Trailer Brakes

[lamphega]

The old trailer under my Aristocraft Nineteen does not have trailer brakes. Not a problem last year as 3 mile trip to dock slip and back was all the trailer did. Next year thinking of a few longer trips and it is a heavy boat. Do other Nineteen owners have trailers with brakes? Surge or Electric? Of course I did buy boat in Alabama and drive it all the way home to WNY without problems but that did wear my truck brakes hard, I know now with all my gear it is heavier and on that trip I was doing alone...no Grandkids to worry about. What you think?

PS, still in love with Nineteen!

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Trailer Brakes

From experience when I had a 9Teen. I had hydraulic surge brakes on my single axle trailer. A brake line failed after awhile and I had no trailer brakes. I was in the flat land of Texas in the Houston/Galveston area going home from Galveston and towing in the heavy traffic was no picnic. Even leaving plenty of room to the car ahead of me didn't work because someone was always squeezing into the space. No brakes added more to the braking distance than I would have ever guessed. Needless to say, the brakes were repaired before I went out again. A 9Teen is a heavy boat as you said.

I'm saying adding brakes is a no-brainer, if for nothing than peace of mind. Since you're in W. New York and assuming fresh water dunking, surge brakes would be my choice. HTH

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Trailer Brakes

The Aristocraft 19 is not an especially heavy boat. They were built in the days of single axle trailers without brakes.

If you have a proper tow vehicle, you really don't need brakes unless you live in a place with huge mountains and deep valleys.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Trailer Brakes

Check your state laws, etc. Generally, 3,000 lbs and above get brakes.

you can buy a nice kit for not too much $$$

 

[ziggy]

Re: Trailer Brakes

Do other Nineteen owners have trailers with brakes? Surge or Electric?

my ez loader trailer has surge brakes. they havn't worked since the day i got the boat 6 years ago... guess i've not fixed them because i haven't had any problems w/o having brakes on the trailer. i suppose it'd be better to have them. but i've made some pretty fast emergency braking while towing the Nineteen and i've been able to shut down pretty darn fast considering i'm towing.

i always leave a large space between me and the vehicle ahead. knowing that i'm towing. i try to have at least 4 sec. between.

Needless to say, the brakes were repaired before I went out again. A 9Teen is a heavy boat as you said.

i don't think the Nineteen is an especially heavy boat. 1700 lbs is the quote from Aristocraft. from here. (an Nineteen brochure from the era). i will say i may have had to have my brakes done a little more often than need be. especially the ft. but then again, that could be because the backs sometimes fail to adj. themselves. i'm ambivalent on that though. i do have a good tow vehicle too (i think). a chevy 3500 express van (1 ton w/5.7 fuelie).

What you think?

i feel fine while towing a Nineteen w/o trailer brakes. would i feel better with. i don't know, i've never had a boat that had trailer brakes so i don't know the difference. all i know is that i feel i can stop w/o them. in a respectable distance even though i am towing.

fwiw. my normal tow distance is 21 miles, 55mph. other trips i've normally done are to omaha to the river. 65 miles @ 75 mph (highly congested traffic) interstate. i've done a few trips to lewis and clark lake in NE nebr. 200 miles, 65 mph interstate. and i towed it back from SW south dakota (rapid city) where i got it at. it's about 550 miles from me. no issues on any of these trips w/o trailer brakes.

PS, still in love with Nineteen!

yep, me too. and i'm 6 years into having mine... what a great boat!!!! imho, everything else just seems kinda ho hum (run of the mill) compared to a Nineteen....

 

[renojim]

Re: Trailer Brakes

My vote is to put on brakes. I tow with a Chevy Avalanche so braking was really not an issue. The 19 is relatively lightweight and the first year I had it the trailer didn't have brakes. I live near Lake Tahoe so most of my driving is in the mountains. I decided to put on electric brakes. Surge brakes are activated most of the time you are driving down hill. This causes them to wear out much faster than necessary. Also the possibility of over heating and warping. If conditions warrant you can energize just the trailer brakes to stop the tail from wagging the dog. I've had mine for two years now and would never go back.