How effective are Electric Trailer Brakes.

If it's an older Solid sate HR units tghen it has to be constantly adjust to suit the speed.
But if it's latter HR 'Guardian' then it's the same as the Tekonsha Primus and is a proportional controller where you set the current (Enery rating) and the harder you stop the harder the brakes are applied. Pendulum controllers are similar, but are not set and forget technology.
Proportional Controlelrs as by far the better units. Other higher quality examples are the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 & P3.
OJ

Yes Joe it is Hayman Reece unit. All fitted by a company here in Newcastle so I assume all is wired up correctly.

The brakes are working I have checked them with the trailer jacked up and also on the road. I can feel them slow the vehicle slightly. I would have expected better performance even to locking a wheel on loose gravel when applying the emergency brake lever on the side of the HR unit.

I have adjusted the brake shoes on the trailer so all that should be ok.

Is there any way of checking the strength of the magnets in the brakes

Cheers
Wayne B

I have a similar problem, (don't have the same controller as you) One trailer I have I can lock the wheels up on but on the camper I can't. I have put it down to the fact I have changed the wheels on the camper to 17inch and the rolling resistance of the bigger wheels upsets things. Don't know if that's the reason or not interested in other peoples thoughts.
Cheers Rob

G'day Wayne B

One thing I should have stated in my initial response regarding your post, is that I have re wired the 7 pin trailer plug used on my 80 Series, using heavier guage wiring and a series of relays to supply the power out put to the unit attached to the Cruiser, so the Cruisers indicator wiring is purely the relay signal trigger and the relay in put and out put voltage is from a major 12 volt source.

All power out put to/through my trailer plug is relay switched ~ EXCEPT for the brakes, if you use a relay in the trailer brake supply wiring, you will have full on braking at the trailer wheels on every application of the brakes.

You may already know from experience the 80 Series Cruiser has inadequate wiring and suspect earthing or ground points throughout the vehicle, the crappy body earths may well lead to a deterioration of cooling system components or "electrolysis".

This electrolysis problem will cause poor power out put at any light ~ usually the further from the switched source the more the power loss/voltage drop.

Have you actually checked the supply voltage at the trailer plug on your vehicle? with a good quality Multimeter, if it is below 13.8 volts or even 12 volts, your trailer brake efficiency is compromised as the magnets that drag the brakes on require not only good voltage but also a very good earth/ground.

It sounds odd, because you can reduce or increase braking (voltage) efficiency by manual adjustment of supply voltage.

Lastly ~ I do not use the trailer plug earth return wire (white wire) as it is inadequate and there is to much resistance though the pins in the plug.

I use a Chassis earth strap between Cruiser and Caravan or trailer, this needs only one bolt to complete the earth path between tower and towed vehicles.
This earth strap is necessary on my vehicle set up as the Treg polly block hitch is technically an insulator.

Safe travels:

" if it is below 13.8 volts or even 12 volts, your trailer brake efficiency is compromised as the magnets that drag the brakes on require not only good voltage but also a very good earth/ground."
Dissagree with your comment there somewhat Joe. The controller will adjust the output voltage to the magnets anywhere between 4 & 13 volts. (7 or 8 is a common setting) That's how it varies the braking force. Agree a good earth is required but that can be successfully acheived through the 7 pin plug direct back to the battery (not through the body) or better still heavy cabling via an Anderson plug.
Cheers Craig.........

G'day Crackles

I don't mind you disagreeing with my comment at all Craig, its always good to have several points of view and I to, appreciate yours.

Hopefully Wayne B can gather enough information to help sort his personal electric braking dramas out. I know from personal experience how frustrating this issue of low voltage supply can be, but I also know personal and practical experience how to get a result that suits my application.

Safe travels :

Who would drive a car with drum brakes - well I do and they work fine - just not after fording a river.

.... or when they get hot, all drum brakes suffer from fade.

Gotta agree with Shaker on the efficiency of electric drum brakes. The brakes on my caravan (2.5t loaded to max) can be felt operating if using the overide on the Tekonsha unit but I would not like to rely on them stopping the van by itself in a breakaway situation. While working and legal a lot more braking force is needed by the towing Cruiser to control the whole rig which is why I use the gears as much as possible (manual) and leave a lot more gap to the vehicle in front and do not exceed 90kmh even on flat, straight, dry roads. In an emergency I would just about be pulling the steering wheel out of the dash to push on the brake pedal...haven't had to do that yet but...
Yes the brake shoes are good, all linkages free and adjustments spot on and all four do operate.

Cheers
Pop

I have driven a c'van with drum brakes for years. You are talking as though you are a tear arse

".... or when they get hot, all drum brakes suffer from fade"

So do disk brakes when they get hot. Drum brakes just get hot earlier.

So Shaker, what is your solution? Do you have a design for an economical load proportioning towed vehicle brakes? If we refuse to buy a trailer with electric brakes what are our options?

Obviously I was referring to electric drum brakes.
The alternative is electric over hydraulic discs.
The trade off is that they are more expensive, but you would be better to spend the money on an efficient braking system, than say, having a winch hanging off the front that never gets used.

OK, thanks shaker.