Converting to Electric over Hydraulic this week

[04fxdwgi25]

Pulled the trigger and bought a Hydrastar Electric over Hydraulic disk brake conversion kit from iTrailer this week to convert my Eagle tandem axle trailer to EoH. Was on sale for $824. Kit comes with everything needed for the install except the brake line needed to connect existing hydraulics to the new EoH actuator (since every install is different and so it that line).

Trailer already has Kodiac discs on all 4 wheels. Truck also has a Tekonshka P3 brake controller.

Started by pulling the old UFP A60 surge coupler out. (outer part is welded to trailer tongue) That was fun......
Removed the master cyl, shock and pushrod. All were junk.
Cut the eye off the old defective shock and used as a spacer on the steel front wheels.
Cut a 1" pipe spacer w/ 3/4" inner diameter to use as a spacer on the delrin rear wheels.
Cut 2 pieces of 3/4" wooden dowel to use as a place holder for the wheel shafts while installing and holding wheels in alignment.
Reinstalled the coupler assy and pushed in shafts, pushing out the wooden dowel place holders.
Drilled new 3/4" holes through assy, in general area that the shock occupied, to install a new 3/4" wheel shaft that effectively locks the whole assy in place and keeps inner from moving. Now it is a solid coupler (but can easily be converted back if I buy a new trailer and want to transfer this EoH system to the new and change this trailer back to surge for old trailer resale).

Gonna start the actual EoH actuator, new wiring harness, breakaway battery and breakaway switch installation tomorrow. Will update as progress goes on and on any problems encountered during install.

 

[Lou C]

Interested to see your impressions of the difference between standard surge brakes and EOH

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Update:
Completed all the wiring and everything tested perfect 1st shot. Battery charges like it should (battery box assy has a status and charge indicator on it)
Now to bleed the 4 disc calipers.

Only dislikes I see at this point are:
1. Brake fluid resevoir on actuator is pretty small, so need to very careful to not bleed too much before re-fills or it will suck air in.
2. The fluid fill cap on the actuator is horribly loose. Doesn't lock on in place like an automotive one does.

 

[bruceb58]

I have installed EOH on two trailers, actually 3 if you count me moving my one boat system to my new boat trailer. I just added it to my travel trailer that had crappy electric drum brakes.

I have the Titan on one and the Dexter on the other.

I found I had to run a separate power line from the tow vehicle to make it work properly. The wire in the 7 pin is just not large enough to handle the 30A required. I use an Anderson connector and 6 AWG wire.

I love EOH with disc brakes. Drum brakes suck.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

I have installed EOH on two trailers, actually 3 if you count me moving my one boat system to my new boat trailer. I just added it to my travel trailer that had crappy electric drum brakes.

I have the Titan on one and the Dexter on the other.

I found I had to run a separate power line from the tow vehicle to make it work properly. The wire in the 7 pin is just not large enough to handle the 30A required. I use an Anderson connector and 6 AWG wire.

I love EOH with disc brakes. Drum brakes suck.

Interesting on the power lead. The black wire from the vehicle (labeled as "trailer battery charge circuit") comes right off a relay in my F150 and powers the Hydrastar unit and the blue just supplies "signal voltage" from the P3 controller. Seems to work fine from all the run testing I have been doing on it to be sure it is OK in all modes.

 

[bruceb58]

Interesting on the power lead. The black wire from the vehicle (labeled as "trailer battery charge circuit") comes right off a relay in my F150 and powers the Hydrastar unit and the blue just supplies "signal voltage" from the P3 controller. Seems to work fine from all the run testing I have been doing on it to be sure it is OK in all modes.

What year F150? Later models like my 2018 F150 that have a trailer module which only provide 12V when it sees a load like a battery. It was hit and miss if the EOH unit was receiving 12V and, even when it did, the voltage would drop down to the 9V region which meant the pump didn't put out full output.

My suggestion...have someone apply the brakes with the manual brake controller lever and see what the voltage is at your EOH unit.

I use an Anderson SB50 connector and I 3D printed a housing for it that is mounted to my hitch.

 

[dingbat]

What year F150? Later models like my 2018 F150 that have a trailer module which only provide 12V when it sees a load like a battery. It was hit and miss if the EOH unit was receiving 12V and, even when it did, the voltage would drop down to the 9V region which meant the pump didn't put out full output.

Interesting…ordered a new trailer this morning. Was thinking going EOH until I saw this.

In my case the 12V in the 7 pin is powered by a dedicated 30 amp fuse came with the heavy tow package. Powers the break away battery, lights, fan, etc. inside the trailer.

Never noticed any power dips or had any voltage issues with it. Had me scratching my head the day we brought it home and hooked up a trailer.

 

[bruceb58]

Interesting…ordered a new trailer this morning. Was thinking going EOH until I saw this.

In my case the 12V in the 7 pin is powered by a dedicated 30 amp fuse came with the heavy tow package. Powers the break away battery, lights, fan, etc. inside the trailer.

Never noticed any power dips or had any voltage issues with it. Had me scratching my head the day we brought it home and hooked up a trailer.

