Forward Control Chassis.

1994 Fleetwood Southwind I drove with the parking brake on yesterday. I think I went about 30 miles. There was no smoke that I saw out the back window or through the side mirrors and I didn't feel any particular drag that would make me double-check. I continued on my trip for another four hours or so stopping for gas and rest stops as needed. When I arrived at my campground check-in and turned off the engine, I was on a slight incline and the coach would not hold in Park with the Parking Brake on. It does hold when the engine is on. Discussion with a mechanical friend suggests there is now a glaze on the pads and maybe the drums. He tells me that a light sanding should take care of it and that it's unlikely I'll need a full brake job. I do get the brakes checked regularly and they've been deemed fine. He also suggests that the Parking Brake wire (?) may need adjustment as it doesn't engage at the halfway point. (This is not a new thing, but it has been working up until last night.) I'm in Advance, NC and will be checking reviews on the three or four mobile mechanics that have ads in the park flyer. I don't want to be taken for a ride, as they say. Is there anything else I should be aware of or take into consideration? Aside, that is, from remembering to disengage that brake before driving.