Camper van won't move - are the brakes stuck on? | Ask Honest John

Camper van won't move - are the brakes stuck on?

My camper van won't move. It was parked up after going through a flood and is now stuck. On starting it fires up and both forward and reverse gears can be engaged, but the wheels will only turn one eighth and then it will not move forward at all. It is rather like when your wheels are up against a kerb and you cannot move forward. I applied the accelerator and the engine revved but I remained stationary and I smelt the clutch burning so stopped. Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

Asked on 4 December 2019 by Kevyn Thompson

Answered by Dan Powell

This reads like the parking brake has become stuck on. Try applying and releasing the handbrake a few times and then attempt to drive gently forward in first gear and then backwards in reverse to see if this loosens the rust. Be careful not to apply too much force as this may cause damage to the engine and/or clutch. If it doesn't budge then you will probably need to contact a mobile mechanic to have it examined.

Tags: handbrakes technical issues disc brakes drum brakes

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