I have a 1996 H26 with the factory trailer, in good condition, except for the brakes. I will normally launch in salt water, so I'm interested to hear about upgrades I can make to more durable (in salt water) brake parts. I have heard about Stainless disc brakes for boat trailers, but I don't know who makes them or if they're out of range on account of price. Can anyone confirm that the Surge brake actuator is an Atwood 6K? I'm sure it's an Atwood, but I can't find the model number on the unit. I have to replace at least the master cylinder. Any advice, information on this unit, like should I just get a whole new actuator or replace only the cylinder, greatly appreciated. How do you keep water out of the master cylinder when you launch? I may have to disconnect the trailer and let the tide float the boat wher I launch, even with the trailer extended. I will have a line and winch to drag it back up after the boat floats. We don't have a real launch ramp here. We launch on roads that connect to flat sandstone rock beaches. Good and solid, but not very steep. Will the boat float off before the water gets to the top of the surge brake actuator? Will it help to block up the front of the trailer? This trailer has brakes on the two front wheels, but not on the back wheels. Since it's time to work on the brakes, I wonder if I should add brakes to the other two wheels. My tow vehicle can tow the boat OK, but it's a little lighter than I would like. I want brakes that work. If there's a big difference with brakes on all four wheels, I'll go for it. If the two wheel brakes are good enough, I'll spend the money on something that makes a difference, like wine. Has anyone out there who has towed with brakes on two wheels got advice for me? Anyone added the extra brakes? Did it make a difference? Do disc brakes make a difference? If I replace the present (drum) brakes, since they're rusty inside, I could switch to discs if they're better, either easier to hose off, or really stop the trailer better. Please don't bother to give me more information about weight of tow vehicle. I have looked at George's (very good) site, and I have that information. I would like to hear from folks who have towed H26 or 260s with brakes on two wheels and brakes on four wheels; whether they felt like the brakes slowed/stopped the trailer OK, especially quick stops and down hill.
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My suggestion
The trailer for my ’98 H26 has brakes on both axils. If I were rebuilding the brakes on a trailer, I would add them to both axils. I would also go with the disk brakes instead of the drum. I’ve already had the brakes on mine rebuilt because of splashing it into salt water. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the disk brakes at the time, so I had it done with the drum type. I no longer put the trailer in salt water, the boat gets hoisted in.
The trailer for my ’98 H26 has brakes on both axils. If I were rebuilding the brakes on a trailer, I would add them to both axils. I would also go with the disk brakes instead of the drum. I’ve already had the brakes on mine rebuilt because of splashing it into salt water. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the disk brakes at the time, so I had it done with the drum type. I no longer put the trailer in salt water, the boat gets hoisted in.
Cruising the web for trailer brakes
I find Kodiak and Tie Down (they make Danforth Anchors, among other things)have stainless steel solid and sort of galvanized vented disc brakes. The Tie Down products (made in USA) are quite a bit less expensive than the Kodiak products. Anybody out there have experience with either brand and solid stainless vs vented coated rotors?
I find Kodiak and Tie Down (they make Danforth Anchors, among other things)have stainless steel solid and sort of galvanized vented disc brakes. The Tie Down products (made in USA) are quite a bit less expensive than the Kodiak products. Anybody out there have experience with either brand and solid stainless vs vented coated rotors?
H26 Trailer
Not sure if this addresses your question directly, but Pat Adam has done a major rebuild on a H26 trailer. He fixed the obvious stuff but added disc brakes on each axle. He took what was a piece of junk and turned it into a first class trailer. There are almost 60 pictures of his rebuild at this link: http://www.sailboatowners.com/upload/display.tpl?folder=73224165747&fno=17 He's probably to modest to toot his own horn, but this is the most incredible reclamation job I've seen in a while...
Not sure if this addresses your question directly, but Pat Adam has done a major rebuild on a H26 trailer. He fixed the obvious stuff but added disc brakes on each axle. He took what was a piece of junk and turned it into a first class trailer. There are almost 60 pictures of his rebuild at this link: http://www.sailboatowners.com/upload/display.tpl?folder=73224165747&fno=17 He's probably to modest to toot his own horn, but this is the most incredible reclamation job I've seen in a while...
Thanks George. That's the kit I'm
looking at. My trailer guy says the Tie Down brackets are flimsy, but others say they work fine on travel trailers at least. Pat? Are you out there? How do you like your new brakes? Do they chatter when you hit the brakes?
looking at. My trailer guy says the Tie Down brackets are flimsy, but others say they work fine on travel trailers at least. Pat? Are you out there? How do you like your new brakes? Do they chatter when you hit the brakes?
