mglobe

Lol bob! Yes I can back up that driveway. I've got skilzz.

Racerrob

I have a trailex with surge brakes. They are fine but I do agree on the adjustability advantage of electrics. I can back up my driveway fully loaded with no issues. Also, I have not noticed them engaging on long downhills. When I want them on a hill I transfer the weight and you can feel them but when you let off and start to free wheel again, they release.

jsh

I've towed alot of trailers in my time (horses, cattle, equip., boats) with alot more weight than a P-Car, with and without brakes. Main thing is to remember that you have all that extra weight behind you and drive/brake accordingly. I really don't think that given the load that you are towing, that surge v. electric makes that much difference, unless you are planning to unload your car down a boat ramp in salt water......

catchacab

I have had a Trailex with surge brakes for 6 years. No problems. I can back up my driveway, have no problems on downhills. I recommend them. No electric gremlins to worry about.

Crazy Canuck

My company sells trailers. Lots of them.

Vast majority (500:1) are electric brakes. Why you ask?

Electric Brakes are adjustable from within the cab of the tow vehicle
Electric Brakes are cheaper
Electric Brake parts are cheaper (no actuator, no lines, backing plates and brake parts are cheaper)
Electric Brakes demand less maintenance (no fluid to change & bleed, no expensive surge brake actuator, no lines - if a wire brakes big deal, replace the wire)
Electric Brakes are easier, cheaper and less time consuming to fix



Surge brakes are popular with boat trailers because they go in the water.
Surge brakes are popular with fleet owners because you don't need a controller.

Carl at Trailex does say most are sold w/surge brakes although we've never sold one.

arrivederci

Carl strongly recommends them...probably why they sell more that way. That's the primary reason I went with surge.

TR6

Hey, be careful suggesting that around Globe.

CornerCarver

My wife would like to unload my car down a boat ramp, so it may come in use one day!

mglobe

So is fresh water ok?

centerpunch

With surge brakes, if your tow vehicle brakes fail, the trailer brakes fail with them.

I still remember when I was a kid and we had a pop-up camper (without brakes), and going down a long incline on vacation, our 1965 Pontiac Tempest's drum brakes faded to almost nothing and my dad just barely got slowed enough to slide sideways into a parking lot, where we waited for an hour for the brakes to recover.

Electric trailer brakes can still be actuated if your tow vehicle brakes have a problem, which to me is enough reason to have them.

mglobe

Told-ya I got skillz

Bull

Come on! You know you put that in place by hand. I could move my Trailex around with one hand on a hard surface, two hands on gravel, two hands and strategic expletives if on an incline.

aj986s

I concede that electric brakes do have the advantage of being adjustable from within the cab......as long as the tow vehicle is so equiped.

Also, regarding the "expensive surge brake actuator", on my 12 year old Trailex, I recently replaced the entire surge unit, for about $140 and an hour's worth of labor. Basically replaces most everything; bolts as a single unit to the trailer tongue and connects to the brakeline. Not exactly what I would call expensive....

mglobe

With your car on the trailer?

sbelles

+1 That's the only real downside but some have a lockout for just that.