1st time towing with "surge brakes" - Diesel Forum

jward · 08-09-2005, 11:02 AM

1st time towing a trailer with surge brakes . Boat weighs about 4,000 lbs.. but my question is when I am backing the trailer up my driveway it seems like the weight pushing against the ball is activating the brakes on the trailer which makes it difficult. Should surge brakes just work in a heavy braking condition or do the activate on just normal braking conditions ?

Thanks,
Jeff

ramblin_wreck · 08-09-2005, 12:10 PM

If it is wired properly then I believe the reverse light signal should prevent the brakes from engaging while backing up.

Do you have the trailer wires connected while you are doing this?

Or it could be that 4000 lbs is just a lot of weight to back up a hill.

jward · 08-09-2005, 12:17 PM

Maybe thats it . I have had my electrical plug out each time I have done this .

Thanks,
Jeff

a93bowtie · 08-09-2005, 12:18 PM

Most surge-equipped trailers have some sort of lockout. My boat has the style where the coupler "swings" back and up as it applies the brakes. Most of the newer ones are more linear in motion- the coupler slides straight back into the tongue to apply the brakes. Either way, there's typically some way to lock out the motion between the two parts. Mine has a spring-loaded lever on the side that must be rotated down and forward, then into a slot that keeps it from snapping back. You can then back without applying the trailer brakes. As soon as you pull forward, it disengages, allowing full brake function. Since my trailer has drums, I can usually just push through the brakes, but if we're talking disc...

Most of the newer, disc-equipped trailers have an electronic lockout. This requires at least 5 pins on the trailer plug. When the vehicle is shifted into reverse, the reverse light circuit activates a solenoid on the trailer, (a line-lock, more or less) which deactivates the trailer, allowing you to back freely. Some of these trailers have 5-pin plugs, some have 7-pin. A friend of mine who only has a 4-pin on his tow vehicle made some sort of adapter that he plugs in when he wants to back up. by turning on his running lights, the solenoid is activated, allowing him to back.

JW350 · 08-09-2005, 12:21 PM

The newer systems are wired so that reverse disables them. Otherwise, some of the older systems have a lever that you can pull up that prevents the system from engaging in reverse. This lever can be a PITA. My trailer has a removable tongue, so when I need to back up into a driveway, I just pull the quick disconnect to the brake line.

NickKent · 08-14-2005, 09:34 AM

I've never heard about the electrical lockout feature, but that sounds great. My father has an older boat trailer with surge brakes that was converted from four drum brakes to two disc brakes with one axle now having no brakes. Brakes better with the disc than the drums ever did. Since the trailer is old, we have to lock out the brakes when backing up or you can't back up. It is definitely a pain, but when these brakes work there are pretty nice.