Trailer brakes

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

I have the NEW Motion Decting Type Controller from ETrailer,
There's some reading material I had to Digest to use it over my OLD controller.
BUT the Biggest thing about Electric Brakes, They work all the Time, Not only when the
Load surges forward, and Surge Brakes WILL NOT hold the Load if you stop on a INCLINE !!!

Great information. I never thought about that. Thanks. Just placed an order for a new axle. It's going to have electric brakes so I'll check out that controller when the time comes to get one. Hey I'm not that young anymore. It'll take me the summer to get the trailer done. Oh well at least I know what's next for me to do

[DanStokes]

Wish you guys lived closer. I'm come over and we'd have that axle swapped in no time. Then you could make it right later.......

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

surge brakes - you also have to lock them out to back up a hill (especially while loaded)

[Beagle]

Surge brakes are good for UHaul trailers where they know it needs brakes but not all tow vehicles have controllers... some are better than others. The last car hauler I rented (last year, newish trailer) was pretty good, surprisingly. You could feel them if you applied the brakes fairly hard, but not until then. That can't be said for all of them. I can't imagine intentionally setting one up that way for a personal trailer...

I'm in a similar boat, my 16' car trailer has 3500 pound axles and no brakes. It's been okay, pulled dozens of cars tens of thousands of miles with no incident, but the parts of Texas I'm in are pretty flat too. My tractor is about 7500 pounds and makes it wimper. It really needs 5k axles and brakes for that thing, I slow down to "pisses off everyone" speed with it on the trailer and I don't want to be that guy. Of course, if I did the axles and wired it for brakes, then it needs wheels and tires (5 vs. 6 or 8 lug) and then maybe leaf springs, and I'm starting to think trade-in for a 20 or 25' with a dovetail. That fits my old man work schedule better too.

[squirrel]

I didn't have brakes on my car trailer for years...finally put them on one axle before a 1600 mile round trip to fetch a pickup truck. Then several years later, I finally added them on the other axle.

Ignorance was bliss...but having brakes on a trailer is something you really want to do.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Ignorance was bliss...but having brakes on a trailer is something you really want to do.

growing up, none of our trailers had operating brakes (not even the hydraulic ones on the boat trailer because there is a 'lock' function like a emergency brake that ended the brakes early). I completely agree - once you have them, you'll never (willingly) go back.

[cstmwgn]

The problem is - most of you guys don't drive Fords - if you pull a trailer without brakes with a Ford - you are going to need some sheet metal repair soon!

[SuperBuickGuy]

The problem is - most of you guys don't drive Fords - if you pull a trailer without brakes with a Ford - you are going to need some sheet metal repair soon!

Right, I tow Fords... if you look closely, you'll see the Ford hubcaps on my trailer. It tows 30% better with the Ford hubcaps. Fords do tow better then any other vehicle I've towed....

[Beagle]

speaking of trailer abuse and towing Fords...

[Captain]

The problem is - most of you guys don't drive Fords - if you pull a trailer without brakes with a Ford - you are going to need some sheet metal repair soon!

Oh, Here We Go !!!!!
A Brand War ...........

GM not Only has Heated Seats,
They Have Heated Tailgates,..........
Too Keep your hands WARM while you are PUSHING IT down the Shoulder.......

[silver_bullet]

Oh, Here We Go !!!!!
A Brand War ...........

GM not Only has Heated Seats,
They Have Heated Tailgates,..........
Too Keep your hands WARM while you are PUSHING IT down the Shoulder.......

But I digress, cstmwgn is a champion of the Ford camp! He has actually made me appreciate them a bit more than I did in the past...His builds are impeccable to be quite honest...


However, That being said, Ford does us a favor, they nor only circle the problem and highlight it in blue, on their late model trucks, they even put it in brackets!

Flip Over Read Directions....(what do the directions state?) Driver Returns On Foot !!!

[squirrel]

my trailer is a Chevy, you can tell by the hub caps. And it doesn't seem to care what's on it, either...

[cstmwgn]

...

Is that the new shop in the background?

[SuperBuickGuy]

Oh, Here We Go !!!!!
A Brand War ...........

GM not Only has Heated Seats,
They Have Heated Tailgates,..........
Too Keep your hands WARM while you are PUSHING IT down the Shoulder.......

a Yugo joke? poor Ford owners.... even their jokes are recycled from far better jokes.

[squirrel]

Is that the new shop in the background?

yup