What year is your F-150? My trailering fuse is 25A. I have a 3.5 Ecoboost Lariat with the MaxTow package.

See this wire? That's supposed to carry 25A? I am holding a 16 AWG wire next to it. The wire that provides 12V is the orange wire.

 

[bruceb58]

Just confirmed with my OEM electrical manual that it is indeed 16 AWG. What was Ford thinking?

 

[dingbat]

2015 version of your truck.

Never really dig around back there. I know the next connection up is under the spare tire.

24” harness maybe?
Can’t stuff 12 in a 16 pin
No idea what size wire is upstream. Maybe I should go dig around and find out.

Not sure how that got past Ford

Power isn’t the problem. Already have a 60 amp Anderson back there for the winch.

Plug and play would be so much easier

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Mine is an older '04 4x4 Lariat. The red, white, black and blue wires are all 10 gauge. The trailer battery charge relay is backed up by a 30 amp fuse. When engaged, I can hear the EoH operate from the cab with back window open.

Connected my Fluke up to the EoH BLUE input wire to log voltages and the voltage at the EoH matches the Tekonshka P3 output reading exactly, when the emergency control is engaged. Did this multiple times with different max P3 voltage settings.

On my setup, the output on the blue wire is merely a voltage signal with zip for current. All the heavy current is done by the black trailer charge / accessory line. Know this because Ford did not install the relay 05 OEM. Was getting voltage to the EoH, but nothing was happening. Dahhh. Installed relay and like magic, it all worked.

Perhaps the problems that you see on the voltage is on newer F150's with the built in brake controller.

 

[bruceb58]

Mine is an older '04 4x4 Lariat. The red, white, black and blue wires are all 10 gauge. The trailer battery charge relay is backed up by a 30 amp fuse. When engaged, I can hear the EoH operate from the cab with back window open.

Connected my Fluke up to the EoH BLUE input wire to log voltages and the voltage at the EoH matches the Tekonshka P3 output reading exactly, when the emergency control is engaged. Did this multiple times with different max P3 voltage settings.

On my setup, the output on the blue wire is merely a voltage signal with zip for current. All the heavy current is done by the black trailer charge / accessory line. Know this because Ford did not install the relay 05 OEM. Was getting voltage to the EoH, but nothing was happening. Dahhh. Installed relay and like magic, it all worked.

Perhaps the problems that you see on the voltage is on newer F150's with the built in brake controller.

You are correct....the blue wire is only a signal wire. Sounds like your 12V wire is large enough. Worthwhile checking anyway. Measure voltage with the brakes on full and see what you get.

 

[bruceb58]

Power isn’t the problem. Already have a 60 amp Anderson back there for the winch.

Yep...which is why I have the 50A Anderson connector on mine. I also use it to power a DC to DC converter in my travel trailer so I needed it anyway.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

You are correct....the blue wire is only a signal wire. Sounds like your 12V wire is large enough. Worthwhile checking anyway. Measure voltage with the brakes on full and see what you get.

As stated, I did. Multiple tests with different outputs on P3 brake controller confirm P3 brake controller output is same as input to the EoH unit, from min setting to max, with EoH unit running..

 

[dingbat]

As stated, I did. Multiple tests with different outputs on P3 brake controller confirm P3 brake controller output is same as input to the EoH unit, from min setting to max, with EoH unit running..

That is the control signal. You need to measure the 12v input at the EOH pump

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Did read the voltage at the EoH (black power feed wire on the terminal connection box right next to EoH) and it was same as battery voltage (13.9 VDC) on truck, +/- 0.1 volts) with EoH running at full input signal. Connected the Fluke, reading max / min to the black and ground. Also checked voltage drop across the circuit and it was nil.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Last update.

Bled brake system using a mighty vac pneumatic operated pump out and a brake bleeder tank that keeps MC fluid tank full while bleeding. Took all of about 45 minutes and about a quart of brake fluid to completely flush out system with new fluid with no assistance.

Works far better than any trailer surge brakes that I have driven. Plus, no more surge coupler clunk. Trailer will stop the truck in a very short distance.

 

[bruceb58]

Last update.

Bled brake system using a mighty vac pneumatic operated pump out and a brake bleeder tank that keeps MC fluid tank full while bleeding. Took all of about 45 minutes and about a quart of brake fluid to completely flush out system with new fluid with no assistance.

Works far better than any trailer surge brakes that I have driven. Plus, no more surge coupler clunk. Trailer will stop the truck in a very short distance.

I just have someone operate the manual brake control while I open the bleeder valves. It operates the pump continuously. Both of my EOH units have plenty of fluid capacity so no need for a tank.

I used to just pull the break away but my latest unit tells me not to do it that way.

You are going to love the system. Far better than any surge brake system or electric drums. The worst is surge drums!

 

[04fxdwgi25]

I just have someone operate the manual brake control while I open the bleeder valves. It operates the pump continuously. Both of my EOH units have plenty of fluid capacity so no need for a tank.

I used to just pull the break away but my latest unit tells me not to do it that way.

You are going to love the system. Far better than any surge brake system or electric drums. The worst is surge drums!

Have had surge drums over the years. Never again