Brakes on a caravan work in a similar way to those on a bicycle, with a slightly complicated prelude. The system is known as a rod and cable system. In a nutshell, the brake's pads are attached by a cable under the van to the hitch (the place where the caravan is connected to the car). There is a space between the hitch and the brake. If you brake in the car, this space reduces; pressure is placed on the cable which pulls the brake pads together. This is released when the car starts moving again and the space is widened.
Now to explain a bit more fully: The brake pads are connected by a cable known as a Bowden cables. This cable then runs under the van to the front to the hitch, which was defined earlier. The hitch mechanism involves a sliding tube. If you put your foot on the brake the van continues forward until the small gap is reduced. This pressure pushes the tube back. This pressurises the brake rod which pulls the brakes onto the wheel which slows down the caravan, just as pulling on brake cables on a bicycle tightens the brake pads on the wheel.
When the car accelerates, the gap on the hitch increases, the pressure on the sliding tube is released, the brake cable is pulled back, the brake pads are released and the caravan starts moving again. A knocking sound upon braking is the result of the hitch mechanism being faulty and the sliding tube not being properly compressed. This will probably need replacing.
Caravans do have brakes and a caravan cannot just stop when the car stops with the hitch tight like a trailer because this could cause damage to both the caravan and the vehicle you are driving.
Now to explain a bit more fully: The brake pads are connected by a cable known as a Bowden cables. This cable then runs under the van to the front to the hitch, which was defined earlier. The hitch mechanism involves a sliding tube. If you put your foot on the brake the van continues forward until the small gap is reduced. This pressure pushes the tube back. This pressurises the brake rod which pulls the brakes onto the wheel which slows down the caravan, just as pulling on brake cables on a bicycle tightens the brake pads on the wheel.
When the car accelerates, the gap on the hitch increases, the pressure on the sliding tube is released, the brake cable is pulled back, the brake pads are released and the caravan starts moving again. A knocking sound upon braking is the result of the hitch mechanism being faulty and the sliding tube not being properly compressed. This will probably need replacing.
Caravans do have brakes and a caravan cannot just stop when the car stops with the hitch tight like a trailer because this could cause damage to both the caravan and the vehicle you are driving.
