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RV safety while on the road should be something that is on your mind, regardless of what make and model you purchase. Air brakes are often considered a safe and smart component to a large motorized vehicle, but how do you know whether or not the RV you just purchased has air brakes?
If you have chosen a Forest River RV as your next RV purchase you may be wondering if air brakes are a safety feature that Forest River frequently utilizes.
So, do Forest River RVs have air brakes?
Yes, select makes and models of Forest River RVs have air brakes. However, air brakes are limited to large, diesel-powered Class A RVs more often than not. This means that Forest River only offers two different models with air brakes, known as The Berkshire and Charleston Class A RVs.
If you are concerned about the safety and braking system of your RV, you’re in the right place. Here’s a guide to everything you need to know about air brakes found within a Forest River RV and find out whether they are a necessary safety feature.
Only looking for the list of Forest River RVs that have air brakes? Use our table of contents to navigate to this short but sweet list!
What Are Air Brakes?
Typically only used in heavy-duty machinery and larger vehicles, air brakes are a different type of braking system for heavily weighted vehicles. Essentially, compressed air presses against the pistons and brake pads of your vehicle, relieving all of the pressure that would normally be required to brake an especially large vehicle. Air brakes are also typically more reliable compared to electronic braking systems.
While RVs are often times incredibly large and difficult to drive, most recreational vehicles do not have air brakes on board. In fact, only Class A or Class C+ RVs typically have air brakes, and even then, your Class A or C+ needs to be of a certain size.
For example, air brakes are typically used in semi-truck construction, as well as larger transportation buses. This is the primary reason why Class A RVs also get air brakes on occasion, but what exactly guarantees that an RV manufacturer will use air brakes when building their larger motorhomes?
Essentially, air brakes are typically unnecessary for vehicles that are lighter than 25,000 pounds. And even then, some RV manufacturers may not use air brakes in their larger Class A RVs, given the overall cost and maintenance required to care for your air brakes. It all depends on the manufacturer!
Given the fact that air brakes are more technologically advanced and expensive compared to the average electronic braking system, most RV manufacturers avoid using them unless absolutely necessary.
Does Having Air Brakes Means You Need a Commercial License?
Before you get too excited about owning an RV with air brakes, you should know that you may need a commercial license or CDL to operate a vehicle of this size. It isn’t necessarily the air brakes that require you to get a different license, but the overall weight of your vehicle.
For example, commercial licensing needs to happen if you plan on driving a vehicle that is over 26,000 pounds. You will quickly learn that the only types of RVs to offer air brakes are typically over 26,000 pounds. this may pose a problem for those of you hoping to purchase a large RV, but aren’t planning on getting a commercial license.
Thankfully, whatever RV manufacturer you choose to purchase from will help you in that process, as well as knowing everything you need to prepare before driving your large RV off the lot. Knowing that an additional license may need to be purchased is important before you fall in love with an especially large RV!
What Types of RVs Have Air Brakes?
The only types of RVs that traditionally have air brakes are large and long motorized vehicles. It is incredibly rare and relatively unheard of to have a travel trailer or fifth wheel with air brakes, but you may find them on especially large fifth wheels.
When you think about the average weight that traditional air brakes are capable of stopping, you’ll soon realize that only the largest Class A motorhomes typically have air brakes built-in. You may find that some Super Cs or C+ RVs have air brakes as well, but this is rarer overall.
In addition to Class A RVs having air brakes, it is even more likely that only diesel Class A RVs have them.
This is likely due to the fact that a diesel engine is capable of hauling more weight compared to a gasoline engine. When you think of a semi-truck, all of these vehicles run on diesel fuel, which is why diesel Class A RVs are a perfect choice for air brakes as well.
In terms of specific guidelines and ranges of weight and length for an RV with air brakes, there are no hard-and-fast rules surrounding this. However, most Class A RVs that run on diesel fuel need to be longer than 35 feet to merit the use of air brakes.
In addition to this, most diesel-powered Class A RVs need to weigh more than 25,000 pounds before an air brake application will be considered. Keep in mind that this weight is typically the dry weight, which means the weight of your RV without cargo or filled tanks.
So, given the fact that air brakes are traditionally only meant for incredibly large vehicles, you may be wondering: do any Forest River RVs use air brakes? Let’s answer that question now!
List of Forest River RVs with Air Brakes
If you are shopping for a brand new RV and want to purchase a Forest River option, which Forest River RVs have air brakes built in? The only Forest River RVs with air brakes are their diesel-powered Class A motorhomes, listed as follows:
- Berkshire Class A. Ranges in length from 35 ft to 41 ft, weighing 32000 to 37000 lbs. A luxury Class A without being too large, but still heavy enough to merit air brakes.
