Brakes??? what Brakes??

General Discussion about almost anything Teardrop or camping related

Does your tiny trailer have brakes

Poll ended at Sat Aug 07, 2004 11:54 pm

No brakes
21
72%
Came with frame no choice on type of Brake
0
No votes
Surge Brakes
1
3%
Electric Brakes
7
24%
 
Total votes : 29

Brakes??? what Brakes??

Postby Ron Dickey » Sun May 09, 2004 11:54 pm

If you look next to my name it says Teardrop Dreamer..... I keep looking at all these trailers and I keep getting stopped by the frame.

Pam from Teardroptimes keep saying just start building one. Which take money I do not have this year.

But I never even asked anyone about Brakes....

Surge brakes .... Electric Brakes ... Disc brakes....

Now I will ask those of you who have spent the bucks and completed your dreams or are about to ....

If I build a simple teardrop I get the feeling I will not need any or just an emergancy shoot pack on the back bumper.

Now I am hearing people say you got no brakes??

California is not flat ... Mike said I might look at T@B trailers which are now in the area. But they have a boat trailer brake ( I beleave a surge brake) and after reading a little they say not good for Ice or wet pavement ... cause it pushes you forward before it brakes ... and then stops when that might not be a good time.

I am very confused can any one offer a good site I can goto so I better understand what is or isn't what is needed.

I am beginning to think I need to build from the top down. I could design and build the body then find the frame, size wheels needed and brakes that will work.

Teardrop bad ... dreaming.

Dave K. .. I think it is time I met Peter from Mac Trailers or talked to Cari Bates at
http://www.sportsrig.com

The Teardrop itch is there maybe it is time I start scratching it.

Ron D.
Los Osos, CA
121377......134179
Inside almost done--Trolly top has opening windows & roof.doors need assembling--pictured above waley windows..galley 1/3 done
Cross Bow in Build Journals....http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=54108
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Re: Brakes??? what Brakes??

Postby Joseph » Mon May 10, 2004 12:40 am

Ron Dickey wrote:Now I am hearing people say you got no brakes??

Hey Ron,

That's correct. For smaller trailers (I believe California law says under 1500 lbs) you don't need brakes - your car brakes are adequate for both. Just get 'em checked at least once a year and tell the mechanic you tow a small trailer weighing whatever it is your trailer weighs - when you finally build one, that is.

Joseph
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Postby mikeschn » Mon May 10, 2004 4:09 am

Hey Ron,

I've heard that if your teardrop is less than 40% of the weight of the car, you don't need brakes.

The harbor freight trailer does not have brakes, and I pulled it just fine with my Jimmy.

Mike...
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...
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Postby Chip » Mon May 10, 2004 7:19 am

Ron: I definately understand the no money situation,,but with a bit of research and some really creative bartering,,a lot of looking around you can come up with a frame that will work just fine,,my tear,,(such as it is) started life as a pop up,,,I picked it up for a $100.00,,,out of this I got a frame,,three new tires and rims, stove, Icebox, power converter, 120v breaker panel, new propane tank thats full, sink, hinges cabinet latches and a box full of asorted screws, brackets, etc,,,,,with a little searching , a bit of horse trading, and a lot of leg work ya should be able to come up with a respectable tear with out breaking the bank,,,

chip
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Postby denverd0n » Mon May 10, 2004 11:11 am

I haven't completed my teardrop yet (barely started, actually), but I intend to include brakes. I've been hauling various trailers since I first learned how to drive (back when disco was in style!).

I depends on your tow vehicle and the size of your tear. If you are pulling your tear with a full-sized pickup, or a large sedan, then you probably don't need brakes for an average or lightweight tear. If your tear is a super-heavyweight, or if you plan on pulling it with a small car, then brakes would be highly advisable.

