HWH or Emergency Brake Issue 1996 Winnebago Adventurer

[royt911]

1996 Winnebago Adventurer on a Ford chassis gas power

Last season I had issues turning on the leveling jacks. I noticed while pressing the emergency brake, if the brake light doesn't light in the dash, I can't get the HWH leveling light to turn on. I press and release the brakes several times and maybe start the motorhome or turn the key on and off, maybe do a song and dance, whatever I do eventually the emergency brake light turns on and I am able to use the HWH system. It get's a bit annoying and you're sweating it when you are setting up or tearing down at a campground. My wife suggest I be a little more pro-active this season.
Anyhow, now for a million questions:
Is this a commom problem? Is there a switch in the brake that might be bad? If so, where can I find it? Does anyone know what the part number is and where I can get a replacement? Can I rig it with a toggle switch? Any questions I should of asked but didn't?
Please help!
And thanks in advance.

 

[Morich]

I think of it as a semi common thing? I would suggest looking at the brake mechanism. I assume it is of the pedal type that you step on? There may be a switch along that pedal "arm". Maybe look for wires that lead to the switch?
Possible the mounting is loose and that is making it hit and miss? Or maybe the switch is just needing replaced?
Kind of a "shot in the dark" from memory but maybe worth a look?
Got any ten year old kids that can get under the dash and look up? UGHH!

 

[royt911]

I am almost positive now that it is the brake switch. I see where it plugs into the emergency brake switch. One wire goes up to the dash and another wire goes to the HWH control. Possibly another went into the fire wall. The switch looks difficult to get to. I am thinking if I disconnect the wire to the HWH control, I could rig it so it thinks my brake is on. I just got to figure out if the wire needs to be shorted to ground or needs 12 volts to work.

 

[Morich]

I've never had reason to actually look at the wiring under there. But is my idea that there was a wire on the stripped chassis from the brake to the dash light to tell drivers the brake is on.
I feel like they just tapped into the wire when they add the jacks and let it tell both light and jacks about the brake?
Not much help from there!

 

[royt911]

I figured the wiring out this last weekend. When I got the switch to work and the emergency light to light, I pulled the wire off the brake switch and checked the wire for volts. It was around 12V. Tested the brake switch and it doesn't get any voltage. Switched my meter to ohms and it is shorted when the emergency/parking brake is pressed. Opened when released. The next time I pushed it and it was still opened. Meaning the switch isn't making contact. It will need removed and the contacts will need cleaned or it will need replaced. Not ready to tackle taking the emergency brake off. I will do that in fall. For now, I learned that if I take a jumper and connect the 12V wire to ground, the emergency light on the dash will light. Plus I was able to turn on or engage the hydrolics. So that is what I am doing this season until I remove the parking brake.

 

[RayIN]

Try the easy stuff first, spray into the switch with plastic-safe contact cleaner and work it a few times while disconnected.
I had an off/on switch on my farm tractor that didn't work. The dealership quoted $58 for a new switch, I removed it from the dash for access, then sprayed contact cleaner into the switch. Switch began working after the 3rd round of spraying.

 

[Morich]

Contact cleaner and RV should be sold together! When we think of how we may use and store and RV for a few months, it is easy to see corrosion can build up on things that we never notice on a car! One, there are ten times more to corrode but also we give it lots more time to build before we knock a bit off when using the switches and stuff!

Think of how much money can be made by repair folks if they just pull the wire clips off and wiggle them around and charge us for a new circuit board!

Life is often a dog and pony show to distract us from looking at what they are really doing to us!