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Camper trailer brakes

Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 18:50

Stiphodon

Article Overview - Buying a Camper Trailer
For many campers the decision over the 'living quarters' poses the greatest quandary in the pre-trip planning. View Full Article...

After much research and narrowing down to three brands (customline , lifestyle and trackabout campers), we have just put an order through for a new Customline Deluxe Off Road, fully optioned and delivered to Cairns for less than $9000. I couldn't even find a second hand one for this price!

My question is, what sort of brakes should we get fitted to the trailer? I've heard the electric brakes need a lot of maintenance and am leaning towards manual overide mechanical brakes, which require much less servicing. However, I am concerned that the latter may become dangerous and cause a jackknife on a steep decent in a rough situation

Any thoughts based on experience?

Any comments from other customline owners on their experience with the trailer would also be appreciated

Cheers

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ThreadID: 48939	Replies: 7
Views: 2171	FollowUps: 11
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Thread Summary

AnswerID: 258476 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:05

Kev. (Cairns) replied:

Do you actually need brakes ?

Reply 1 of 7

FollowupID: 519802 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:06

Stiphodon posted:

Thought someone would ask this - yep, have a boat on top and plenty of gear, i'll be way over the 750t limit

FollowUp 1 of 7

FollowupID: 519806 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:12

Stiphodon posted:

oops, I mean 750kg limit!

FollowUp 2 of 7

FollowupID: 519855 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 22:59

Shaker posted:

What is the trailer rated to maximum all up weight, it should be on the compliance plate?

FollowUp 3 of 7

FollowupID: 519962 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 13:48

Member No 1 posted:

if the atm is over 750kg how did you get a trailer without brakes

I thought al trailers which can carry a load making the trailer weight when fully loaded greater than 750 must have brakes fitted as standard?

If your trailer is not capable of atm of 750kg or more and you load it so it is, you will run the risk of getting a defect regardless of whether it has brakes or not?
correct me if i am wrong

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FollowUp 4 of 7

FollowupID: 519989 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 16:46

Shaker posted:

That was the point of my question, the OP says it is a fully optioned CT, but with no brakes????

FollowUp 5 of 7

FollowupID: 520087 Submitted: Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 07:24

Member No 1 posted:

mmm
Maybe it aint built yet and needs to know which system he should have fitted?

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FollowUp 6 of 7

FollowupID: 520090 Submitted: Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 07:43

Stiphodon posted:

Sorry for the late reply, yes trailer is being built next week, it will be over the 750kg limit for unbraked trailers so I have to have some sort fitted. We use mechanical override disc brakes in our off road boat trailers at work, they seem to work well and you dont have to worry about mud etc getting in like drum brakes, hence to me leaning towards them. But now when I think about some the steep descents on places like the Creb Track I think I'll go with the electric option

FollowUp 7 of 7

AnswerID: 258480 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:15

Kev. (Cairns) replied:

Tell you what i wouldn't mine one of the hard top Cape York trailer ones made here but the price tag has slowed my thinking down a little.

$9k is a good price.

Reply 2 of 7

FollowupID: 519811 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:32

Stiphodon posted:

I've had a look at them too, they are nice but...... you have to draw the line somewhere, if you need to spend that much money for comfort in the bush you may as well stay in a hotel

FollowUp 1 of 2

FollowupID: 519870 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 00:53

Gronk posted:

Yep , we stay in a motel.....a KK CT !!!!!!!!!
And I didn't need to spend that much money, but I wanted to!!
Everythings in the CT, so all I have to do is hook it up and go and when I get there it takes 1min to set up.........
And most importantly.......the wifes happy....so we go camping more often....30 + times in the past 2 years...how often have you been ???????

FollowUp 2 of 2

AnswerID: 258501 Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 20:56

MEMBER - Darian (SA) replied:

Had over-ride, cable actuated discs on my first (soft floor) camper trailer - very low maintenance - quite effective.
On my current Campomatic (hard floor) trailer, we have AL-KO 10" electrics, driven by a Tekonsha Prodigy controller. Great setup, because you can control the entensity of normal braking, plus manually drive them too. Costs more, but worth it in my view.
Maintenance ? I do my own, and I've bought spares for my outback kit but so far the shoes are only 50% worn, and the magnets have about 20% left.... the drums and shoes are grooved a little - when the shoes need to go, I'll get the drums machined.

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Reply 3 of 7

FollowupID: 519908 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 09:30

Axel [ the real one ] posted:

Darian ,yours would also have the cable operated handbrake/ overide has it not , our Camp-o-Matic Ranger mk111 does.

Opinions are like the dollar coin , not worth much.
Facts however can save you lots of dollars.

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FollowupID: 519946 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 12:24

MEMBER - Darian (SA) posted:

Yep Axle - thanks for the promp - over-ride cable control is built into the hitch - more than handy as backup system should any part of the electric setup fail.

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FollowUp 2 of 2

AnswerID: 258545 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 07:23

Member - Reiner G (QLD) 4124 replied:

Why would electric brakes need more maintenance than over-ride brakes? Still got shoes in a drum doing the braking.
For a boat trailer I would say disc brakes are the way to go but for your camper trailer there is nothing better then electric brakes with a controller in the car. I build trailers for over 20 years now and wouldn't use anything else.

cheers
Reiner

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Reply 4 of 7

AnswerID: 258560 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 08:54

Member - Douglas M (SA) replied:

Check out thread 2664
Dog

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Reply 5 of 7

AnswerID: 258561 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 08:57

Member - Douglas M (SA) replied:

Sorry thread 48848
Dog

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Reply 6 of 7

AnswerID: 258600 Submitted: Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 13:53

GaryW replied:

I have an Aussieswag Camper with Alko Electric brakes and reckon they are fantastic - I would hate to have override brakes - the ability to change the sensitivity of the electric brakes is great.

I use a prodogy controller.

G

Reply 7 of 7