Surge to Electric Over Hydraulic Brakes

[NautiGirl]

Now that we have the upgraded tow vehicle with a built in brake controller I was tossing around the idea of upgrading from Surge to Electric Over Hydraulic brakes. We have had several problems w/ the surge brakes on the trailer, including the actuator for the surge brakes leaking fluid. Just did all new lines calipers and pads so it seems like a good time to make the move if we are going to.

The box to convert is around $600 plus we would need to make some changes to the way the brake hard lines are run to the tongue. Also, would need to lock out the tongue or replace it so it wouldn’t slide anymore.

I think Tuscany you said you ordered your R7 trailer /w Electric over Hydraulic? How are you liking them? Seems like it would be a nice upgrade and give us a bit more confidence in the braking system on the trailer compared to surge? Given the work involved would you think yes or no?

[ajcampen]

Do it link to your break pedal or do you have a second break to hit?

[NautiGirl]

AJ -


Not totally sure what you are asking. Our trailer currently has disc brakes on both axels that are activated by a surge brake actuator in the trailer tongue. When the weight of the boat pushes forward on the truck the trailer tongue slides forward. This movement forces brake fluid to each caliper which in turn slow the trailer. 99% of boat trailers use this setup for a few reasons.

First, and most important, it’s totally mechanical, so there are no electronics to get wet. Second, it stops the trailer w/o any additional requirements like a brake controller in the tow vehicle, basically the keep it simple principle.

Of course there are downsides to the setup. First, the brakes don’t work when backing down a hill, or in our case a boat ramp. Second, you can’t manually activate or adjust the brakes like you can an electronic system. Finally, since the trailer has to move to activate the brakes there often is a slight delay between hitting the brake pedal in the truck and the trailer brakes actually starting to help slow down the boat.

I was looking into converting our system to Electric Over Hydraulic brakes. This would require adding a controller to the trailer that would tie into the trailer brake controller on our F150. The controller on the trailer would receive a signal from the truck as soon as the normal brake pedal was pushed. Once that happened the controller on the trailer would push fluid to the trailer brakes and help to stop the boat. It’s a bit more complex but we have had issues /w our surge brakes and so I was just getting opinions on the setup.

Here is the setup I would need for the trailer: https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Actuator ... -8067.html

[ajcampen]

That is what I was wondering about electronic brakes. It is tied to your break pedal and not any secondary device.

[NautiGirl]

That is what I was wondering about electronic brakes. It is tied to your break pedal and not any secondary device.

Ah ok, yeah just uses a standard brake controller. Lot of new trucks come /w them intergrated, but adding one isnt a huge deal. Buddy of mine just added one to his 4Runner for about $100. Here is what the Ford OEM controller looks like in our truck.

Brake.jpg

Here is a link to add an aftermarket: https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controll ... 90195.html

[Ytmsn]

Jeff I have run electric brakes for years with no issues. What makes it nice is being able to dial in the amount of brake that you want. Where you have to be careful is when your trailer is unloaded, the tires will lock up and skid because there is no weight. You just dial it down if you're going to pull the trailer farther than the parking lot after you've launched. Dial it up for more braking power and down for less.

it's also handy if you have to back up a hill. With surge brakes that can be difficult. If conditions are slick you can reach down and manually hit the brakes on your controller and straighten out your ride. For example, if conditions are slick and you think there's a danger of a jackknife you can reach down and use your trailer brakes to bring slow you down before you apply the truck brakes. Of course you get the same effect if you dial them up a little higher. I have also used them coming down a mountain with a load and giving the truck brakes a little chance to cool off. Needless to say, I'm a fan of electric over hydraulic

[Big Block Power]

My buddy in Minnesota converts his trailers over. He actually used new backing plates with magnets. He had drum brakes. He welded his tongue on the trailer.

[thunder550]

Curious to hear results if you end up doing this. One of our local lakes has a several mile 6% grade down hill final approach. Requires downshifting in the tow vehicle to avoid riding the brakes, but of course downshifting applies the surge brakes on the trailer. Then you have to actually stop from 55mph while still going down hill, so there's no avoiding super hot trailer brakes when arriving to the ramp on a surge setup. Already lost a grease cap on one of my hubs because of this. One of my older vehicles I wired in a toggle switch that I could use to manually power the lockout solenoid and fake the trailer into thinking the car was in reverse to keep the brakes from applying, but EOH would be a better all around solution if they work well.

[AsLan7]

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There is no doubt, Electric brakes are a superior product. Unfortunately the cost many times outweighs the practicality of surge brakes.

Katie, have you thought about resale? The majority of tow vehicle's are not set up for electric brakes for your size boat & trailer rig configuration. Will this be a negative for you when you go to sell your boat/trailer someday (I know...say it aint so!) to a prospective buyer who most likely will not be able to take advantage of the electric brake set up?
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[Big Block Power]

Most of us pull with trucks or suv's that are set up with tow packages so shouldn't be a big issue.

[AsLan7]

Most of us pull with trucks or suv's that are set up with tow packages so shouldn't be a big issue.

Unfortunately that doesn’t mean it necessarily comes with an electronic brake controller. Our last 5 vehicles had tow packages without them. 5000 pound up to 9000 lb tow ratings.

It would be an added expense to the buyer. He (or she) certainly isn’t driving it off the lot that day without being able to control the brakes. Most state laws require trailer brakes be operational depending on weight. Something to think about anyway.
.

[Big Block Power]

Yes but most of them are prewired and have a 7way plug on the back. For a $100 you add a brake controller and your done. New trucks it's a option or they have them.

[AsLan7]

Yes but most of them are prewired and have a 7way plug on the back. For a $100 you add a brake controller and your done. New trucks it's a option or they have them.

Exactly...and that’s what Katie would need to communicate to a buyer.

[Big Block Power]

One of the first questions I ask before picking up a boat is what kind of plug does it have so I know what I need.

[AsLan7]

One of the first questions I ask before picking up a boat is what kind of plug does it have so I know what I need.

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The majority of boat buyers are not thinking about that BbP. Anyone can tow with surge brakes. Once you add electronic brakes to your trailer, you may want to let the buyer know so they are not “dead in your driveway “ when time to pick up. As a minimum, List it in the add.