How does ABS work?
Let’s say you are traveling on a perfectly normal day. You go through an intersection with your RV in tow and someone unexpectedly pulls in front of you. You slam on your brakes. Without ABS, the alignment of the trailer on the back can be compromised in any condition, wet or dry. With ABS, you stop faster while reducing chances of fishtailing or overturning your RV .
ABS is informed by the theory that a skidding wheel has less traction than a non-skidding one. With this in mind, there are four main components of ABS:
When these components work together, the brain box will communicate with the speed sensors to look for abnormal deceleration. If deceleration is out of the ordinary, your wheels will lock up. As a measure to prevent this, the brain box tells the controller to open the circuit to the brakes to allow for slight acceleration , and then to increase pressure to reinitiate deceleration. This process makes the RV slow down at the same rate as your vehicle, hovering just near the point of your wheels locking up to ensure the best possible brake performance.
For many people, their instinct while sliding down a slippery road may be to pump the brakes (as this is a technique used in non-ABS vehicles to prevent wheels from locking up), but doing so with ABS on your vehicle or RV can inhibit ABS from operating correctly. Instead, you should firmly press and hold the brakes to allow the ABS to run its cycles.
What are the benefits of ABS?
ABS has a benefit over non-ABS RVs in that it shortens your stopping distance in many different conditions and scenarios. It can also prevent sway caused by braking suddenly while towing an RV by giving you increased steering control.
There is a monetary benefit, as well: many insurance companies may give discounted premiums to those with ABS.
Then, of course, there is the increased resale value – especially given that Grand Design offers the only recreational vehicles on the market with ABS technology.
Most of all, you’ll have peace of mind from knowing that you have extra safety features while towing something as heavy as an RV. This better protects you as well as others on the road than the alternative RVs on the market. Knowing this can ease your travel anxiety.
Why choose Grand Design RVs with ABS?
Currently, the Solitude fifth wheel is the only RV on the market with ABS. However, Grand Design RV plans to extend ABS to other fifth-wheel products by the end of 2022. After that, we will evaluate how ABS could work with other trailers.
As a customer, you will have a choice between ABS and non-ABS models. Best of all, no sacrifices are necessary to include ABS on your RV, so you get the same performance features as you would on any other model – the ABS notwithstanding.
Grand Design RV’s ABS has been thoroughly tested in wet, icy, and regular simulations, as well as live icy conditions. All testing results have demonstrated the ABS functioning as expected. And because we raise the standard for quality in the RV industry, we have added ABS to our rigorous 300+ point Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) before they leave our facilities and again when they arrive at the dealership, ensuring you receive a quality product.
You can claim your own Solitude fifth-wheel with ground-breaking ABS technology by finding a Grand Design RV dealer near you.
