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Old 06-11-2002, 06:34 AM   #1
hal
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Default Trailer Brakes

I would like to initiate a string on the topic about the brakes on the TrailManor.  Properly adjusted and correctly operating brakes are vital to the safety of everyone on the road.  Of all the safety procedures and maintenance in using a TM, quite possibly, the brakes are the most  important to a a safe and satisfying trip.  At a recent gathering, the conversation of a group of our male members turned to the brakes on our Trailmanors.  Questions arose, such as how often is it necessary to adjust the brakes, how often should the wheels be pulled and the brakes examined, and how long should a set of brake shoes last?  This soon became an alarming topic of conversation as people volunteered many different and sometimes conflicting answers.  One person, who has one of the larger TrailManors reported that he got only 6,000 miles on a new set of brake shoes.  Was this due to the quality of the brake shoe, or could it be possible that the larger trailers should have a double axle, and therefore twice as much braking power.  Is it possible that the larger the trailer that the brakes are undersized proportionally?  It is intention of this thread to compare with other TM owners and to come to a better understanding of the function of safety while we pull our homes away from home down the highways, through the cities and over the 10,000 foot passes.  Can any of you give us your insight.  Also, please do regular maintainence on your brakes.  Check them over periodically, maybe one of those things you do at the beginning of a camping season.

Hal
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Old 06-11-2002, 10:54 AM   #2
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

Hal,

Because these trailers are normally pulled on hiways, I would expect hi-mileage brake life.  
Two axles should have two sets of brakes normally.  I assume TM does this.  This means twice the swept area of the brakes and more braking power.  If the brakes stay cool their life will be exceptional.

Either the brake controller is not set up right, the brakes are not being adjusted right, or there is some unusual driving condition involved.  A long downhill braking situation could eat up the brakes if they overheat.

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Old 06-12-2002, 11:33 AM   #3
Happytrails
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

That was my first thought Hal, perhaps the person that only got 6,000 miles on a set of brakes frequently drives over/through mountain ranges. On another note, as I have a boat and trailer that doesn't have brakes, and will be getting my brake control installed shortly. I'm under the impression the brake control should be set *slightly* higher so the trailer does more of the braking than the tow vehicle. That's what I've heard anyway, does this sound right? Or was this one of the issues that kept coming up? The reason I've been told is so it doesn't "jacknife" if you brake hard.........

Happytrails.......
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Old 06-13-2002, 01:39 AM   #4
arknoah
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

An interesting thread.  Just a few weeks ago, I decided to reduce the strength of the brakes (slightly, of course) so that when I am going at very slow speeds in town, the trailer doesn't keep rocking the tow vehicle at stop lights.  When I am on the highway or traveling at higher speeds, I would prefer to have it where the dealer placed it -- much higher.  I was also concerned about one time I heard the tires skid, and knew that wasn't a good idea.

Well, here we are leaving Jellystone after our first weekend out and I couldn't get the brake pedal to stop the trailer.  When I pressed the brake controlled, the trailer brakes activated just fine, but when I pressed the pedal, nothing.  Ellen wisely suggested that we return to the campground and their shop, where, after about a half hour of work, they determined that my very (and I mean very) slight adjustment down of the controller had reduced the brakes to nothing.

Having learned from this, I still may adjust the brakes down in town, but always check them at a higher speed before going on to the highway.  Also, I'm going to follow some of the advice and pull the tires to examine the brakes of a regular basis.

My question:  am I doing this right?  Do you suspect that my brakes are adjusted correctly in the first place?  This is one time I want to get the "real scoop," since brakes are about the most important safety item while on the road.

Thanks!
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Old 06-13-2002, 01:41 AM   #5
oilspot
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Default Re: Brake Controller

My first thought about short brake life on a trailer is that the controller was set too high and caused the trailer brakes to drag.

I think Happytrails is right about the braking sequence, but you obviously don't want the brakes dragging.

Like Happytrails, I also plan to install a brake controller soon (in anticipation of buying a TM).

Any recommendations for a brake controller?  I've heard the mechanical ones are a pain in the rear and work sporadically?

Any other positive or negative experiences.
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Old 06-20-2002, 05:57 PM   #6
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

Oilspot,

You don't mention what type of tow vehicle.   This doesn't matter a whole lot other than the mounting position may be at such an angle that some controllers may not work for your vehicle.

I use a Tekonsha Envoy in my current truck (Excursion) -- the Envoy can handle the steep mounting angle on my dash.  Works just fine.

If you're vehicle doesn't have a "factory trailer tow" wiring option, you may want to plan your wiring first.   My old F250 needed an extra diode under the dash, a constant source of problems.  The brake controller in that truck tapped into the brake light wire.  The only problem was the emergency flashers also fed that same wire.  The diode solved the problem of going (slowly) up a hill with the flashers on, causing the controller to pulse the brakes on the trailer (adding insult to injury).

