Trailer Question: Electric Trailer Brakes

I currently use a single-axle steel trailer to haul my mowers and well, whatever else people need hauled. However, this coming spring that will change as I will then need two zero turn mowers to get the yards done in a timely fashion. So, I need a 2-axle trailer to haul these things. I have noticed I sometimes see 2-axle versions with "brakes." I assume these are electric and key off the brake lights coming on....

How far off am I?

At what point, weight and/or lengthwise are such brakes a good idea?

What do I gain?

How much of a hassle are brakes on a utility trailer?

What do I need to make such things work?

THANKS!

 

Requirements vary by state, but there's a weight rating and anything over XXX lbs. has to have brakes.

I won't say EVERYTHING with double axles has brakes, but yeah...

On my 1st gen I had to install a trailer brake controller when I bought the RV, but mine was a '00. Your '06 might have one if it came with factory tow package.

Better to have 'em than not when you start towing any weight, you don't want the truck stopping with that 2 tons behind you wanting to keep going.


Fifty state trailer brake laws but only a few differences
Because the laws are similar from state to state, the easiest way to look at the state requirements is to break them down into a few categories.

For example, five states, CA, ID, NV, NH, and OR, require brakes for all trailers more than 1,500 lbs.

Kansas and Ohio set the requirement at 2,000 lbs.

These 36 states require a brake system on any trailer weighing 3,000 lbs. or more:

AL AZ AR CO CT FL
GA HI IL IN IA KY
LA ME MD MI MN MS
MT NE NJ NM NY ND
OK PA SC SD TN UT
VT VA WA WV WI WY

 

So this "trailer weight," is that empty weight or gross weight?

 

GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

For example, my travel trailer weighs 3,800 lbs. dry with a 5,500 lb. GVWR.

Even if I lived in a state where the brake requirement is 4,000 lbs. they rightfully assume that the trailer will be above that threshold during normal use.

 

Interesting....the trailers I'm looking at are rated at a GVWR of 7,000 pounds, according to the sellers.

So then I need a trailer with trailer brakes.

OK. I think my Tundra came with a "towing package"....there is a receiver hitch and trailer plug in........how do the trailer brakes work?

 

It's really cool, they are electromagnetic. This is the basics
https://youtu.be/y6SegtYgXs4?si=k4UiPdUISATI084S

Since you're not launching a boat they should be relatively maintenance free except for shoes

 

If you don't already have one, you'll need to install a trailer brake controller.

Tekonsha Prodigy P3 is a popular one.

 

Yikes! Don't have that----if I do I haven't seen it yet.

 

The Redarc is a bit more concealable, is plug and play and can use a factory blank for the adjustment dial: Toyota Tundra Specific Towing and Power Solutions.

 

Wow, very stealth and looks near OEM.

Does the Redarc give you the ability to manually activate trailer brakes only?

 

Yes, just need to push the dial in and turn clockwise for manual brake application.

 

Depending on the state, that trailer weight is actually unladen weight. Many single axle trailers have a GVW of around 2995 lbs (to keep it under the 3k lbs threshold for a few other reasons) but they do not have trailer brakes because they don't weigh much unloaded. Trailers weighing over that 1500 lbs/ 2000 lb / 3000 lb threshold UNLADEN are required to have brakes. Typically more than one axle is required to have brakes.

Also, depending on the state, some are required to have all axles braked, while some allow of the axles to be unbraked. Neither of my single axle trailers have brakes as they weight 800 lbs and 1100 lbs unladen; my double axle light car hauler (7K max) has only one axle braked, my double axle enclosed (7K max) has both axles braked because I ordered it that way, and my double axle deck over (10k max) has both axles braked. So it can be a crapshoot what you are getting for brakes.

I'd recommend looking at both axles braked; it's not too difficult to add brakes to an axle as long as it has the provisional flanges required for them.

You need a brake controller to modulate those brakes. Running them off the brake lights would feed them a full 12v signal and lock them up the instant you touch the brake pedal (assuming you can supply enough current). The brake controller varies the voltage supplied to the trailer brakes depending on the vehicle braking. For example, my enclosed is lightweight and two axles braked; I only feed it 5.5volts unloaded. My tandem axle wants 7 volts. Full emergency braking supplies 12 volts.

I like the Prodigy P3 suggested above. Mine has worked flawlessly for 10 years. I like the paddle style emergency braking switch as opposed to the red-arc setup. Fine motor skills disappear when adrenaline dumps, so it's easier (to me) to just mash down on a lever that just needs to be clamped shut. Your whole body is clamping down, so it just makes sense to have the manual override switch work that way.

You will need a 7 pin trailer harness wired up as well (if you don't already have one). The flat four connector only has brake lights, tail lights, left turn, right turn doesn't have the trailer brake wire required for proper electric brake operation.