I've towed trailers with both electric and surge brakes and what I'll be putting on my tear are electric brakes with an inertia-sensing controller. The inertia-sensing electronics allow the controller to progressively apply the brakes depending on how hard you are braking the tow vehicle. They are a little more expensive than other types of brakes, but in my opinion well worth it.

Here's a link to one type of very high quality electric brake controller...
http://www.tekonsha.com/teenvoyintro.html
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Postby Ron Dickey » Mon May 10, 2004 11:01 pm

Whow ... that poll thing works and it is ... really ... cool.

Please answer the one I made in the poll section. of the main forum on how long you have been doing small trailering.

Thanks for the answers I will think it over and deside. Gas prices are helping me out alot here too.

Ron D.
Los Osos, CA
121377......134179
Inside almost done--Trolly top has opening windows & roof.doors need assembling--pictured above waley windows..galley 1/3 done
Cross Bow in Build Journals....http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=54108
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Postby Michael Rodriguez » Thu May 13, 2004 7:37 pm

Chip wrote:a lot of looking around you can come up with a frame that will work just fine,,my tear,,(such as it is) started life as a pop up,,,I picked it up for a $100.00,,,out of this I got a frame,,three new tires and rims, stove, Icebox, power converter, 120v breaker panel, new propane tank thats full, sink, hinges cabinet latches and a box full of asorted screws, brackets, etc
chip


My Teardrop also started life out as a pop up tent trailer. I got less parts out of the deal than you did but I didn't pay anything (except title transfer) for it either. The deals are out there. I am happy to share any of my sources for parts as well. Most, but not all, can be had for far less than what you might expect to pay for it. Of course most of the suppliers are in Portland OR, so this information may be of limited value.
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Postby jimqpublic » Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:24 pm

We have Dexter 10"x2" electric drum brakes controlled by a Tekonsha Prodigy inertial controller. The 10" brakes are rated for up to 4000 pounds of trailer.

Our Chalet weighs almost 2000 pounds dry and about 2400 loaded for a trip. The cars (Subaru Outback now replaced by Subaru Forester XT) weigh 3300 so the trailer is a big increase in weight.

Braking with the Prodigy is almost like the trailer isn't there. Works very well.
Jim
2002 Chalet Arrowhead but always wanted a Teardrop
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Postby Nick Taylor » Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:12 pm

If your trailer is fairly lightweight (~1000 pounds) and your car has a good braking system, you don't need brakes on the trailer. Both of my vintage teardrops have no brakes. My PT Cruiser has 4-wheel disk with ABS and it stops either just fine, even fully loaded. You still have to remember that you have more weight to stop so you need to not tailgate people or run up to stops too fast.

Nick.
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Postby Dave Nathanson » Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:59 pm

Even though my TD is fairly lightweight (I don't really know what it weighs, maybe 1100 lbs?) I wanted brakes on it. Speaking an offroad explorer, I do get myself in some pickles sometimes. The last thing I need on a tricky rocky off camber downhill is my trailer slipping around & catching up with me. No way!

So for me brakes seemed an important decision. I want them.

The first week I towed the trailer, the Tekonsha brake controller wasn't hooked up right, so it wasn't working. I mention this because it means that I've towed this trailer both with & without brakes. On the flat pavement, it doesn't seem to make a huge difference. Yeah, sure,I can feel the TD brakes slowing down a lot better than without. It's definitely better with the electric brakes... But then again, it stops anyway.

However, offroad, it can make a lot of difference!

I spent about $80 on the brake controller Tekonsha 9030 Voyager brake controller, and Um, like an extra hundred bucks extra on the axle to get the one with brakes. Plus some real good wire to hook up & power it all. I used a new 14 ga extension cord because it was a lot sturdier and cheaper than buying the wire separately. Anyway, now that I've had a chance to test it out a bit, I'm happy that I have brakes on my little trailer. But my point is that not everybody should follow my example, because most people will never stress their trailers like I will. Heck, I've somehow torn off half the rear suspension again! :roll:

best,
Dave
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