Relay Valve Failure - Air Brakes System

[fagnaml]

Three weeks ago the wife and I were making a short, one hour drive to the Splashway Water and RV Park in Sheridan, TX to meet our three kids and seven grandkids for a week long summer vacation.  After slowing down to make a right hand turn onto the final stretch of highway going to Splashway, the motorhome was very sluggish and I floored the accellator to reach 55 mph (my initial thought was the turbo charger had suddenly quit).  My wife was driving our Jeep Wrangler behind me and suddenly she was beside me honking, waving, etc. so I immediately pulled over.   To my surprise, I had a cloud of "burning brakes smoke" coming from my rear wheels!   Being only an hour away from the Houston area, I called my "go-to" repair shop, Trucks and Such RV Repair in Rosenberg, to ask for help and advice.  The owner Paul suspected an air leak and I didin't have enough pressure for the brakes to release (even though my dash air gauges each showed 120 psi).    

When Paul and his helper Tim arrived, the crawled under rear end of my coach and found the air "relay valve" had failed.  Being an early Sunday afternoon, the "blocked open" the brakes and had my drive 25 mph for the last ten miles to Splashway having only front brakes that would work.   On Tuesday of that week they returned with a new Bendix brand air relay valve to install. 

Paul told me it is not uncommon for a relay valve (or any other valve) in a coach's (or semi-truck's) air system to fail.   Given Paul's comment, I curious if other forum members with air brake systems have had a relay or other valve failure occur?

Your thoughts and comments please!

[wildebill308]

I had the hose between the compressor and the tank blow on my last coach. We were near Plymouth Indiana on US 30. Same type of deal as I lost air preshure the back breaks applied. Was able to get off the main road onto a side road that had a wide shoulder. 

Bill

[rayin]

Not yet_ knock on wood.