I am planning on pulling my boat 300 miles soon. I have read that one must use caution with these crummy trailers. But could someone tell me if I need to have trailer brakes installed. Thanks
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Crummy Trailers
300 miles over whart kind of terrain and how often will you make this haul. If it is a one time deal I would say take is easy/carefully and save the $$ for brakes. The other part of the answer is what kind of tow vehicle? If you plan to tow your boat on a regular basis, buy the brakes !
300 miles over whart kind of terrain and how often will you make this haul. If it is a one time deal I would say take is easy/carefully and save the $$ for brakes. The other part of the answer is what kind of tow vehicle? If you plan to tow your boat on a regular basis, buy the brakes !
Brakes
Ask Hunter Marine whom they got their axles from since they made the trailer. The same axle was used with and without brakes. You will note a four hole pattern plate behind the tire which you can add the brake and hub assembly. You will need to replace the trailer tongue hitch for one that has the brake master cylinder. Of course you will need to purchase brake lines too. IT can be done as I did it in the past.
Ask Hunter Marine whom they got their axles from since they made the trailer. The same axle was used with and without brakes. You will note a four hole pattern plate behind the tire which you can add the brake and hub assembly. You will need to replace the trailer tongue hitch for one that has the brake master cylinder. Of course you will need to purchase brake lines too. IT can be done as I did it in the past.
It's the Law
Just like using seatbelts, many states require trailer brakes. Nevada, for one, requires brakes on jet-ski sized trailers..... but they don't seem to enforce it (just like seatbelts). I'd really like to add brakes just for peace of mind. Sometimes they can be a nuisance when backing. Some use the backup-lights to disable the brakes for backing. This conflicts with the idea that you should unplug lights before submerging the trailer to prevent broken bulbs and other problems. You might review the archived posts on trailers, and there are many. Tighten everything, use loc-tite, take the wheels/tires to your dealer to check for out of round and balance. It's a 55mph trailer, not an 85mph one. Also..... 300 miles isn't all that far anyway! Even a Hunter trailer can do that. Ken S/V Wouff Hong
Just like using seatbelts, many states require trailer brakes. Nevada, for one, requires brakes on jet-ski sized trailers..... but they don't seem to enforce it (just like seatbelts). I'd really like to add brakes just for peace of mind. Sometimes they can be a nuisance when backing. Some use the backup-lights to disable the brakes for backing. This conflicts with the idea that you should unplug lights before submerging the trailer to prevent broken bulbs and other problems. You might review the archived posts on trailers, and there are many. Tighten everything, use loc-tite, take the wheels/tires to your dealer to check for out of round and balance. It's a 55mph trailer, not an 85mph one. Also..... 300 miles isn't all that far anyway! Even a Hunter trailer can do that. Ken S/V Wouff Hong
More Ideas
I've towed my little single axle, no brake trailer quite a ways with no problem except with the lights. The biggest help is to transfer alll the weight possible in the tow vehicle. The outboard, fuel, water, coolers, anchors, and anything else that's heavy. If I tow over 500 miles, I'd even take the rudder off (2 pins) because it's heavy. This relieves some stress on a marginal trailer and adds some braking power to the tow vehicle. Brakes are very expensive for a 600 mile trip! Ken S/V Wouff Hong
I've towed my little single axle, no brake trailer quite a ways with no problem except with the lights. The biggest help is to transfer alll the weight possible in the tow vehicle. The outboard, fuel, water, coolers, anchors, and anything else that's heavy. If I tow over 500 miles, I'd even take the rudder off (2 pins) because it's heavy. This relieves some stress on a marginal trailer and adds some braking power to the tow vehicle. Brakes are very expensive for a 600 mile trip! Ken S/V Wouff Hong
parts for brakes
As an estimate for you, I just had my brakes rebuilt(93, 23.5) for $250 parts, $250 labor. This was for the backing plate, wheel and master cylinders, brake lines. Also, you would have to get the brake drums and pads. I would not tow at highway speeds without trailer brakes( unless you are towing with a vehicle like a suburban, 35% of towing capacity). People do take advantage of tow vehicles(cutting off, then braking to make their exit, etc.) As stated before, check your local laws, most require brakes if over 2,000 lbs combined weight('93 23.5 with trailer= 3,500 lbs,empty). I have made many trips with mine, recently towing from Md. to the Fl. keys( 2,400 miles round trip ). Maybe I am lucky, but have ony had to replace brakes(after 6 years saltwater use). Any trailer under that much load is going to shimmey and vibrate, and any literature on trailers emphasizes tightening hardware. When replacing bolts, use only hardened bolts, which have a number on the bolt head.
As an estimate for you, I just had my brakes rebuilt(93, 23.5) for $250 parts, $250 labor. This was for the backing plate, wheel and master cylinders, brake lines. Also, you would have to get the brake drums and pads. I would not tow at highway speeds without trailer brakes( unless you are towing with a vehicle like a suburban, 35% of towing capacity). People do take advantage of tow vehicles(cutting off, then braking to make their exit, etc.) As stated before, check your local laws, most require brakes if over 2,000 lbs combined weight('93 23.5 with trailer= 3,500 lbs,empty). I have made many trips with mine, recently towing from Md. to the Fl. keys( 2,400 miles round trip ). Maybe I am lucky, but have ony had to replace brakes(after 6 years saltwater use). Any trailer under that much load is going to shimmey and vibrate, and any literature on trailers emphasizes tightening hardware. When replacing bolts, use only hardened bolts, which have a number on the bolt head.
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