electric brakes for boat trailers

[Wild_cat]

My Cat and trailer are pretty well on the wieght limit with 200lt of fuel onboard. Stack it anything else in there and it would probaly a bit close for comfort on the scales. Ihave been puting off the $3500 to $4000 for suitable brakes for the trailer untill I get a few other bills out of the road (yeah probably never get there)

Another bloke I know has put electric brakes on his trailer for under $1000. he has also plumbed a spray made copper tubing inside the brake housing and flushes the system as soon as he pulls the boat from the water. He does not get out all that often but says they are still in fairly good shape after 2 or 3 years. Maybe I could also Have the system rigged to also inject some type of rust inhibiter.I know the rust will eventally get me but if I can get three to five years out of this system I figure it would be worth while.

Pretty interested to hear what people on this site think of the Idea and maybe improve on it

What do you see are the pros and cons

Thanks

[troy]

Wildcat i have just been through all that and it is a lot of money but it is better than losing everything if you have an accident
I just bought a 6.25 cruise craft and it was illegal so i had to put them on and i must admit that when you use your brakes you feel like you are not towing a big boat.
Mine was 3000.00
troy
ps i was lucky as the dealership and cruise craft went thirds with me as they did not know the boat went over when they modified the hull

[Mantaray]

well fancy buying a 6.25m boat that was illegal! sounds like you got conned real good. electric brakes? you tlalking about a caravan or a boat? electric = caravan, electric does not equal boat. can't believe people want to fit electric brakes to a boat, bugga'd if i can.

[bidkev]

well fancy buying a 6.25m boat that was illegal! sounds like you got conned real good. electric brakes? you tlalking about a caravan or a boat? electric = caravan, electric does not equal boat. can't believe people want to fit electric brakes to a boat, bugga'd if i can.

Mate, mine are electro hydraulic. Mackay(baoat trailers) turn 'em out as standard on any trailer rated at over 2 tonne.

cheers

kev

[troy]

[quote author=Mantaray link=1131776878/0#2 date=1131790652]well fancy buying a 6.25m boat that was illegal! sounds like you got conned real good. electric brakes? you tlalking about a caravan or a boat? electric = caravan, electric does not equal boat. can't believe people want to fit electric brakes to a boat, bugga'd if i can.

Mate, mine are electro hydraulic. Mackay(baoat trailers) turn 'em out as standard on any trailer rated at over 2 tonne.

cheers

kev
[/quote]

Mantaray why don't you bugger off and have you not heard of sens-a-brake.
troy

[Mantaray]

[quote author=kingtin link=1131776878/0#3 date=1131805171][quote author=Mantaray link=1131776878/0#2 date=1131790652]well fancy buying a 6.25m boat that was illegal! sounds like you got conned real good. electric brakes? you tlalking about a caravan or a boat? electric = caravan, electric does not equal boat. can't believe people want to fit electric brakes to a boat, bugga'd if i can.

Mate, mine are electro hydraulic. Mackay(baoat trailers) turn 'em out as standard on any trailer rated at over 2 tonne.

cheers

kev
[/quote]

Mantaray why don't you bugger off and have you not heard of sens-a-brake.
troy
[/quote]

Author=Wild_cat Another bloke I know has put electric brakes on his trailer for under $1000. he has also plumbed a spray made copper tubing inside the brake housing and flushes the system as soon as he pulls the boat from the water.

the query was in relation to "electric" brakes as do understand the difference between electric and sensa-a-brake systems? you won't fit a full sensa-a-brake setup for $1000 so do understand what the author is actually about.

[troy]

Mantaray read what i said mine cost not 1000 but 3000 get it.
troy

[Mantaray]

Mantaray read what i said mine cost not 1000 but 3000 get it.
troy

And that is exactly why wild_cat is asking about "electric" brakes, doesn't want to spend $3g wants to know about "electric" brakes costing about a grand, "electric" brakes actually are electric driven right to inside the wheel hub, whihc is why 'electric' brakes are no good for boat trailers

oh i forgot you bought a boat that was illegal? or was that you was a sold a boat that was illegal. silly you for paying anything extra for something that was illegal in the first place.

now what has sensa-a-brake really got to do with wild_cat's query, he is talking about electric brakes for a grand not electric/hydraulic for 3 grand

electric brakes? you talking about a caravan or a boat? electric = caravan, electric does not equal boat. can't believe people want to fit electric brakes to a boat, bugga'd if i can.

comment still stands dispute it if you can support the argument for "electric" brakes

[Wild_cat]

Wow No need to get testy about the question. Mantaray I would not be Suprised if Roy bought the Boat and trailer made it legal and still walked away with money in his poket because he pick up a particluarly good deal (just guessing) But back to the electric brakes. Could you explain what experience you have had with them. I have been told the drum gets a film of rust on the surface and rips the pads up. I was hoping that the flushing with fresh water would assist with that problem. However I have not heard any one talk about the magnets are they not sealed? they cost about $70 to replace. Is it the wiring thats the problem because I replaced the light every so often on the trailer so I would do the same with the brakes.

I guess what I'm really asking money aside what are the particular problems with electric brakes

Thanks

[Mantaray]

I guess what I'm really asking money aside what are the particular problems with electric brakes

Thanks

Electric brakes don't like water, let alone salt water, unsealed electric things like brake actuators simply were never designed or meant to be used on trailers that get dunked in the drink. water is the major problem with electric brakes, you will always have problems with them and probably an indication of the purpose based on cost of electric versus some type of hydraulic/disk setup.

you get what to pay for and putting electric brakes on a boat trailer is paying a lot for nothing and then having to turn around in the long run and paying again for the right setup.