Trailer with surge brakes

[TR6]

Surge brakes are probably fine for a light open car trailer. But for anything heavy like an enclosed trailer or a heavy open steel trailer with tire rack, loaded tool box, etc, I would recommend electric brakes. Using a good electric brake controller (I use a Prodigy), you have the ability to "tune" the amount of braking force and also how early it starts to engage based on the weight of your trailer and how the trailer is "behaving". You can actually adjust it for an unloaded trailer vs. a fully loaded trailer (think horse trailers, car trailers, etc). You can adjust it for winding mountain roads vs. flat highway. You can even fine tune the braking preload for high winds. You cannot make those kind of adjustments with surge brakes.

Surge brakes also don't have as reliable of a provision for an emergency disconnect switch to engage the brakes if the trailer unexpectedly becomes disconnected from the tow vehicle. Yes, some surge brakes have the little cable lanyard to pull the lever if the connection becomes loose, but that assumes the trailer is still close enough to the tow vehicle to have wire lanyard connected. I had a boat trailer come loose from my truck once (don't ask) and the weight of the trailer literally snapped the emergency brake cable lanyard which meant I had no emergency braking on the trailer.

Electric brakes are used on large/heavy trailers (think RV's, etc). Surge brakes in my opinion are better suited for lighter trailers and are a compromise for ease of use (no electrical controller or connection required on the tow vehicle). If surge brakes were really better than electric brakes, they would be used on heavy travel trailers, big horse trailers, etc (10,000 lbs and up). But they aren't. Those trailers use electric brakes.

Just my 2 cents from someone who is admittedly NOT a trailer expert.

[Martin S.]

Originally Posted by John H

just don't try to back up a hill.

Now why didn't I think of that!!!!

[John H]

I couldn't back up this driveway with the car on the trailer....

[CornerCarver]

Originally Posted by John H

I couldn't back up this driveway with the car on the trailer....

Are you serious? That's a big problem for me. Thank you! You just saved me big time.

[007DT]

Don't know about trailex; but the boat trailer(s) I've had all have a switch/pin that allowed for backing up an incline without issue. In fact most have either a switch or are not as sensitive to low speed incline such as when backing -up.. At least that has been my experience.

[TR6]

Yeah, surge brakes should have a lock-out lever or pin that you lock when you want to back up without engaging the brakes. However, it is kind of a PITA to have to get out and set the lock-out pin everytime you want to back up. Another drawback of surge brakes...

[ltc]

Originally Posted by CornerCarver

Are you serious? That's a big problem for me. Thank you! You just saved me big time.

As mentioned, just make sure there is a pin/lever that allows you to disable the surge brakes when backing up....and that it's in good shape and working.

Ask when the last time the brake fluid was flushed/changed, the brakes inspected and the axle bearings checked.
Check the tires for signs of sidewall cracking (sometimes an issue in very cold climates over time), make sure the spare is present and functioning.
Also make sure you have the correct size socket for the lugs on the trailer wheels.

You'll start to develop a checklist for the trailer just like a checklist for the track car.

[aj986s]

Originally Posted by CornerCarver

Are you serious? That's a big problem for me. Thank you! You just saved me big time.

FWIW, my Trailex has never had any problems backing up a hill. When I installed a new surge unit, I saw how it has a small but stiff shock absorber that apparently deters engangement of the brakes until a certain threshold is exceeded. If the trailer is locking its brakes on a driveway incline as gentle as the one above, I suspect the shock may be shot. Easily replaced.

Granted a very steep hill or stabbing the throttle while backing up a hill might cause the surge brakes to engage. I guess that depends on the steepness of the terrain around you.....

[John H]

In all fairness, my surge brake trailer was a 1999 Texas roll back (really cool and actually got more looks at the track than the car on it). I have no idea what other manufacturers have to stop the surge brakes from locking up when backing. I assumed the trailer I had was a "higher end" unit. Pretty comical to watch me the first time IA tried to back in there though. Lots of black marks on the pavement.

[MUSSBERGER]

Originally Posted by Martin S.

Now why didn't I think of that!!!!

It should have free backing hubs.

[rlm328]

One of the reasons that surge brakes are popular with boats is that you are always putting them in water so you so not have to worry about the electrical connection. The nice thing about the electric brakes is that they are adjustable, they also have an emergency feature that in the case the tow vehicle and the trailer become seperated they will engage. The electric brakes are enertial so the harder you apply your brakes the harder the trailer brakes will engage. Just a precaution as you mentioned you had a light tow vehicle.

[mglobe]

I don't know enough to debate the relative merits of the two braking systems, but TR6's comments make a lot of sense.

That said, I want to add to the comments here that I have a Trailex with surge brakes, and I've never had a problem backing it up. That includes backing up my driveway, which is relatively steep, while the trailer was loaded with my 996 and two full sets of wheels.

[jpinkert]

Originally Posted by mglobe

I don't know enough to debate the relative merits of the two braking systems, but TR6's comments make a lot of sense.

That said, I want to add to the comments here that I have a Trailex with surge brakes, and I've never had a problem backing it up. That includes backing up my driveway, which is relatively steep, while the trailer was loaded with my 996 and two full sets of wheels.

Same here...there's something in the mechanism that allows you to back up freely. Never had an issue even on an incline.

[rlm328]

Originally Posted by mglobe

I don't know enough to debate the relative merits of the two braking systems, but TR6's comments make a lot of sense.

That said, I want to add to the comments here that I have a Trailex with surge brakes, and I've never had a problem backing it up. That includes backing up my driveway, which is relatively steep, while the trailer was loaded with my 996 and two full sets of wheels.

You can back a trailer up that side walk you call a driveway?

[lawjdc]

Originally Posted by jpinkert

Mine has surge brakes and I'm mostly happy with them. As others have said, they always work and self adjust. But if you're going over any big mountain passes and have a long downhill, you might prefer to have electric brakes that you can manually adjust. A long steep downhill could apply the brakes...

Actually this is a very good point. If your towing route includes a downhill stretch, your brakes will quickly wear out, and there is not much you can do about it, other than to fit an additional set of brakes to the second axle to balance the wear on the other axle.