Trailer brakes

[ben475]

Do you run brakes on your boat trailer?

The fella i bought my boat off said he never bothered replacing the pads when they wore out, reckoned it wasnt worth the hassel, i have also been using it unbraked since.

Boats a 475 quintrex bowrider, be less than 1T including trailer, boat maybe 500kg at a rough guess.

Have heard of people taking the brakes off on similar sized boats.

So does anyone have any experiences on weather or not its worth fixing up the brakes on ny trailer?

Its just a mechanical overide setup, which is probably slightly annoying when reversing which.

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[swof63]

It's law over 750kg, can also be less dependent on vehicle to have trailer brakes. If you're over the 750kg total ( which you will be ), don't chance it. In the case of an accident or injury you don't want to be found to be negligent or uninsured.


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[NAGG]

Sorry - that is madness ..... You wont be insured if you have an accident .
You'll probably have close to a tonne to pull up with your vehicle ..... & yes correctly adjusted brakes do make a difference

Chris

[SCTSCT]

Sorry to hijack but I did not realise the mechanical brakes are an hassle with reserving. How much more are electrical brakes?


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[Feral]

there is a little drop over tab on the hitch you manually engage when you need to reverse mechanical brakes up a slope, no hassle to do so.
How many letters has your number plate got? If it has 6, you are really hanging it out there, (5 means it is only registered to carry a maximum of 1 tonne)
And yes you are probably currently driving an uninsured car and trailer combo. Remember insurances companies are happy to take any "out" , doesn't have to be a cause or even a contributor to the accident. Your driving an unroadworthy trailer, insurance companies wont pay.

[Dignity]

Based on your original post you are driving virtually uninsured, yes over ride breaks are a PIA as they do need to be set up so there isn't that horrible clunk when you brake, takes a bit of time but little else. It sounds like your reversing flap is flipped over permanently. Replace the brake pads, adjust them properly and you'll be fine. Close to home I will admit to occasionally forgetting to flip the reversing tab but on longer journeys you really need it especially if your going down some steep hills at speed. BTW a dual axle electric over hydraulic with breakaway setup from some one like Trailer Spares Direct will cost you around $1700 plus installation plus electric brake system in the vehicle, I think less than $100 for a set of pads is a no brainer.

[ben475]

Thanks for the input gents.
Ill do the bearings and the brakes asap.

I have towed it a fair bit over some decent distances and had zero problems.
What i was getting at with the reversing is the getting out to flip the flap.

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[Dignity]

Yes annoying, get to the ramp, remember to flip it back, put the boat on trailer remember to flip it off, back home reversing in the driveway, fip it on, go out again, flip it off. If you font go elec/hydraulic just add it to your checklist, might be something to do with age but virtually every step I have a checklist in my mind, lately even that let's me down occasionally.

[FarQue]

Yes annoying, get to the ramp, remember to flip it back, put the boat on trailer remember to flip it off, back home reversing in the driveway, fip it on, go out again, flip it off. If you font go elec/hydraulic just add it to your checklist, might be something to do with age but virtually every step I have a checklist in my mind, lately even that let's me down occasionally.

There is a nifty little ‘checklist’ App available for your phone, I’ve set up launch and retrieve checklist on mine and it’s surprising how often it’s saved me from doing something stupid....


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[Dignity]

I just use Notes, already on the phone, I use it to store everything from checklists to buying stuff I identified previously but inevitably forget when I get to the store.

[Bremic]

Thanks for the input gents.
Ill do the bearings and the brakes asap.

I have towed it a fair bit over some decent distances and had zero problems.
What i was getting at with the reversing is the getting out to flip the flap.

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If you can look after the bearings, you will be able to look after the brakes easily enough.

You may not have had any issues with towing, but one day, the police will be there with scales weighing rigs to check for compliance etc, you will end up not being able to drive it home.

[Swanie1975]

I'll admit I've been doing the same with my trailer for a couple of years as I only tow a short distance down the broadwater and was too lazy to sort the mech override setup.
Recently gave the whole trailer a birthday including complete new bearings, hubs, calipers and pads,adjusted the whole lot and it's awesome to tow now. Also upgraded to 14 wheels and tyres and would confidently tow any destination with a lot more peace of mind.

Scary how I'd gotten used to the shite performance and hadn't worried about it.

cheers, Ryan