Trailer FIRE (yes I called 911)

It's not what you think, I wasn't doing the ol' trailer brake solo going down the hill. I could use some feedback on preventing serious braking air valve failures.

Early in the week I noticed that the trailer brakes were taking 3 minutes to release After the air tanks were full. This release should occur immediately. I called my mechanic and he thought it was the trailer quick release valve. He was close, it was a valve but on the truck.

About half an hour before the incident I noticed the sound of air under my dash. A common sound when the brakes are in use and when the air is low and the brakes are about to activate from low air. I also noticed an air leak on one air tank constantly being filled up by the compressor about every minute.

About 15 minutes before the incident I got out the truck on the side of the highway in the forest and inspected the entire unit for air leaks. There was a small amount of smoke coming off the drivers side rear tandem hub. Very small amount of smoke. I could not hear anything but I should have shut off the truck as I missed the sound of the leak under the hook via one of the air exit tubes near the foot valve.

15 minutes later (time of the incident) I was rolling though a small town and didn't notice any smoke. A pick up truck pulls up beside me and beeps his horn. The two guys in the small truck looked terrified. I stopped, thinking I lost a brake pod or a dragging air line or something. After walking to the back of the trailer I noticed full out flames coming from the brake drums/pads of both wheels on the back tandem axle. I RAN for my fire extinguisher, by this time the pick up truck and made a u-turn and was parked behind my trailer with headlights on in the dark.

I broke the seal on the fire extinguisher and after getting under the trailer up close and personal with this FIRE I start with the right side. The flames went out almost immediately, then I did the left wheel. The flames were now out but the danger and the growing chance of additional fire and heat damage was imminent. The brake drums on both whens were glowing red hot with little sparks. I got up from under the trailer and asked the two men in the pick up to "call 911 for a fire truck".

As luck would have it I was half a block from the fire department hall in this small town. While waiting for the fire truck I was debating whether or not I should unhook my truck, in case the fire started up again. This small town has a big city firetruck with big siren and must have woke everyone up on that street to come half a block with what seemed as loud as an air raid siren. 1 tire blew out BIG TIME from the heat while waiting for the fire truck, it was LOUD.

It took the fire fighters several minutes of soaking down my wheels and there was still smoke coming from one wheel. They continued soaking the metal and rubber and trailer around the fire. I then opened the back doors so they could spray and cool down the floor. I'm hauling cedar wood decorative baskets, the ceder was already wet from rain so I told them to spray it. Upon soaking the trailer floor even more steam rolled out from the heat. That floor was HOT.

When all the dust settled a very nice mechanic/shop owner came out and unlocked my brakes just enough to drive slowly to the shop 3 miles away. He was on the phone all morning it seemed talking to every parts store in a 2 hour radius and orchestrated an afternoon delivery of a foot valve for my truck after talking to my mechanic (that I know) There are two possible culprits for this leak on an 05 Frieghtliner Columbia - the foot valve that controls the brake pedal and the valve under the dash that controls the red and yellow brake buttons.

So the trailer tire was replaced with the big half foot diameter hole from the heat induced blow out. Trailer brake pads and brake springs replaced on both sides on the one axle, wheel bearings greased nicely. Drums were good.

As for the truck, the leak causing the brakes to activate slightly during travel was not coming from the foot valve because we replaced that today. In the morning the part for the red/yellow brake button valves that goes under the dash will arrive.

Any preventative maintenance advice, or advice on my current truck in the shop would be appreciated.

 

[FONT=Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Ezrider_48501 absolutely I was rushing and not doing what I should have. Sitting there for half and hour and letting me brakes cool then driving slowly into town and checking brakes again would have been a much better plan then what I did.

CondoCruiser Excellent post, I do the hand on hub thing quite often but when I saw the smoke I thought what's the need, how stupid of me. Please tell me about your infrared thermometer, the fire chief had one of them and I think it's a great idea. How much did yours cost? No I did not do the traditional air brake test, I knew I had a leak by my gauges already.

I knew very well that the fire was just about to turn ugly in a minute. Lucky the ceder in the trailer was wet, sheer luck that it was raining during my loading the day before. I had parked near a government building unintentionally. From now on, when I see smoke I am putting my unit out of service for further inspection and diagnosis by either myself or phone calls to mechanics I know also. What I did was very wrong with a rare and serious problem of the air break button valve.

I should have been more observant that the pedal brake lights were on the truck tail lights and trailer when I stopped the first time. That along would have stopped me firm. Along with the high idle disengaging on its own due to the brake valve feeding air on its own. All the signs were there that I should have not continued when I stopped outside of town, I simply ignored the signs thinking it was not serious.

I had no idea there was even a flaming inferno about to cook my load when I stopped. I had to walk to the back to see the flames. What a wake up call. Absolutely no idea there was a fire, didn't even cross my mind. I didn't even see smoke when I got out to look. I don't panic in emergency situations. I would have made a great first responder. The scariness of the situation really kicks in afterwards like now.

I will let you know the name of the 2 consignee's that buy the cedar baskets, the manufacturers card is in my truck.[/FONT]