Pro's and con's of surge brakes are debatable. I had to knock the drums off with a sledge hammer in the dark one morning when I hooked on and the brakes were locked. There are some nice kits these days that are less prone to corrosion.
Now I've got to tell a great "war story". I was heading south on the 42 mile trip to the Gulf of Mexico pulling a 248 Offshore on a triple axle trailer and was passing one of those bicyle guys with the helmet and real bike stuff, he was really moving and I gave him a full lane when I was passing. When he saw the back bumper of my F-150, he decided to pull in behind the tailgate and "draft" my truck. The problem was ther was a big boat and trailer occupying that spot. I locked up the brakes at the moment he realized he'd really messed up. If it hadn't been for the operable surge brakes he would have died at that moment and the family survivors would have had a field day with me in court. He and his bike cartwheeled to the ditch, embarassed but alive.
Lots of different rules on trailer brakes around the country, but around here the law requires at least one axle with brakes on trailers of 3000 pounds and over. It's the only time I can say the surge brakes saved a life.
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