Camper trailer brakes
Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 18:50
ThreadID:
48939
Views:
5858
Replies:
7
FollowUps:
11
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Stiphodon
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
Reply By: Kev. (Cairns) - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:05
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:05
Do you actually need brakes ?
AnswerID:
258476
Follow Up By: Stiphodon - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:06
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:06
Thought someone would ask this - yep, have a boat on top and plenty of gear, i'll be way over the 750t limit
FollowupID:
519802
Follow Up By: Stiphodon - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:12
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:12
oops, I mean 750kg limit!
FollowupID:
519806
Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 22:59
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 22:59
What is the trailer rated to maximum all up weight, it should be on the compliance plate?
FollowupID:
519855
Follow Up By: Member No 1- Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 13:48
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 13:48
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
FollowupID:
519962
Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 16:46
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 16:46
That was the point of my question, the OP says it is a fully optioned CT, but with no brakes????
FollowupID:
519989
Follow Up By: Member No 1- Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 07:24
Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 07:24
mmm
Maybe it aint built yet and needs to know which system he should have fitted?
FollowupID:
520087
Follow Up By: Stiphodon - Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 07:43
Friday, Aug 24, 2007 at 07:43
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
FollowupID:
520090
Reply By: Kev. (Cairns) - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:15
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:15
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.
AnswerID:
258480
Follow Up By: Stiphodon - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:32
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 19:32
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
FollowupID:
519811
Follow Up By: Gronk - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 00:53
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 00:53
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 ???????
FollowupID:
519870
Reply By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 20:56
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 at 20:56
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.
AnswerID:
258501
Follow Up By: Axel [ the real one ] - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 09:30
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 09:30
Darian ,yours would also have the cable operated handbrake/ overide has it not , our
Camp-o-Matic
Ranger mk111 does.
FollowupID:
519908
Follow Up By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 12:24
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 12:24
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.
FollowupID:
519946
Reply By: Member - Reiner G (QLD) 4124 - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 07:23
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 07:23
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
AnswerID:
258545
Reply By: Member - Douglas M (SA) - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 08:54
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 08:54
Check out thread 2664
Dog
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Douglas M (SA) - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 08:57
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 08:57
Sorry thread 48848
Dog
AnswerID:
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Reply By: GaryW - Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 13:53
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 at 13:53
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
AnswerID:
258600