What do I need to make use of trailer brakes?

[Dale M.]

First off..... 4 pin connector isn't going to do it for you.....Suggest you consider converting to RV industry standard 7 pin connector..... You will need a brake controlled in TV cab and it must wire into cars electrical system and brake light switch and extend back to trailer connector.... IF you are going to run a wire under car for brakes, also run a 12 volt (fused) wire from TV battery to TD battery for charging while towing....

Some suggested reading for what you are up against...

https://www.etrailer.com/article-catego ... ler-Brakes
https://www.etrailer.com/article-catego ... akaway-Kit
https://www.etrailer.com/answers.aspx?p ... oup=Wiring




Dale

[bobhenry]

... a sway bar is used on the 3000# to 7500# big monsters and only attach to a class 3 or even 4 rated hitch. Just take it back !

I see it a little differently; if a trailer-tow vehicle combo is more firmly connected together (to eliminate excess side-to-side movement, or up-and-down lurching), whether by a sway bar or by a weight distributing hitch, then a safer and less worrisome trip will result. Over the years I have learned to rely on both the sway bar and weight distributing hitch on all my towing combinations, whether there is no load or extreme loads. Encountering switch-back roads, taking evasive maneuvers, or repeated dips and rises (whoop-de-doos) in the road all can cause the trailer (any trailer) to suddenly become the "tail wagging the dog", at least momentarily. With experience towing, and proper load balance, most people can do without these aids for common trailer towing. But, why not take advantage of their help, and use them anyway, just in case? I adapted my wd hitch for use on my TTT (a single beam drawbar)

• 
• 

, though I tested it without it, and it tracks fine either way. However, when I crossed over a sudden large dip on a county backroad, I was glad I had the wd connected and tensioned, since it basically controlled/smoothed the expected excessive bounce of the little trailer to a minimum. I haven't yet adapted the swaybar to the TTT yet, but I will before I take it out on my next trip...just in case. If you decide to use the swaybar on your 1.25" Class 2 hitch, there's an adapter for it

RP26005_aa.jpg

at E-trailer. http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Reese/RP26005.html

To avoid confusing the poster , he was asking about a sway bar not weight distribution systems





(on a 600 pound trailer )

I do wish to thank you, I was un aware there was a small plate adapter for the friction sway controller for the lighter class hitches until your post. All I had seen were incorporated in the weight distribution head.

You might look into the adjustable drop ball mount as shown in the above pictures your set up appears to be 7 to 10 degrees nose up and combined with the relatively short tongue it may not have the desired road manners due to these factors

[working on it]

I was just adding the weight distributing system as an additional fyi to illustrate my belief that you can adapt/use other equipment (non-standard) even on small trailers to achieve desired results.

[working on it]

...You might look into the adjustable drop ball mount as shown in the above pictures your set up appears to be 7 to 10 degrees nose up and combined with the relatively short tongue it may not have the desired road manners due to these factors

bobhenry- I have already looked into adjusting the height of my receiver, in another thread, to lower the "nose-up" attitude somewhat. However, after many years of towing my carhauler trailer over some really bad roads (lots of sudden dips), I started to use a slightly "nose up" trailer stance to avoid any possibility of having the foot of a retracted (stationary mounted A-frame type) jack contacting the ground in travelling. Some of the places I've hauled made this a possibility, and I've seen a couple of fellow racers whose trailer jacks had made contact, and were bent. Others also have adopted a "nose high" stance for their haulers, as well. However, on my TTT, the jack is removable, so no contact problems exist, and my current TV is tall anyway, so the height set for my WD hitch to tow my carhauler trailer makes the angle extreme for the TTT. Surprisingly, it tracks and tows perfectly as-is. The problem you see is being addressed by moving weight forward on the TTT, and rearward in the bed of the TV, and I'll have lowered my receiver height by 6" before my next trip. Concerning: relatively short tongue By the way, I've wanted to know how to decide on getting the proportionally correct tongue length for a trailer build. At roughly 3.5 feet, on a 11.75 foot long trailer, the tongue my TTT is 30% of the total. What is the standard to go by? I selected the optimal length I thought would fit these criteria: the fit inside my garage bay (with room to work on both ends), turning radius of my TVs (no contact of TV tail to TTT body within the "turn-interference line" , >>see this thread for more info http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58573&hilit=interference), and the overall side appearance (proportionally pleasing to my eye). I have added more items on the front of the trailer since that photo, changing the overall proportional look, and would've added another 2 feet of tongue, if I was to have that choice again, but what is the agreed "standard" for choosing length? Since a high proportion of trailers built by readers of this forum are on Harbor Freight "utility" trailer frames, and some are extended in both fore and aft dimensions, surely some have had to extend their tongues for that reason, while others have not. Others build on scavenged frames with all sorts of tongue lengths. There is an "agreed" standard for ballpark tongue/total weight (10%), and for trailer balance (i.e.-the 60/40 fore/aft rule), so how about a ballpark figure to shoot for on tongue length? Added info, FYI: I overlooked this thread before, but in 2004 there was this thread http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=298&p=1890 that gives a look at the "standards". For single-beam drawbars like mine, Mike suggests 3'-4' (mine is in the middle!).

