Trailer Brakes should I even bother.

[smokeonthewater]

sounds like ur GTG then... good luck

 

[ciera]

it only takes one quick stop and you will wish you had brakes

 

[NYBo]

I am not overly worried as I have TONS of jacketed 10-2 wire laying around from numerous boat rebuilds, and a good friend who is an electrician, the wiring it up is no big deal. I had considered repairing the old braking system but the main line had been cut and most of the lines may have been useable but were rusty enough for me to not trust them anyways.

I already have the controller in the truck, and really the only thing I am going to need is just the actual brakes and the breakaway box.

$75 dollars for the kit for one axle (the trailer had brakes only on the front axle to begin with) I am not going to change the rear under any circumstance. Breakaway box with intergrated charger is $50.00

Safe and inexpensive. Good combination!

 

[xadiohead]

That accident was caused by towing way to much boat on a bumper hitch AND driving to fast for the conditions. As specifically stated by the Original poster.

I just want to clear this up..... I am the original poster of that "disaster" thread and I don't think you read it correctly. I was going extremely slow in the conditions, less than half the speed limit. It briefly rained a couple HOURS prior to my departure, but was sunny when I left. If I was going too fast for the conditions, the police office would have cited me a ticket since he saw the accident.

It is an opinion that I had "way too much boat on a bumper hitch", as I was within the rated specs of the bumper, making me legal. For three summers towing boats on the Explorer for MANY miles, I never lost control, slid, or had trouble stopping one time.

I hope to never drive a trailer without brakes again.

 

[ricohman]

Along with many of the unqualified people who have no idea how to scale a trailer, read axle weights, balnce a load, dont do a pti (pre trip inspection)EVERY time they hookup to trailer. Along with people who seem to think that on a curvy back road with a speed limit of 45 mph is still safe with a trailer on their boat. I do not now nor will I ever trust surge brakes on a boat trailer a dragging drum can over heat and sling a bearing very quickly once the bearing is slung you can quickly watch a tire fly across the road. Towing is NOT something I take lightly doesnt matter if its my trash trailer jet ski, starcraft or pontoon. This particular trailer os WAY overkill for my boat but I feel much safer pulling a tandem axle over a single axle. I have pulled everything from a lawn mower trailer to 90,000 lbs across black mountain North Carolina. Never not even once in over a million miles of driving have I received an equipment or weight violation. The only time I have ever had an equipment problem was when I took a seller at his word, and I do consider that my fault for being in a rush, to pick my kid up from school. Its not as if I am unfamiliar with the law or towing in general, its not as if I am unwilling to shell out the money. I trust my tow vehicle way more than I trust an obsolete braking system which in my eyes is prone to failure and creating more problems than benefit especially in this particular application. Ive never run more than 11 hours no more than 14 on duty and no more than 70 in 8. Ive also never run more than 12 34 34 wo permits. The goal is to get to and from the lake safely. My pros and cons Trailer brakes may reduce braking distance slightly. Cons trailer brakes hang up sling a bearing and throw a wheel across the road. That is the reason i was asking for opinions.

That says it all. That's the difference maker.
Maintain your braking system and you will never have a wheel fly off. As a mechanic, I've seen some crappy tow vehicles and crappy trailers. People should not expect to park a trailer for 8 months year after year and expect it to work perfectly every time they hook on to it.
Even though I've seen dozens of seized wheels I've never seen one fall off the spindle yet.
Can a good driver tow a trailer safely without brakes? No doubt. Can an idiot driver tow a trailer safely without brakes? Maybe. But I don't want to be the one to find out that he can't.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I'm late to the party, but let me add that I put electric brakes on a trailer that never had them... i t probably was right around the loaded limit that requires brakes, so I installed them myself. It really improved my performance when slowing/stopping; instead of feeling the trailer pushing my truck during stops, it now feels like everything is stopping as a unit. It feels much more controlled. Easily worth the $300-400 it cost for parts.

 

[1216bandit]

When in doubt about something safety related I feel it is best to lean towards the side of safety or caution. In the big scheme of things the cost to benefit ratio is low. Not a whole lot to put out with the potential to prevent a disaster!

 

[geneseo1911]

My trailer had non-functioning surge brakes when I bought it. I opted to go electric when I re-did the trailer. I've been running the system (fresh water) for 4 years with 0 problems, and aside from looking at them once a year and checking the operation each time I hook up, 0 maintenance. My tow vehicle is major overkill for my boat (rated for 12K), but the brakes on the trailer make me feel a lot better, and do make a big difference in hard stops.

 

[HT32BSX115]

My trailer had non-functioning surge brakes when I bought it. I opted to go electric when I re-did the trailer. I've been running the system (fresh water) for 4 years with 0 problems, and aside from looking at them once a year and checking the operation each time I hook up, 0 maintenance. My tow vehicle is major overkill for my boat (rated for 12K), but the brakes on the trailer make me feel a lot better, and do make a big difference in hard stops.

I just pulled my surge brakes (1 axle only) on my (fresh-water) trailer and replaced with a set of (4) Dexter Nev-R-Adjust electrics. They work FLAWLESSLY!

The trailer + boat weighs around 6k and I towed it with my previously owned (94, bought new) Diesel Suburban.

Just sold the Sub after 20 years and tow the boat now with a 2005 Ford SD 4x4 dually using the Ford IBC brake controller.

I would NOT go back to surge brakes EVER. If I do upgrade to a larger boat, I'll make sure it has either has Kodiac or equivalent elec/hyd disc brakes on it or I'll install them myself!

If anyone ever hit me towing a trailer with no brakes installed (in violation of law), after the civil/criminal negligence suit, I would own their house!
Regards,


Rick

 

[Lou C]

We can debate how state laws are interpreted ad infinitum but here's a thought, we all make decisions and choices. In this case its a choice that involves safety. Personally, I would want to think that I always erred on the side of caution. If anything ever happened, and someone was injured, if there was even the slightest chance that a $400 set of trailer brakes could have prevented that, I would not feel good at all about deciding not to do it. We are in salt water, trailer brakes are a headache here. Electric brakes here would last as long as a painted steel trailer (as in, maybe 2 seasons LOL). I have surge brakes, they are maintained every year and every 4 seasons I replace the drum cylinders. They work well enough that I feel safe towing up and down the steep hills we have. Yes many people here ditch trailer brakes because they are as much of a pain, as outdrives are in salt water. I have learned how to make both work and last in salt. It takes a time and not cutting corners. In the end, I feel better doing what is in my mind safe. I do not go by state laws necessarily. OK, in NY its legal to tow 2,999 lbs without brakes and illegal to tow 3,001 without. Make sense? not to me. I'd put brakes even on a 2,000 lb trailer.