Show Stoppers
With the right kind of brakes on your trailer and tow vehicle, you can put a halt to shaky driving scenarios.
by Randy Scott
December 1, 2004
Few things are as scary as hitting the brakes while towing and discovering they're not as
adequate as you thought. The added weight and momentum of your boat and trailer push you forward as
the bumper of the vehicle in front of you looms ahead. You finally come to a stop, but if you were
any closer to the other vehicle, you'd be carpooling. It's not a situation you want to relive. Many
states require brakes on trailers with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 3,000 pounds or
more. However, don't assume that just because a state requires trailer brakes that all trailers
purchased in the state have them. Some trailer manufacturers leave it up to their individual
dealers to install the brakes. Unfortunately, not all do.
Furthermore, trailers are occasionally purchased in a state not requiring brakes and are
then brought into one that does. To find out whether the state(s) you tow your boat in require
trailer brakes, contact the respective Department of Transportation(s) (DOT). The phone number is
in the Yellow Pages, or can be obtained by calling information. You can also search the web by
state, although specific trailering information is difficult to find on some states' websites (www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm).
Legalities aside, however, a trailer equipped with brakes is safer to tow than one without
brakes. Regardless of your trailer's GVWR, if it doesn't have brakes, adding them is generally not
too expensive and is a smart way to help safeguard the investment riding atop the trailer, as well
as the passengers in the tow vehicle.
If brakes fail going downhill, it could be disastrous. Riding the brakes constantly during a
descent can overheat them, hastening brake fade or, worse, leading to brake failure. Instead,
downshift the transmission, and let the engine help control downhill speed. If your tow vehicle is
powered by a diesel engine, you might want to equip it with an exhaust brake, or "jake brake." This
slows the engine down without using the vehicle's wheel brakes by choking engine exhaust, which
creates backpressure to retard horsepower.
Chances are high that if you tow long enough, you're eventually going to run into a
situation requiring a panic stop. Therefore, it's a good idea to practice panic stops with your
trailer in a controlled environment before you actually have to do it in real life. The same holds
true if you're a towing veteran driving an unfamiliar vehicle/trailer combination. The idea is to
get familiar with how your particular rig handles sudden stops. When conducting your tests, don't
just slam on the brakes. Rather, try to slowly shorten your stopping distance by applying more
brake pressure. Don't take it to the point that you lose control, but get a feel for what it takes
to make a quick stop and the distances involved. After this test, you'll probably find yourself
leaving more room in front of you than before.
It's also helpful to know something about the brake itself. There are two basic types: drum
or disc. Drum brakes have been around a long time. Basically, they consist of a hollow drum
attached to the wheel. The drum rotates with the wheel. When you hit the brake pedal, two shoes
press against the inside of the drum to slow it down.
Disc brakes, on the other hand, have a disc or rotor attached to the wheel. A non-moving
caliper straddles the disc. When you apply the brake pedal, pads within the caliper squeeze both
sides of the disc to slow the wheel. So, unlike drum brakes, disc brakes use disc-shaped rotors and
brake pads that are lined with heat-resistant material. As a result, disc brakes dissipate heat and
retain braking power better than drum brakes. Nonetheless, not all trailer manufacturers, or auto
manufacturers for that matter, use disc brakes, partly in an effort to keep prices down. There are
a variety of aftermarket disc-brake suppliers, however, that allow you to retrofit your vehicle and
trailer with disc brakes.
Most boat trailers use surge brakes to activate the trailer's wheel brakes. A surge brake
consists of a hydraulic coupler or actuator located on the trailer tongue. It works by the surge or
push of the trailer toward the tow vehicle when the tow vehicle's brakes are applied. As the
trailer pushes against the vehicle, the actuator telescopes, and a piston applies force to its
master cylinder, supplying hydraulic pressure to the trailer brakes so they work in tandem with the
tow vehicle. It's important to inspect the hydraulic fluid level to ensure proper operation of the
surge brakes.
Attention should also be given to the tow vehicle's brakes. Many manufacturers offer
ventilated disc brakes, which are even better than conventional discs. Holes are put in the discs
to improve heat dissipation and reduce brake fade. (Brake fade refers to a reduction of braking
effectiveness caused by brake overheating; it can occur during long and hard brake applications.)
Ventilated disc brakes cost more, but are worth the expense.
You might also want to consider upgrading your tow vehicle with high-performance brakes,
which will reduce stopping distance and brake fade even more. A couple of companies that specialize
in high-performance brakes are PowerSlot (www.powerslot.com) and StopTech (www.stoptech.com).
Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) are common on autos nowadays, but they're not standard on all
vehicles. ABS brakes feature a computer-controlled system that modulates brake pressure during hard
braking to help avoid wheel lockup and skidding, thereby helping to maintain steering control. The
computer causes the brakes to pulse more rapidly than humanly possible, allowing wheels to rotate
rather than skid for better stopping and control.
Various brake-assist systems are also available from different vehicle manufacturers to
optimize ABS. Some systems optimize the braking effort distributed between the front and rear
axles. This helps minimize stopping distances and improve vehicle stability. When making a new
vehicle purchase, be sure to look into optional brake assist systems, and seriously consider adding
them to the vehicle.
You don't want to neglect your brakes, both those on the tow vehicle and on the trailer (see
sidebar). A slipup on maintenance can lead to some slippery situations on the road.