[Martiangod]

Krusty,
first I applaud you for thinking and planning, sway control and brakes on a lightweight trailer. Most on here seam to think brakes are a waste of time and money on a lightweight.
I've been in the RV biz for around 30 years as a tech, I usually find smaller trailers on smaller TV's are more prone to sway, and if it happens, the lighter TV's are almost impossible to recover.
Second, with brakes you can manually apply the trailer brakes to straighten out a sway issue.
Third, smaller TV's usually have brakes that are at best, able to stop the empty TV, add trailer and camp gear, brake fade is inevitable, especially in stop and go or in downhill situations.. There is nothing more terrifying then hitting the brakes and they worked great the last 10 times you hit the peddle to find that you all of a sudden have no brakes.
Fourth, even if it is a little overkill maybe, the life expectancy of your TV's brake will be much much greater if you do have brakes, one brake job will pay for the trailer and TV being set up proper.

My TV is rated to tow 10,000 lbs, my TTT is 3200 lbs wet, And I have brakes, law yes, but I wouldn't even consider hooking without brakes, My TTT is about 30% of my tow rating.
Your TV is rated 1000 lbs and your estimated weight is going to be around 600 lbs, now add gear, food drinks and so on, your real weight will likely be around 850 or more, which will put you at 85% to 90% of your allowable weight. Most here will say I'm full of chit, but anyone towing that close to their allowed tow weight is stupid to NOT HAVE BRAKES !!!

When someone puches their brakes in front of you
a deer runs out in front of you
Or heaven forbid a child runs out in front of you
Or you come rolling around a blind corner and theres and accident, or trooper pulling roadside checks. You will thank your foresite and the gods up above that you took the smart road and installed them, so you can sit in front of the campfire that night with your " ALMOST " story......instead of the other story

[Shadow Catcher]

I will back Chris. Our Subaru has a tow rating of 3,000# and the tear is about 1600# loaded. Our first one did not have brakes and the second one does, the few times when the controller was not hooked up were scary. Two summers ago coming down Tioga Pass from 10,000 feet the TV brakes with trailer brakes were still smoking!
Were it me I would buy a Flexride axle http://www.ucfamerica.com/flexiride.html the off set is adjustable and I would forget the 12" which may not even work with brakes and certainly limits choice in tires , even 14" are limiting, I know we have them.
Sway is largely dependent on axle placement, too far forward you have it, far enough back and you do not, there is a formula for that base on weight and length. Ours is a bit too far back and we have never had a problem

[Redneck Teepee]

I will back Chris. Our Subaru has a tow rating of 3,000# and the tear is about 1600# loaded. Our first one did not have brakes and the second one does, the few times when the controller was not hooked up were scary. Two summers ago coming down Tioga Pass from 10,000 feet the TV brakes with trailer brakes were still smoking!
Were it me I would buy a Flexride axle http://www.ucfamerica.com/flexiride.html the off set is adjustable and I would forget the 12" which may not even work with brakes and certainly limits choice in tires , even 14" are limiting, I know we have them.
Sway is largely dependent on axle placement, too far forward you have it, far enough back and you do not, there is a formula for that base on weight and length. Ours is a bit too far back and we have never had a problem

Yes Shadow Tioga pass into Yosemite is trailer brake worthy, be glad you were not on Sonora Pass going over the Sierras, it's 26% grade at both ends! Tioga is about 300 feet higher and Sonora is way steeper, but Sonora does not go directly into Yosemite. Trailer brakes are a must on that one.

[Krusty]

I will back Chris. Our Subaru has a tow rating of 3,000# and the tear is about 1600# loaded. Our first one did not have brakes and the second one does, the few times when the controller was not hooked up were scary. Two summers ago coming down Tioga Pass from 10,000 feet the TV brakes with trailer brakes were still smoking!
Were it me I would buy a Flexride axle http://www.ucfamerica.com/flexiride.html the off set is adjustable and I would forget the 12" which may not even work with brakes and certainly limits choice in tires , even 14" are limiting, I know we have them.
Sway is largely dependent on axle placement, too far forward you have it, far enough back and you do not, there is a formula for that base on weight and length. Ours is a bit too far back and we have never had a problem

Is the no 12" wheels thing with brakes a suggestion, or something mandatory due to compatibility? As I won't be towing often, I'm comfortable with the 12" wheels as it'll save me a few hundred bucks.

[MtnDon]

The brake drum diameter has to be matched to the wheels, as well as the bolt pattern. There are brake kits made for 12" wheels though they may not be very common. Most common brakes meant for larger (14 - 15") wheels will not accept the smaller wheels. (No room in the wheel for the drum) If you are wanting to add brakes to an axcle that never had braked you need a flange on the axle to bolt the brakes to. Some axles w/o brakes may have the flange already there. Most light axles probably will not. There are weld on flanges available but the centering is critical so you would likely be better off to buy a new axle with appropriately sized brakes already installed.

[Krusty]

So which style of brakes would be the easiest to utilize, assuming I'm ordering an axle with the properly sized brakes pre-installed, but I also need to order and install something for my car to be able to use the brakes.

[MtnDon]

self adjusting electric brakes

proportional brake controller thread There are also a cheaper type of controller; time delay. I don't see the point in them

see etrailer for articles on brakes