- Berkshire XL Class A. Slightly larger than the basic Berkshire model, ranging from 38 to 41 ft and weighing 38,000 lbs. More luxurious interior design accompanies the safety of air brakes.
- Berkshire XLT Class A. At 44 ft long and 47,000 lbs, the XLT merits air brakes. It has a luxurious interior, a high-end and reliable diesel engine, and a fair price tag.
- Charleston Class A. Built on a Freightliner chassis, the Charleston diesel Class A weighs almost 40,000 lbs and is 36 ft long. It only has one available floor plan, but this plan has plenty to offer.
Given the fact that Forest River specializes in travel trailers and fifth wheels more than motorhomes, this particular RV brand does not have very many options with air brakes.
However, Forest River has taken customer safety into consideration with their available class of diesel RVs. All of these options merit air brakes, given their weights and overall length. This should bring you more peace of mind and additional safety features while on the road, should you choose to purchase an RV of this particular size.
But What if My Forest River Fifth Wheel Weighs Over 25,000 Pounds?
The chances of your Forest River fifth wheel weighing over 25,000 pounds is exceedingly rare. In fact, most Forest River fifth wheels as well as fifth wheels in general weigh anywhere from 10,000 to 18000 pounds.
This is significantly less than the weight limits for most air brake applications, even when you consider how much your RV might weigh once it is full. You’ll likely add a thousand pounds to your RV once your tanks are full and you’ve packed it to the brim, but that still isn’t enough for air brakes!
Forest River prioritizes lightweight towing capacities for their travel trailers and fifth wheels, which typically means that you won’t ever need air brakes for these types of vehicles. Between the braking capacity of your truck or tow vehicle as well as the electronic brakes found on board your brand new fifth wheel, you’re in good hands without the need for air brakes!
What Type of Brakes Does My Forest River RV Have?
If you own a Forest River RV and are wondering what type of brace your rig has, there are a few different possible options. For the most part, any brand new Forest River RV utilizes a particular brand of electronic braking system, known as Dexter Nev-R-Adjust electric trailer brakes.
Older makes and models may have different types of electronic braking systems, but this is the most commonly utilized brand by Forest River in particular. According to this brand’s advertisements, you don’t need to adjust or alter your brakes in any way, something that is relatively new to many old-school or experienced RVers.
However, when you consider the fact that most RVs aren’t heavy enough to merit air brakes, having an option that doesn’t need adjusting or much maintenance overall is a good idea. You may need to replace your brakes or brake pads as your RV ages, but you likely won’t need to adjust this type of braking system at all before that point in time comes!
Keep in mind that air brakes are not something that can simply be installed on any RV. In fact, most RVs that have air brakes have a specific chassis or body construction that supports this style of breaking, so don’t expect to swap your electronic brakes for air brakes anytime soon!
So, Do I Need Air Brakes for My RV?
As we’ve already discussed, the chances of you needing air brakes for your RV are incredibly rare. The only reason you would need air brakes for your recreational vehicle is if it weighs over 25,000 pounds.
Even then, many different RVs have reliable electronic brakes and you also have the breaking capacity available through your tow vehicle if you are towing an incredibly heavy rig.
However, you should keep an eye out for RVs that have air brakes if you are shopping for a large Class A RV, particularly a diesel-powered one. These motorhomes typically require air brakes, given the overall length and weight of them.
You may even notice as you shop that, the more luxurious the brand, the more likely they are to supply air brakes to the RV itself. It also depends on the chassis construction and overall build of the motorhome as to whether or not you get air brakes as well.
While air brakes are more reliable and safer overall, especially if you are driving a huge Class A RV, keep in mind that they are always going to be more expensive to maintain and take care of. In fact, air brakes have a fairly steep learning curve as well as a lot of maintenance requirements, particularly during the first few years of owning a vehicle with them.
When in doubt, know that you can always contact your RV’s manufacturer. They will easily tell you whether or not you have air brakes on board your RV, or you can easily look up this information in your user manual or online.
Final Thoughts
While some Forest River RVs do indeed have air brakes, most of the time air brakes are not necessary to safely operate your recreational vehicle. However, if you purchase the larger diesel Class A RVs from Forest River, you will most likely have air brakes on board.
Don’t forget that any RV that is over 26000 pounds requires a separate license in order to operate the vehicle safely. However, vehicles of the size likely utilize air brakes, giving you more peace of mind and safety while on the road!