trailer size?

[macojoe]

well I have a ramp 1 mile from my house!! But there are no fish there! >:(

I go at least 10 miles or better to each ramp I use.

I have no brakes and I bought it brand new that way!! I hate more things to go wrong!!

truck 6800# wit 4 wheel disk brakes. Boat on trailer, about 4500+, 70 MPH no problem stopping or going!

I had a single 1980 Caulking trailer for the last 6 years and it was fine till I saw a tire pass me on the highway!! Didn't even no it was mine till I looked in the mirror and saw sparks all over the place!

[groover]

I would not pull a V-20 behind anything without trailer brakes. I do trailer more than most people ( I have worn out 3 sets of trailer tires) but I can remember at three cases where I probably would have had a wreck without them. I do most of my pulling with a 15 passenger van on the 1-ton chassis that weighs 6300 pounds empty but I can still tell that the trailer brakes are kicking in.

Besides the safety, don't forget that you will be putting that much more wear and tear on your tow vehicle's brakes and that rotor warpage is caused by high heat so you are much more likely to have warped rotors if you do not have trailer brakes. Also, most states require trailer brakes if your trailer weighs over 3000 pounds. If you are in a wreck and it could be attibuted to lack of required equipment your liability just went way up.

I have had my rig 17 years and the only maintenance I have had to do to the brakes was replace the actuator, slave cyclinders and shoes last year. The shoes were worn totally out. I do not consider that to be high maintenance.

Unlike most people, I keep my brakes dry. I have a tilt trailer with rollers. I just back up until the water is up to the rear rims and push the boat off. I use a Powerwinch to pull it back on. It is a little extra work at the time but it saves me a fortune in trailer maintenance and I have never seen a ramp that I could not launce at.

The only thing I do not like about surge brakes is that I have had a few cases on wet roads where I could not get enough traction from the tow vehicle to actuate the trailer brakes. My brother solved the problem by putting electric brakes on his trailer. He just has to remember to unplug them when empty so he does not skid the tires too much. His rig is older than mine and he has had no maintenance to his brakes. He also keeps his brakes dry.

[Skools Out]

na don't need brakes that just one more thing to be fixed especially if you use it in salt water. I don't have brakes on any trailer even up to the 250 Sea Ray. I have a diesel tahoe and it does just fine stopping that boat and the wellcraft too. Any truck with off road package or towing package has enough breaks to stop up to most 25 ft boats i'd say. I pull my boats 200 to 250 miles to the coast one way several times a yr like 15 to 20 weekends a yr.

[macojoe]

The only thing I have eletric brakes on is my 31 foot Camper.
Never have and will have brakes on boat trailers.

But Groover seems to have it down pat!! And good for him!!

[reelapeelin]

Yeah, MJ...if I wasn't goin' any further than it is to ramps you use, I wouldn't mess w/brakes either...my SHORTEST tow is 1 1/2 hours on I-85...at 70, yeah, I want brakes... ;) ;D...

[Franco]

ITS LAW IN FLORIDA, ANY TRAILER RATED OVER 3000 LBS
HAS TO HAVE BRAKES - MY BOAT WEIGHS ABOUT 2680 NOT COUNTING FUEL AND GEAR - SO I GOTTA HAVE BRAKES.

[macojoe]

Laws were ment to be Broken!! Mass has a law also! But I no care ;D

[Seacrets]

I think they should rewrite the Florida law to read "functional brakes". I bet 75% of the trailer brakes in Florida don't work.