Newer vehicles seem to have this issue sorted out, or at least my X does.   (Heck, all the wires were conveniently labeled under the dash by the factory!).
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Old 06-24-2002, 08:00 AM   #7
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

We just bought a 3023 and I installed a Drawtite Activator III.  I chose this model because I was able to mount it under the dash.  Which means I didn't have to drill holes in my dash.  It has a remote control to work the trailer brakes manually.  After our first trip this weekend, it seemed to work well.  Although being my first experience with trailer brakes, I have nothing to compare it to.  
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Old 06-26-2002, 06:37 AM   #8
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

My Tekonsha Brake Control Quick Reference Card suggests setting the knob at 12 o'clock, travel at 25 mph and apply the manual slide switch. If the brakes lock up turn the knob toward 8 o'clock; if not enough stopping power turn toward 5 o'clock.
Somewhere I read that the combination of vehicle and trailer should stop in the same time/distance as the vehicle alone and the Controller should be adjusted accordingly.
Hope this helps.

Dick_B
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Old 07-10-2002, 07:04 AM   #9
Bill
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

Well, I missed this thread while we were crossing the country in our TM. Oilspot asked about experiences with brake controllers. Let me add my two cents worth.

There are basically three types of controllers. The first, and cheapest, is a time-cycle controller. I started my TM experience with one of these, and hated it. It is also unsafe, in my opinion. It connects to the brake light wire so that it knows when you are braking, but it doesn't know how hard you are braking. Instead, it just starts out braking the trailer gently, and then gradually increases the brake current. Needless to say, this is NOT what you want in a panic stop situation. The operative expression is "They work just fine when you don't need them."

The second (and most common) type is the inertia controller. It has a small weight suspended somehow in the controller - think of a pendulum. When you apply the brakes and begin to decelerate, the weight moves away from its rest position. The harder you decelerate, the further the weight moves. The amount of movement sets the amount of current sent to the brakes. You set it up so that the weight hangs straight down (rest position) when the car is level. If the controller is mounted at an angle on the dash, there is a compensation step so that it "knows" where the rest position is. The drawback is that simply going downhill moves the weight away from the rest position, so even if you apply the brakes gently, you may get more trailer braking than you wanted. On a steep hill, the trailer ends up doing more than its share of braking.

The third type, and to me the best by a wide margin, is called "full proportional". It actually measures the position of the brake pedal, and translates that directly into trailer braking. If you push the brake pedal a little, it instantly gives you a little trailer braking. If you depress the brake pedal further, it instantly gives you more trailer braking. Uphill, downhill or at rest, it doesn't matter - it just measures the position of the brake pedal, and applies that amount of trailer braking. In the old days (the 60's, maybe), all controllers were built this way. They tapped into the hydraulic braking system to measure how hard you were pushing the pedal. For many reasons, you can't do this on modern hydraulic brake systems, so the time-cycle and inertia controllers were invented as a way around the problem. Neither is as good as the old hydraulic system. But there is at least one controller out there does the same thing as the old hydraulic system. It is activated by a short piece of steel cable that is attached to the brake pedal arm, up behind the dash and out of the way. When you push the brake pedal, the cable pulls a slider in the controller, and so you get instant and exactly proportional response. I love it, and more importantly, I feel safe with it.

As an aside, the time-cycle controllers and inertia controllers both connect to your brakelight wire - that's how they know when you are braking. And that works reasonably well, provided that the brake light goes on and off at the PRECISE moment that the tow vehicle brakes go on and off. On my Explorer, that wasn't the case. I found that when I take my foot off the brake pedal, the brake lights go out a fraction of a second before the truck brakes release. The result was that the trailer brakes released while the truck brakes were still on, and the trailer would SLAM forward into the hitch. It was very disconcerting, and would have beaten the hitch to death in a few thousand miles, I am sure. And there was no way to adjust for this.

That's more than my two cents worth, isn't it - I do tend to run on. But if you have the choice, my suggestion is that you go for a full proportional controller - and stay away from those time-cycle units!

Bill
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Old 07-10-2002, 08:23 AM   #10
oilspot
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Default Re: Trailer Brakes

Bill,

I appreciate your detailed description of controllers.

I opted for an upgraded "inertia type" controller, Tekonsha Prodigy Model.  At about $130 for the box, it is a bit pricey, but is state of the art in inertia sensing.

THere are no pendulums to confuse with hills or angles, the unit is self leveling (between 0 and 70 of horizontal), and has a sensitive accelerometer.  

It is very similar to a proportional unit and you can adjust the proportion with a few buttons and dials.  It also has a handy readout to confirm correct trailer hookup, real-time braking voltage, and digital proportional settings.

I have driven about 500 miles and am quite pleased.   I recommend it to anyone looking for a very good controller.  It is basically a set it and forget it system.
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