MOBY GOES TO TURKEY. A tam and pups adventure.

[Feltwell]

Woah, I've had brake fade in the MH and certainly had the smell of hot brakes once or twice but never had them go completely - scary. Years ago in a works Transit van I had the brakes fail, numpty garage had put new pads in that were slightly taller than the originals, and the discs were worn - so the pads were riding on the unworn shoulders of the discs - worked OK until the new pads suddenly popped down into the worn centre of the discs, taking away all pressure and giving total brake failure.

Of course had I pumped the pedal the brakes would have come back, but 17 year old me not knowing that panicked and just kept my foot flat to the floor on the brake pedal, hauled on the handbrake as hard as I could and changed down a gear... and sailed down a steep hill and round a roundabout almost on 2 wheels.... good job it was 5am and the roads were deserted!

 

[Barclaybasher]

Is yours also an iveco chassis or the fiat ducato?

This doesn't have grease on the rear bearings, it has the same gear oil as the rear diff.

From Google though it seems to be a common thing on the ivecos, but there's a good chance this has never had a brake fluid change so that wouldn't help.

Mines on the Ducato Maxi chassis and did need the wheel bearings replacing - forgot yours is RWD

I was glad to get to the bottom of a very steep and twisty mountain road where I had to throw a bucket of water over the wheel - clouds of steam

 

[Northernraider]

Yeah the Germans want to light a fire and get pissed I suppose. That's what winds the locals up though.

Aye ...I'm partial to the odd fire myself but tend to pick a more discreet location than this. You're allowed to park here , they've the same approach as Spain with regards to parking and camping. There's a sign saying no camping behaviour €300 fine for breach . So I've been sat on a rock on the beach today ... no chairs out etc . There's locals passing by every 10 minutes or so as it's just off the one and only road in and out the village. So if the daft Germans had lit up a fire There's every chance the police would have been called and we'd all get moved on possibly fined. And I don't want to be driving these roads in the dark . These are single lane roads with very few passing places at this part of Greece. Its remote but that's why I like it. Don't know why these folk rock up to places in the dark anyway. It seems strange to me.

 

[Barclaybasher]

is there or will there be a road map of your trip Tam?

 

[Northernraider]

Woah, I've had brake fade in the MH and certainly had the smell of hot brakes once or twice but never had them go completely - scary. Years ago in a works Transit van I had the brakes fail, numpty garage had put new pads in that were slightly taller than the originals, and the discs were worn - so the pads were riding on the unworn shoulders of the discs - worked OK until the new pads suddenly popped down into the worn centre of the discs, taking away all pressure and giving total brake failure.

Of course had I pumped the pedal the brakes would have come back, but 17 year old me not knowing that panicked and just kept my foot flat to the floor on the brake pedal, hauled on the handbrake as hard as I could and changed down a gear... and sailed down a steep hill and round a roundabout almost on 2 wheels.... good job it was 5am and the roads were deserted!

Yeah I've never had brakes go completely on me before other than when I've popped a rear brake cylinder ...which is why I'd thought that's what happened on this. But I realised earlier this doesn't actually have any brake cylinders. The handbrake is purely mechanical and the service brakes are discs and calipers. So it must have just boiled the fluid .

I had been riding the brakes a lot though as its 30km of steep windy hills from garatas to kyparissi and a lot of very narrow villages. Wouldn't attempt to go through them in anything bigger than a 7m motorhome. I doubt it would make it. The last wee bit before I got to the bottom was very scary lol .

But brakes all good again now so I'll just have to use a lower gear in future ... I was coming down the hills in 4th with foot on brake most of the time .

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[Northernraider]

is there or will there be a road map of your trip Tam?

You can see it on polarsteps Vic if you look on that. It's not precise but it follows me fairly well

 

[jumartoo]

Aye ...I'm partial to the odd fire myself but tend to pick a more discreet location than this. You're allowed to park here , they've the same approach as Spain with regards to parking and camping. There's a sign saying no camping behaviour €300 fine for breach . So I've been sat on a rock on the beach today ... no chairs out etc . There's locals passing by every 10 minutes or so as it's just off the one and only road in and out the village. So if the daft Germans had lit up a fire There's every chance the police would have been called and we'd all get moved on possibly fined. And I don't want to be driving these roads in the dark . These are single lane roads with very few passing places at this part of Greece. Its remote but that's why I like it. Don't know why these folk rock up to places in the dark anyway. It seems strange to me.