H26 trailer brakes
Hey Fred! George is too kind as usual! Thanks for the plug George! As for what I can tell you about brakes and towing a H26 (mine is a '94)... 1. The vehicle you tow with makes a HUGE difference. I tow with a Toyota Sequoia rated @ 7000lbs towing cap. It has large wheels and huge brakes. When I first towed the boat home after I bought it, it (trailer) had no brakes! I was uneasy, but it towed just fine. That's not to say one should tow such heavy weight without brakes, but in a pinch and at slower speeds it can be done. 2. Having said above, the trailer comes with and is designed to function with one braking axle. With most 8 cyl. trucks this will be perfectly fine. With a smaller 6 cyl. it should still be OK, but don't overlook the rated cap. of your vehicle. Again, you're towing a fairly large boat, not racing Indy cars, slow and easy does it... 3. I installed 2nd axle brakes because I had to, not because I thought it was particularly necessary. The state of PA requires that if trailer has brakes on 1 axle it must have brakes on all axles. So off I went to install additional brakes! Thanks Harrisburg! 4. Regarding stainless vs. drums... This decision is largely personal preference and based mostly on your individual trailering habits. If you tend to travel long distances and do it often, then drums are likely to be better. If you are a short distance traveler and/or your trailer will sit for long periods without use (my situation) then stainless is the way to go. Drums are a bit more complicated to install as they have quite a few more moving parts. They also require periodic adjustment as the shoes and drum wear down. They will also rust quite a bit over time especially in salt water unless they are washed down regularly. They tend to run cooler. Stainless are relatively easy to install, the discs won't rust and they are self adjusting. They will heat up quickly though, especially if you install the non vented kind as I did (there are vented versions at extra cost and set-up procedure). Since there is very little adjustment you can do to them, they will tend to drag a bit, especially when new and create quite a bit of heat. My last tow was 600 mi. (Philly to Charlotte) and the rims of each wheel were quite hot (outside temp was 98F). I stopped frequently and checked on everything and made it to destination without a problem. All my other tows will be <100mi so it won't be an issue. 5. Actuator: Get a new one. They are cheap in the overall scheme of things and yours probably needs changing anyway. This way you insure all new components and know that all will work perfectly together. Don't forget the back-up solenoid if not already equipped. Hope all this helps you! Good luck with your project. Pat
Hey Fred! George is too kind as usual! Thanks for the plug George! As for what I can tell you about brakes and towing a H26 (mine is a '94)... 1. The vehicle you tow with makes a HUGE difference. I tow with a Toyota Sequoia rated @ 7000lbs towing cap. It has large wheels and huge brakes. When I first towed the boat home after I bought it, it (trailer) had no brakes! I was uneasy, but it towed just fine. That's not to say one should tow such heavy weight without brakes, but in a pinch and at slower speeds it can be done. 2. Having said above, the trailer comes with and is designed to function with one braking axle. With most 8 cyl. trucks this will be perfectly fine. With a smaller 6 cyl. it should still be OK, but don't overlook the rated cap. of your vehicle. Again, you're towing a fairly large boat, not racing Indy cars, slow and easy does it... 3. I installed 2nd axle brakes because I had to, not because I thought it was particularly necessary. The state of PA requires that if trailer has brakes on 1 axle it must have brakes on all axles. So off I went to install additional brakes! Thanks Harrisburg! 4. Regarding stainless vs. drums... This decision is largely personal preference and based mostly on your individual trailering habits. If you tend to travel long distances and do it often, then drums are likely to be better. If you are a short distance traveler and/or your trailer will sit for long periods without use (my situation) then stainless is the way to go. Drums are a bit more complicated to install as they have quite a few more moving parts. They also require periodic adjustment as the shoes and drum wear down. They will also rust quite a bit over time especially in salt water unless they are washed down regularly. They tend to run cooler. Stainless are relatively easy to install, the discs won't rust and they are self adjusting. They will heat up quickly though, especially if you install the non vented kind as I did (there are vented versions at extra cost and set-up procedure). Since there is very little adjustment you can do to them, they will tend to drag a bit, especially when new and create quite a bit of heat. My last tow was 600 mi. (Philly to Charlotte) and the rims of each wheel were quite hot (outside temp was 98F). I stopped frequently and checked on everything and made it to destination without a problem. All my other tows will be <100mi so it won't be an issue. 5. Actuator: Get a new one. They are cheap in the overall scheme of things and yours probably needs changing anyway. This way you insure all new components and know that all will work perfectly together. Don't forget the back-up solenoid if not already equipped. Hope all this helps you! Good luck with your project. Pat
Thanks Pat, that helps a lot
My tow vehicle is an oddball (Hiace)Toyota Van, right hand drive, imported to Canada from Japan. Transmission is identical to a Toyota FourRunner. Rear end is a bit heavier duty. It's a 1 ton van, towing capacity 2000kg or 4400 lbs, so I'm towing around a thousand pounds over spec. It's 4wd with a low range and good truck tires, so I have no problem with power out of the water. By the way, the diesel engine is only about 80 HP. It tows the boat fine. Slow up the hills, but I don't care. There's a trans cooler and an idiot light for trans temp. If that goes on I can stop, throw her into low range, and it will shift up to lock up at about 25 mph. BC, Canada (I think all of Canada) also requires brakes on all wheels for tandem trailers. Since I'm pushing it on the weight of tow vs vehicle, extra brakes are a good idea. The tow/vehicle specs are all about keeping the tow from taking control. I have to replace the actuator and two drum brakes, plus add two more brakes. Discs are easier to hose off, and the price is almost the same by the time I'm done. I think if I had drums, the short trip then sit would eat them up pretty quick, even with the best rinse I could do. I managed to get a wholesale connection for the Kodiak vented disc brakes. They're not SS, but they're plated with a 3 yr. warranty, in salt water use. The company has a very good reputation. I have also ordered a new actuator. I have done some slow and easy towing with pretty scary loads in the past. I have one steep hill on a curve between me and the launch site. Years ago I wouldn't have thought twice about no brakes, but years ago I didn't have the $800 or so to spend on brakes either.
