When Do You Need Electric Brakes On A Boat Trailer

If the trailer and boat combined weigh 750kg or more you will need override mechanical or hydraulic brakes.

When do you need electric brakes on a boat trailer.

Whether you are preparing for an upcoming fishing trip with your family or just taking your boat for a spin it is always important to have your boat trailer parts in check. If you have a trailer with electric or electric over hydraulic brakes you usually need a brake controller. Other states have a higher limit. This means that for towing any load beyond a basic box trailer it s crucial that you have trailer brakes.

Surge brakes require no setup or knowledge of the braking system to operate no electric controller or special wiring and can be submerged in water. Set the controller to about mid point on the gain dial so for a dial marked from 0 to 10 start on 5. Like a purely hydraulic system an electric over hydraulic eoh braking system is activated whenever the tow vehicle brakes are applied and the trailer surges forward. But electric over hydraulic brakes on boat trailers are now an option on models built by ez loader magic tilt pacific trailers and loadmaster to name just a few.

This would put you in breach of the road rules in any state or territory of australia. Unless you were towing a load with a gtm below 750kg. If together they weigh up to 2 000kg brakes are required on the wheels of at least one axle. Back when the manufacturing technology for trailer brakes was not as technologically advanced as they are now.

However few boat trailers are equipped with electric brakes but they re used on many rv and utility trailers. Most states have laws on the books about brake controller requirements typically any trailer 3 000 lbs or more requires one although laws vary by state. The trailer always brakes first and this positive brake action is safer for downhill driving and quick stops. Boat trailers with surge brakes can often be submerged in water when boats are being retrieved and launched causing premature corrosion on the components of electric brakes.

One of the most important things is your trailer brakes especially if your boat weighs at least 1 500 pounds. Some states require braked axles on trailers with a gvw as low as 2000 lbs. Rv grade systems with painted automotive grade components are not intended for submersion especially in salt water. You can do this by firstly towing your trailerboat to a quiet road with the boat on the trailer of course and with brakes dry not just after dipping it into the water.

They are automatically applied by the brake controller and can be manually operated by a manual control which is installed within reach of the driver. Without an electric brake controller the electric brakes on your trailer will remain inactive. Any trailer over 3000 lbs must have brakes on all wheels in most states but laws do vary.