Two years ago it was the younger Germans of two couples who lit a fire here in Spain in an area that's quite sensitive. When they were told it wasn't allowed they didn't give a damn, saying they'd pay any fine and leave, they wouldn't be coming back anyway. They did leave the next day and the older couple stayed (their parents we thought) and seemed so much more appreciative of the area.

We were at the same spot again on New Year's Eve (alone, had a silent night ) and we're happy that parking's not been banned.

 

[Northernraider]

Mines on the Ducato Maxi chassis and did need the wheel bearings replacing - forgot yours is RWD

I was glad to get to the bottom of a very steep and twisty mountain road where I had to throw a bucket of water over the wheel - clouds of steam

Aye the old iveco ones are constantly surprising me lol. My last mobilvetta was like yours and on the ducato chassis. It had its own set of problems when I had it just different ones than I've had with this one. Buy I think this van has spent a lot of the last 10 years parked up doing nothing which is why the things are coming to light now. My wheels never felt hot either .. it was strange but I can't think of anything else that could have caused them to go then return other than overheating. I'm just hoping it doesn't happen again. The next big town I'll reach with the chance of garages I think will be nafplion.... I get to leonidio next but its not that big a town ...mostly climbers etc can't remember seeing many garages . So I'm just hoping it was a one off for now.

 

[Northernraider]

Some of the photos are getting a bit arty now…..

View attachment 850576

You just noticed lol.... I'm always trying to be arty .

 

[Feltwell]

Yeah I've never had brakes go completely on me before other than when I've popped a rear brake cylinder ...which is why I'd thought that's what happened on this. But I realised earlier this doesn't actually have any brake cylinders. The handbrake is purely mechanical and the service brakes are discs and calipers. So it must have just boiled the fluid .

I had been riding the brakes a lot though as its 30km of steep windy hills from garatas to kyparissi and a lot of very narrow villages. Wouldn't attempt to go through them in anything bigger than a 7m motorhome. I doubt it would make it. The last wee bit before I got to the bottom was very scary lol .

But brakes all good again now so I'll just have to use a lower gear in future ... I was coming down the hills in 4th with foot on brake most of the time .

Yes, sounds like it boiled. Even if you popped a cylinder seal or a flexible hose burst then you should only lose 50% of your brakes, as nearly all vehicles have 2 separate braking circuits, front left / rear right and front right / rear left.

The brakes always feel a bit marginal on my van in mountainous areas, there's been a few occasions that I've stopped for 10 minutes just to let the brakes cool - and that's despite using lower gears, pulsing the brakes on and off etc etc. That's on a Ducato on the "heavy" chassis as well, with supposedly better brakes. There's a limit to what engine braking can do! One of those Telma retarders always sounds like a great idea to me, but you only get them on very large, top end motorhomes from what I've seen.

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[mackeellan]

Something very similar: I was driving down steep mountains in Switzerland in 1998. Van was Mercedes 307 conversion with 4 adults and a child. No brakes whatsoever and decided to smash the van side along the mountain wall on the opposite side, just then road appeared on the right and an uphill ride to a standstill, phew. Waited half hour and drove slowly to valley bottom, changed fluid.
Week later, dropping down from Italy to French Riviera and exactly the same occured again. I didn't think I braked too excessively. Was very careful after that.
Just had brake fluid changed on my car and the mechanic said the fluid has improved over the years and he uses code 5, (I think thats correct).
I suppose you know this Tam, but it's something to read as the news is all bad anyway

 

[Gina M]

you are scaring the hell out of me

 

[mackeellan]

you are scaring the hell out of me

Sorry Gina. Moral of the story is don't read any of my posts

 

[Dutch 68]

Someone has had too much to drink

Someone has a second account more like

 

[Northernraider]

Something very similar: I was driving down steep mountains in Switzerland in 1998. Van was Mercedes 307 conversion with 4 adults and a child. No brakes whatsoever and decided to smash the van side along the mountain wall on the opposite side, just then road appeared on the right and an uphill ride to a standstill, phew. Waited half hour and drove slowly to valley bottom, changed fluid.
Week later, dropping down from Italy to French Riviera and exactly the same occured again. I didn't think I braked too excessively. Was very careful after that.
Just had brake fluid changed on my car and the mechanic said the fluid has improved over the years and he uses code 5, (I think thats correct).
I suppose you know this Tam, but it's something to read as the news is all bad anyway

Aye I have to say if it had happened half an hour earlier I'd have been dead lol

I filmed this road back in 2021 .... I'd just come off that

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[Lenny HB]

That's on a Ducato on the "heavy" chassis as well, with supposedly better brakes.