My tow vehicle is an oddball (Hiace)Toyota Van, right hand drive, imported to Canada from Japan. Transmission is identical to a Toyota FourRunner. Rear end is a bit heavier duty. It's a 1 ton van, towing capacity 2000kg or 4400 lbs, so I'm towing around a thousand pounds over spec. It's 4wd with a low range and good truck tires, so I have no problem with power out of the water. By the way, the diesel engine is only about 80 HP. It tows the boat fine. Slow up the hills, but I don't care. There's a trans cooler and an idiot light for trans temp. If that goes on I can stop, throw her into low range, and it will shift up to lock up at about 25 mph. BC, Canada (I think all of Canada) also requires brakes on all wheels for tandem trailers. Since I'm pushing it on the weight of tow vs vehicle, extra brakes are a good idea. The tow/vehicle specs are all about keeping the tow from taking control. I have to replace the actuator and two drum brakes, plus add two more brakes. Discs are easier to hose off, and the price is almost the same by the time I'm done. I think if I had drums, the short trip then sit would eat them up pretty quick, even with the best rinse I could do. I managed to get a wholesale connection for the Kodiak vented disc brakes. They're not SS, but they're plated with a 3 yr. warranty, in salt water use. The company has a very good reputation. I have also ordered a new actuator. I have done some slow and easy towing with pretty scary loads in the past. I have one steep hill on a curve between me and the launch site. Years ago I wouldn't have thought twice about no brakes, but years ago I didn't have the $800 or so to spend on brakes either.
Disc brakes on 4 wheels...
Fred, I have a 1999 H260 and my trailer drum brakes rusted badly due to salt water immersion. I replaced them with the stainless disc brakes from tie-down along with a new coupler. I installed the disc brakes to all 4 wheels. I recommend this upgrade. Below is the link to the company where I purchased all the parts. Request their catalog; it contains a lot of good info to plan your installation. http://www.championtrailers.com/index.html# Fair winds, Tom
Fred, I have a 1999 H260 and my trailer drum brakes rusted badly due to salt water immersion. I replaced them with the stainless disc brakes from tie-down along with a new coupler. I installed the disc brakes to all 4 wheels. I recommend this upgrade. Below is the link to the company where I purchased all the parts. Request their catalog; it contains a lot of good info to plan your installation. http://www.championtrailers.com/index.html# Fair winds, Tom
Thanks Pat and Tom
I started at Pat's supplier. They were great for information and advice. I ended up with a Canadian supplier for the Kodiak brakes listed with both Tom's and Pat's supplier. When I order from the states, currency exchange, taxes, shipping and border fees eat up whatever savings I thought I was going to get. I think free trade means free to charge plenty. Also, I like the idea of supporting Canadian suppliers, especially when they can give me a good price. So it's disc Kodiak vented rotor brakes on all four wheels with a new Atwood 6K actuator. Ordered today. Should arrive by the end of next week.
I started at Pat's supplier. They were great for information and advice. I ended up with a Canadian supplier for the Kodiak brakes listed with both Tom's and Pat's supplier. When I order from the states, currency exchange, taxes, shipping and border fees eat up whatever savings I thought I was going to get. I think free trade means free to charge plenty. Also, I like the idea of supporting Canadian suppliers, especially when they can give me a good price. So it's disc Kodiak vented rotor brakes on all four wheels with a new Atwood 6K actuator. Ordered today. Should arrive by the end of next week.
Reason I'd get disks...
I had an experience one year where the bearings in the axel went out. Not that the bearings were bad, it was because the brake system got corroded from dipping in the salt water and wouldn’t retract (heating up the brake drum, melting the grease out of the bearing…) I think disk brakes would be less acceptable to the corrosion that would render them inoperable.
I had an experience one year where the bearings in the axel went out. Not that the bearings were bad, it was because the brake system got corroded from dipping in the salt water and wouldn’t retract (heating up the brake drum, melting the grease out of the bearing…) I think disk brakes would be less acceptable to the corrosion that would render them inoperable.
Thanks Mabell. That's what I hoped you'd say.
I think the discs will be easier to hose off thouroughly, and also easier to check for heat or other trouble when trailering. Now I'm waiting for the part to arrive.
I think the discs will be easier to hose off thouroughly, and also easier to check for heat or other trouble when trailering. Now I'm waiting for the part to arrive.
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