Anybody have electric brakes on a boat trailer?

[CHOP SHOP]

Any one ever have any experience with electric brakes on a boat trailer?

I have two friends that are fed up with surge/hydro brakes on their boat trailer. Both are considering going to electric brakes.

After asking a couple trailer guys about doing it and the pros and cons, all I got was "you cant do that" why I ask, "you just cant, nobody does it".

Thats not a pro or con.......:booo:

Im looking for real pros and cons. Why? Why not? Have you done it?

 

[skinny_pedal]

When I worked on boats, I asked the same question. Never found an answer. Good luck


My guess is boat owners are the cheapest sons of bitches out there and the boat trailer get zero maintence. SO you know if they had to operate a brake controller, there would be no trailer brakes

 

[CHOP SHOP]

When I worked on boats, I asked the same question. Never found an answer. Good luck


My guess is boat owners are the cheapest sons of bitches out there and the boat trailer get zero maintence. SO you know if they had to operate a brake controller, there would be no trailer brakes

All that is truth.

A rich snooty boat owner towing a NEVER maintained about to rust in half boat trailer will still give the dirty hulk hauler a shitty look on the freeway too.

 

[WHITE TRASH1]

My google-fu is strong today...


http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/upkeep/electricbrakes.asp

 

[biglug]

It's alot less $ to go electric brakes you could buy 2 sets of electric brakes for the price of 1 set of hydro braks. electric brakes just dont last as long but there is no other reason not to use them on a boat trailer. on the good side the electric brakes work a lot better and you can use them any time you want to rather than hydro that just work when your going down hill or when the boat is pushing on you.

 

[340SHORTY]

my 24' boat trailer has electric brakes. the salt water can play havok with them real quick.
they work great but you need to hook up a self flusher on it.
I plumbed the system like a brake system. it was set up to use a garden hose to flush it. I also had a 25 gallon tank of water that I carried in the back of my truck so I could flush as soon as I pulled out of the water....

 

[biglug]

my 24' boat trailer has electric brakes. the salt water can play havok with them real quick.
they work great but you need to hook up a self flusher on it.
I plumbed the system like a brake system. it was set up to use a garden hose to flush it. I also had a 25 gallon tank of water that I carried in the back of my truck so I could flush as soon as I pulled out of the water....

the flush kit is the way to go if you have drum brakes and go in the salt water. if it's fresh water ski boat there is no reason to do the flush kit it will get flushed every time you go in the water

 

[CHOP SHOP]

the flush kit is the way to go if you have drum brakes and go in the salt water. if it's fresh water ski boat there is no reason to do the flush kit it will get flushed every time you go in the water

Both Rod and Jeffs boats will never see salt water so that was not a concern.

Salt water corrosion is a problem with electric or hydro brakes and should have a flush kit whichever system is used.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

My google-fu is strong today...


http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/upkeep/electricbrakes.asp

Thanks Trashy!! That answers all my questions/speculations.

I think the E brakes is a worthy upgrade and I am going to suggest them to the owners.

I didnt think there was a valid set of cons out there.

All I got was, " it will short out in the water". 12 V dont care about water much. Shorting a circuit across a electro magnet is far harder on things than dipping both leads in the water anyways.

cheers:beer:

 

[biglug]

Both Rod and Jeffs boats will never see salt water so that was not a concern.

Salt water corrosion is a problem with electric or hydro brakes and should have a flush kit whichever system is used.

they should bolth go with electric brakes they will work great. but I would be suprised if the brakes last more than 1 season on Jeffs trailer he pland a lot of road trips. Rods trailer wont get used every weak end so it should last him longer

on the good note they make replacment parts for electric brake.
hydro brake you have to chang the hole brake plate when the pads were out

 

[CHOP SHOP]

they should bolth go with electric brakes they will work great. but I would be suprised if the brakes last more than 1 season on Jeffs trailer he pland a lot of road trips. Rods trailer wont get used every weak end so it should last him longer

you know Rod, he will overmaintain his, so hes good!

And Jeff will have you or me maintain his trailer, so were all good!:redneck:

(jeff will be way happier too if he dont have to add toungue lenght to redo his old surge brakes)

 

[biglug]

you know Rod, he will overmaintain his, so hes good!

And Jeff will have you or me maintain his trailer, so were all good!:redneck:

(jeff will be way happier too if he dont have to add toungue lenght to redo his old surge brakes)

I told Jeff that I could get him a swing toungue that would make so it fit in his garage. but I also told him he would like electric brakes better:awesomework:

 

[zukkev]

No reason noot to go electric....done a few conversions at work...customers are much happier---even if they dip in saltwater, and have to replace the brakes every couple yrs. Heck I did a conversion 6 yrs ago on one that never sees saltwater, and they are still 60% and working well (just packed the bearings two weeks ago for maintenance)! (this trailer sees alot of use during boating season) The electric brakes are just better all around IMHO!!!:awesomework:

 

[super samurai]

because when you hit the brakes in the water the fish will get shocked, duh!:hi:

 

[Lucky Jeff]

My Dad's boat trailer had issues with the surge brakes since new (Think he bought it in 02?).. Tried many different hitch heights, tried loading the boat slightly further forward or further back.. I towed it to my house the last time I put my truck back on the road.. I'd hit the hills and it seemed like I had very little power, I thought it was the truck.. I was dragging the brakes instead.. Got into my neighborhood and stopped to go back and look at the trailer just in case.. Wheels were covered in grease and a huge plume of white smoke rolled out.. I limped it to my house and swapped the brakes to electric right away, haven't had a problem since.

 

[zukkev]

because when you hit the brakes in the water the fish will get shocked, duh!:hi:

Well, when they float to the top, only then will you be able to catch 'em!!!:redneck: