This is an interesting subject. Prior to owning my 1982 Newell I had never operated a rig this big with air brakes. I really didn't know what to expect, or what would be normal operation. In general I have found that just as I had to anticipate the need to stop suddenly with my class "c", I must also do that even more so with the Newell. The difference is that with air brakes I have never thought I wouldn't stop. I have also found that with only a little extra pressure on the fireweall mounted brake that the stopping power increases exponentially, unlike the class "c". It may be that my brakes and all the associated adjustments are perfect right now, but I have no complaints about the stopping power. I always start out thinking "this thing weighs 36,000 pounds...it's not a 1968 VW".....I have to have a different driving mentality in the coach than I do in our 2002 T-Bird, which, comparatively, stops on a dime.
By the way, when I had the 4 rear tires replaced last week my mechanic checked the brake linings on all wheels and they are in great shape with many thousands of pleasure filled miles remaining on them.
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