Robert, With a boat that displaces only 3000 lbs, it almost isn't worth having to put up with those brakes. Every trailer I've ever had with surge brakes was nothing but trouble. If you've got a heavy enough tow vehicle, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you rebuild the brakes, they won't last very long before the next rebuild. It's a constant hassle with them. I have a C22 with a heavier trailer (no brakes) than the Catalina trailer. I'd say the whole rig weighs close to 3000 lbs (boat and trailer), maybe more with equipment on board. With my 2500 Ram, there's no problem stopping at all. If you have a light-duty tow vehicle, then you're going to have to get those brakes in working order. When I worked on my surge brakes, I usually found a way to operate the master cylinder with a lever by hand. On one trailer I locked the ball in the trailer tongue and used the hitch like a hand lever. However, that trailer's master cylinder was actuated by a pivoting tongue rather than a sliding one. Look for an opening in the tongue itself where you can use a tire iron or something to move the tongue so it will actuate the master cylinder. You'll definately need to find a way to do this if you have to rebuild and bleed. Good luck! Dave, 14447
