mortymower

I am borrowing a tandem car hauler with brakes on one axel to tow the 951 to auto X. I dont have a brake controller but the brakes are not really that great anyway. My question is can I just hook up a relay to my brake pedal and send the power from it to the brakes on thr trailer so when i hit the brakes the brakes are applied. I could put a switch in between to kill the brakes when unloaded as to not lock them up going slow. would this work for a one time tow or will I break something?

PorscheDoc

If they are electric brakes, the problem is the controllers are adjustable on how much brake is applied. I would think with applying full power, you are going to get full brakes. Every tow vehicle I have had an electric brake setup on, it has been adjustable on the controller.

If they are surge brakes, then you can just hook up and go.

mortymower

would it be bad for the breaks on the trailer to go from off to full whenever I hit the brakes, if not I think if would work because like I said they are not that strong and I manualy gave them full power with it loaded while driving (not braking just cruising) and I felt a slight pull to the rear but nothing major, so if I were braking to maybe it would work.

Chris Prack

Only if the guy that owns the trailer doesn't mind flat spotted trailer tires.

Todd157k

and then, you'd have to explain that steering wheel buise on your forehead.

pa944red

What are you towing with?

Tom

IPSC

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! ! ! ! !

Ohhhh WHY is that trailers get so abused by non owners so badly? I had to REBUILD my trailer after loaning it out. I should have known when a guy I worked with said " I have to go to Iowa to reposes a car... from my sister..."

Never again.

To do this right you need the brake controller and treat the trailer as if it were your own. The owner will appreciate this.

I PROMISE.

IPSC

MPD47

ISPC tell me about it, Loaned a truck and trailer to a friend got it back with the brakes set to "full" on the highest level available. They would lock up with ease and the trailer was sliding around while I was reseting everything. Destroyed one of the brakes and put serious wear on the other 3.

mortymower

I talked it over with the owner, (he is almost family) he thinks its a good idea (or maybe he just doesn't really care because this is a farm trailer. But if it will definately hurt things then I don't want to do that.

IPSC

A trailer is manageable with no brakes if you are on your game and give yourself plenty of room.

The caveat to that is... It never fails, something will happen that you will NEED "them thar" brakes.

For instance, I was all loaded up, 951 strapped down and I am in traffic on the 40 headed west in Tennessee and someone pulling a House Trailer up ahead of me gets stuck under an underpass (ripped a chunk of roof off, it was great, crap all over the road) and traffic moving at 50 goes to 0 in an instant. I locked everything up, the truck, the trailer... it got a little sideways and scared everyone around me. I DID NOT hit the car in front of me but you "prolly" could not have fit more than 3 sheets of paper between us.

Another time on my way to a DE in Georgia, same thing, the car is loaded and strapped and I am cruising down a two lane North Carolina road doing exactly 55 with the cruise set. A Geo Tracker pulls out onto the road and stops... then starts to go. I had oncoming traffic in the other lane so could not go around and a HEALTHY ditch on the right. So there I am STANDING on the brakes thinking "Well this DE is gonna end quick." About the time the guy in the tracker sees nothing but Dodge grill in his review mirror and his ears are filled with the sound of squealing brakes... he finds the gas. Also so close as to measured in sheets of paper.

Towing can be an adventure all it's own. If you have never done it before, practice a time or two.

MPD47 that sucks. I feel your pain. When I loaned my trailer to the guy on the repo mission he came back with one fender folded in telling me an 18 wheeler had a blow out right next to him... funny thing is it looked like I could see tire tracks on top of the fender...

I had a buddy who is into wheeling and is quite the welder, weld new fenders on and then I spent a week sand blasting and painting.

Trailer abuse is a subject near and dear to my heart.

IPSC

mortymower

thanks for the info

Acetylene

Don't do it. I know someone that tried something similar and ended up losing his boat on I-95 when the trailer went sideways. Either spend the money to buy an electric brake controler or two without hooking up the brakes. Your total trailer load, including trailer, should be around 5,000 lbs. I don't believe DOT requires brakes on such a small amount. Of course make sure your tow vehicle is heavy enough to do the job - f350 etc.

mortymower

The tow vehicle is a 1500 diesel, which is why I was concerned.

reno808

dude your good i have towed with them. its pretty cool hearing that spin going up hill lol. But this HD had a little work done to it

reno808

IPSC you have some funny stories. I guess every one that has towed allot has MANY stories I KNOW I DO. We should start a thread on it hehe