major72 Report post Posted October 27, 2016 We recently purchased a 2017 Winnebago Vista LX, 27N. It is on a Ford F53 chassis. We are experiencing a problem with the parking brake. When it is fully applied, it will not keep the motorhome from drifting on a moderate incline, which is usually our driveway. We always chock the rear wheels when parked, but of course take them out when ready to depart which is how we discovered the issue. We have had it to our Ford dealer two times. The first time they ordered a new cable. The second time they pushed the parking brake pedal down as far as possible, and felt that the foot pedal travel was seriously outside of the normal range. They put in a special request to Ford to find out what might be going on but we have heard nothing back as yet. We wonder if anyone else has experienced this problem. Is there some kind of standard which dictates how well a parking brake must hold? Thank you for any input. major72 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted October 27, 2016 major72, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Does your coach have a DRIVELINE brake (i.e. on the driveshaft). If so there WILL be some play/movement as the rear axle twists once the brake is applied. Do you still have movement once the "final rest" position is reached? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
major72 Report post Posted October 28, 2016 I'll check to be sure but I think Ford told me it was activated through the brake drums not the driveline. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ziggyh Report post Posted October 28, 2016 My info on a 2016 f53 motorhome chassis indicates it is a drive line brake (a brake drum on the drive shaft) as Brett indicated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted October 28, 2016 Major, Is there by some chance you may have driven the vehicles with the parking brake on? If so you may have worn down the rear shoes. Please don't ask how I know this. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted October 28, 2016 Let's first get the facts on whether this is a drive line brake or activating wheel brakes! http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/strippedchassis/trim/f53classamotorhome/ Park Brake - Wheel-end mounted for 16,000 and 18,000 GVWR models Park Brake – Differential mounted for 20,500, 22, 000, 24,000 and 26,000 GVWR models So, which GVWR chassis do you have? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted October 28, 2016 According to the Winnebago website it is an 18,000 gvwr chassis. https://winnebagoind.com/products/class-a-gas/2017/vista-lx/specifications With that being said I have had experience with this design. The parking brake shoes are located inside of the rear brake rotors (Drum in Hat design), I have also had the experience of them not holding, this is a design that is a carry over on the F-series super duty. I have had some luck if the full system was disassembled, lubed (shoe backing plates and actuators (manual) same as a drum brake automobile when you perform a brake replacement) and make certain the cables are operating properly. Keep in mind they could be binding since the chassis probably sat outside for awhile prior to it being built on out in the weather. It is a pain staking process, I have seen a few that still will not hold that well after, better but not perfect. Usually it was a fully loaded truck which is where your RV would fall into the same category. Fords answer then was always use park, however it is a real bear to pull the shifter out of park on a hill with all of that weight up against it. The actuator that the cable pulls on, I have seen them bind under load, but work fine on the bench, just a good lube will solve that and where it rides against the shoe. Cleanliness and proper lubrication, adjustments and a smooth clean inner rotor surface are all critical. Photo below of the Drum in Hat design, I have actually drove them with the brake lightly onto seat the drum surface to the shoe, then readjusted. You just do not want them to overheat, like a said above it is a pain staking process where every detail is critical. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted October 28, 2016 I had one customer come in asking for this to be installed. http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/63028/10002/-1 I did it and it worked but ONLY in conjunction with the existing parking brake just to help apply a little more stopping force and these were on older vehicles (trucks, same design, same axles and parts) with manual transmissions where "PARK" wasn't an option as they needed to run the engine and exit the vehicle in a temporary situation, not the case in your situation. Since this is a new vehicle your local Ford dealer should be consulting with Ford for a solution. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ziggyh Report post Posted October 28, 2016 As previously indicated a 2017 and 2016 build has two options, wheel end or diff mounted, the actuation can be hands actuated or foot. The hand actuation system has a cable adjustment which requires the use of a special service tool on the cable pictured below. The shoes are also adjustable within the drum. The hand actuation system goes with the diff mount brake Correct cable tension for adjustment of an existing cable is 365 to 415 lb. The cable adjustment for the foot actuation is automatic, it's integral of the pedal assembly. The wheel end unit or drum-in-hat has adjustable shoes. shoes in both systems are adjusted by rotating the adjuster through the access hole in the backing plate till the shoes drag and then back off till the drag just stops, do not over adjust The 2015 chassis had a trans mounted shoe and drum, mounted on the trans and fluid filled. They were adjusted by removing and rotating the clevis clockwise removing slack in the cable at the trans end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
major72 Report post Posted November 1, 2016 Thanks for all the input. The web links, illustrations and comments where very helpful. My motor home is new. I have put 1500 miles on it. It is an 18000 GVWR vehicle. Ford has had in their shop two times but they have not resolved the problem. They told me they replaced one of the cables and modified some of the connections. I took the wheel covers off the rear wheels and saw grease seeping out so it looks like they took the brake apart and did some servicing. They improved the “hold” but it still rolls. I use “Park” when I need to hold on a hill but I really do not like the stress on the transmission. The parking brake is activated by a foot pedal and by pushing it down as far as I can, basically standing on it, the roll slows but is not eliminated. We have owned several RVs and wanted to downsize, this rig does that but it has to be safe. Ford owns the solution; I will have to encourage them to find it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edprice Report post Posted November 1, 2016 I have a 2001 Ford F53 chassis, and my parking brake is a circular drum mounted on the driveline, just rearward from the transmission, and certainly not on my differential. Here is a photo of my parking brake, looking toward the front of the coach. You can see the black actuating cable approaching the brake assembly from the upper left, and the cable terminates in a clevis at the 6 o'clock position of the parking brake drum. That said, the holding power of the parking brake is absolutely terrible; I have accidently moved my coach in my driveway with the parking brake set full on; further, I have driven a mile or so with the brake only lightly set. (This is easy to do because the brake light is rather dim and can't be seen at all in full daylight.) Ford should provide a specification of the parking brake's capacity (perhaps defining that it will hold against the GVW on a slope of x degrees), but I have never found such a statement. Without such a statement, a Ford dealer has no guidance about just how bad your particular brake really is. I would have zero confidence that the OEM parking brake could hold on any incline. Since it is so easy for you to abuse this brake (driving with it on will glaze the pads at best and completely destroy the assembly at worst), I would always get in the habit of chocking all wheels if I had to park on any incline. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 1, 2016 At least on current model year chassis, the type of brake (at wheel or driveshaft) depends on GVWR. Lighter chassis have the parking brake at the wheel/brake. Heavier chassis have drive line brakes like edprice posted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pkunk Report post Posted November 2, 2016 2 hours ago, edprice said: I have a 2001 Ford F53 chassis, and my parking brake is a circular drum mounted on the driveline, just rearward from the transmission, and certainly not on my differential. Here is a photo of my parking brake, looking toward the front of the coach. You can see the black actuating cable approaching the brake assembly from the upper left, and the cable terminates in a clevis at the 6 o'clock position of the parking brake drum. That said, the holding power of the parking brake is absolutely terrible; I have accidently moved my coach in my driveway with the parking brake set full on; further, I have driven a mile or so with the brake only lightly set. (This is easy to do because the brake light is rather dim and can't be seen at all in full daylight.) Ford should provide a specification of the parking brake's capacity (perhaps defining that it will hold against the GVW on a slope of x degrees), but I have never found such a statement. Without such a statement, a Ford dealer has no guidance about just how bad your particular brake really is. I would have zero confidence that the OEM parking brake could hold on any incline. Since it is so easy for you to abuse this brake (driving with it on will glaze the pads at best and completely destroy the assembly at worst), I would always get in the habit of chocking all wheels if I had to park on any incline. I agree that this driveline parking brake is useless. Mine burned out the first time I drove off with it engaged and didn't notice any drag at all. No help to the OP but Ford has obviously still not perfected a parking brake that works. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
major72 Report post Posted November 2, 2016 Spoke again to Ford. They say the test for the parking brake is to park on a flat area, put the motor home in drive and do not touch the accelerator. If it doesn't move then it performs to design. I agree with edprice, I wish I could find a published standard for the capacity of the parking brake. I do not live in a state that requires an annual safety inspection, I wonder what these states use for a standard to pass a parking brake at inspection time? At my next opportunity, I will apply the Ford test and see what happens. No matter what, chocking the rear wheels is a good safety practice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MartinWellborn Report post Posted March 25, 2018 Is there a final decided solution to this problem. I talked to Ford,my parking brake pedal will not stay engaged. They told me bump the release handle with my hand this works a little ,but not safe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
foster92806@sbcglobal.net Report post Posted July 13, 2021 so how do you fix this problem? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted July 14, 2021 7 hours ago, foster92806@sbcglobal.net said: so how do you fix this problem? Welcome to the forum. The Op hasn't been back since 2018. But I believe chocking the rear wheels is a good safety practice. What Ford Chaise do you have? Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