Brakes on the Maxi chassis are really good we do a lot of mountains never had any problems with them & we are running at around 4300 kg. With the Comfomatic we do have good engine braking especially if you use the UP button.

The brakes are not very good on the light chassis.

 

[Dutch 68]

You obviously don't Tam and never come across arrogant Germans who expect the world to move for them.

I know a fair few choice words for them in their own language so it would be sorted quickly lol

 

[Feltwell]

Brakes on the Maxi chassis are really good we do a lot of mountains never had any problems with them & we are running at around 4300 kg. With the Comfomatic we do have good engine braking especially if you use the UP button.

The brakes are not very good on the light chassis.

Mine's on the old X244 model though Lenny, may not be as good as yours. The wheels must make a difference as well, how vented they are, how quickly the discs can lose heat - mine are the standard steels with standard Fiat wheel trims, not a lot of ventilation through them I suspect, not a lot of holes compared to a spoked alloy.

 

[Minxy]

Aye ...I'm partial to the odd fire myself but tend to pick a more discreet location than this. You're allowed to park here , they've the same approach as Spain with regards to parking and camping. There's a sign saying no camping behaviour €300 fine for breach . So I've been sat on a rock on the beach today ... no chairs out etc .

Why would using a chair etc on the beach be a problem? It's not camping, just doing what other people do when going to the beach?

 

[Lenny HB]

Why would using a chair etc on the beach be a problem? It's not camping, just doing what other people do when going to the beach?

If wilding on a beach in Spain we take our chairs onto the beach well away from the van to avoid any problems.

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[Northernraider]

Why would using a chair etc on the beach be a problem? It's not camping, just doing what other people do when going to the beach?

Wouldn't be a problem most likely but no point taking a chair on to the beach when there were plenty big rocks to sit on.

 

[Lenny HB]

Wouldn't be a problem most likely but no point taking a chair on to the beach when there were plenty big rocks to sit on.

Fine if you like sitting on hard rocks, my bums too old for that.

 

[Lenny HB]

Changing subject, how are the electrics going?

 

[Northernraider]

Changing subject, how are the electrics going?

All fine . Never have to think about them really . Anything I use is replaced within an hour or 2 in the morning

 

[Minxy]

If wilding on a beach in Spain we take our chairs onto the beach well away from the van to avoid any problems.

Same here.

Wouldn't be a problem most likely but no point taking a chair on to the beach when there were plenty big rocks to sit on.

Ah ... I shall refrain from jokes about liking hard stuff!!!

Fine if you like sitting on hard rocks, my bums too old for that.

You need a bit more padding Lenny .... .... not that I'm saying Tam has a lot!!!

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[Northernraider]

Same here.


Ah ... I shall refrain from jokes about liking hard stuff!!!


You need a bit more padding Lenny .... .... not that I'm saying Tam has a lot!!!

Rocks and stones are very useful.. nature provides them for seats and for levelling the camper if required . Saves having to carry those plastic things

 

[Helen Ariel]

I’ve had brakes fade badly twice. Once on my old Yamaha SR500 with someone on the back (YYP 363T, where are you now?), and once on the MTB on a very long steep technical descent in Italy. Very scary when it happens!
Could you not get your fluid changed in Greece rather than waiting till you get to Turkey Tam?

Paul

 

[Northernraider]

I’ve had brakes fade badly twice. Once on my old Yamaha SR500 with someone on the back (YYP 363T, where are you now?), and once on the MTB on a very long steep technical descent in Italy. Very scary when it happens!
Could you not get your fluid changed in Greece rather than waiting till you get to Turkey Tam?

Paul

I'll see how it goes today and between here and nafplion , I doubt there will be any garages between here and there. Then if I can find one in nafplion that can do it for a decent price I'll get it done.

 

[Razamataz]

I’ve had brakes fade badly twice. Once on my old Yamaha SR500 with someone on the back (YYP 363T, where are you now?), and once on the MTB on a very long steep technical descent in Italy. Very scary when it happens!
Could you not get your fluid changed in Greece rather than waiting till you get to Turkey Tam?

Paul

That’s nothing!!!
I ride a Harley…….what are brakes

 

[Mikey RV]

Did the Germans go somewhere else Tam.

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