An electric brake controller eliminates the chances of a caravan rearing into the back of your vehicle by triggering the trailer's brakes whenever the driver hits the brakes. What are the Australian towing regulations?
Jayco swans have electric brakes so you will need to get an electric brake controller fitted.
For instance, some cars have no-drill installation, while others require drilling to make room for the tow hitch. You can expect hitch installation to start around $100 and go up to $800. Keep in mind, that you'll also have to buy the tow hitch and other parts separately (which can easily run you another $150–$200).
With an over-run braking system, the caravan is attached to the towing vehicle via a sprung drawbar and a breakaway cable. When you apply the brakes on your towing vehicle, inertia causes the towed caravan to continue travelling forwards.
It's imperative to have a trailer brake controller when towing a trailer that has electric or electric over hydraulic brakes. In most states, an adjustable trailer brake controller is required when trailers weight more than 3,000 pounds when loaded.
The most popular in our range and in the country, is the Tow-Pro Elite Electric Brake Controller from REDARC.
To test with a multimeter, first you will connect the ammeter inline with the blue wire exiting the back of the brake controller or use the brake controller's diagnostic readings. Check the amperage. If the amperage is greater than the specified amount (see specifications below), replace the magnet or magnets.
You can indeed test a trailer's electric drum brakes by directly applying +12V power from a fully-charged battery. You can apply this power to the hot and ground contacts on the trailer's plug (see photo please) or to an individual brake assembly's two wires.
0 – 750 kg loaded weight – no brakes required. 751 – 2000 kg loaded weight – braking on both wheels on at least one axle.
If the magnets show abnormal wear or if you can see the windings beginning to show through the friction surface of the magnet then they will need to be replaced. For the 2 wires coming off the brake magnet, either wire can be used for either ground or power.
Use a circuit tester, and check the red wire that exits the rear of the controller. This wire should only go hot when the brake pedal is pressed. If this checks out ok, then the controller is bad and must be replaced.
Testing Trailer Brake Magnets
- If any coil can be seen on the center of the magnet, the magnet is worn out and should be replaced.
- Take a straight edge tool and lay it across the top of the magnet.
- Inspect the magnet for grease or oil residue, if any is found replace the magnet.
Each of your new brakes will have two wires for the brake magnet. One wire is for 12 volt power to the brake magnets and the other wire should be grounded either to the trailer frame or to the main trailer ground wire. It does not matter which wire is used for power or ground because they are not polarized.
If you have electric brakes there will be wires (usually blue) going into the wheel hubs. There should also be a device about the size of a cigarette pack mounted on the tongue. A wire protrudes from it and this wire should be connected to the frame of the TV when towing.
More recent models often get 65k-85k. Diesel pushers with 22.5" wheels and exhaust or engine brakes typically go well over 100k and 150k isn't unusual.
Question: Trailer brake controllers such as the Tekonsha Voyager # 39510 are not vehicle-specific but the parts required to install one can be specific to a year/make/model vehicle.
Electric brakes like what come in the Electric Trailer Brake Kit #AKEBRK-2 can be submerged in water when you are loading/unloading your boat. You can convert surge brakes to an electric over hydraulic braking system. To do this, you will need an electric over hydraulic actuator and a brake controller.
What is difference between a 4 pin and 7 pin trailer connector? Expert Reply: A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer brakes (requires a brake controller in the vehicle), and a reverse light or auxiliary power circuit. There are other types of connectors as well.
How to Check a Brake Controller Without a Trailer
- Press down on the brake pedal while watching the brake controller.
- Check the fuse to the controller if the display does not light up.
- Go to the trailer connector on the back of the tow vehicle with your multimeter.
Adjusting Electric Trailer Brakes in 5 StepsAdjusting your trailer brakes is important for towing safely. Note, it is recommended that you check and adjust your trailer brakes every 3,000 miles or 3 months.
If you would rather not connect the trailer to your tow vehicle, you can simply use a separate car/truck 12V battery to test the electric brakes on your trailer.
