TO BRAKE OR NOT TO
BRAKE....IT’S A MATTER OF STOPPING
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There are three schools of thought about
brakes on pontoon trailers:They are NOT needed. I have a
large tow vehicle and it has the capacity to stop a pontoon
trailer. We must have them to satisfy
state laws, but I want the cheapest style available.I want the best brakes available
to prevent my pontoon & trailer from pushing the tow vehicle
into an intersection or running us off the road in an emergency
braking situation.
In addition, some people say they don’t need brakes because
they only tow occasionally or only on short trips. |
Here are some other considerations to help you decide on
brakes for your pontoon trailer.
The size and weight of your tow vehicle. Most 1/4 ton pick
up’s have a #1500 carrying capacity. If your truck is not fully loaded, one
might expect that the tow vehicle could probably stop a pontoon trailer
carrying about #1500. Knowing the carrying capacity of your tow vehicle will
allow you to make an estimate of what weight it could stop without brakes on
the pontoon trailer. |
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We ONLY sell pontoon trailers with modern DISC braking
systems. Stop faster, less heat build up, no
springs or small parts to rust. Safe in salt water, etc. Modern
Technology, Less Maintenance
If you tow frequently the benefits of modern disc brakes are so outstanding that you wouldn’t want anything else. If you tow infrequently you’ll be pleased to discover that modern disc brakes don’t rust or lock up from lack of use. You won’t need to spend $200 in a couple of years to have them adjusted or worse have a mechanic service and unlock frozen drum brakes from lack of use. In the next few years all boat trailers will have modern disc brakes. Don’t buy a new boat motor trailer package with old technology.
If you’re towing a modern 3000+ lb. pontoon you must pay some attention to brakes. In a perfect world, marine dealers would package your boat motor trailer package with brakes that will serve your needs and stop your load. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world and the salesman from the boat show won’t be anywhere to be found when you and your family slide through a stop light. We don’t want to be fatalistic,
but that’s what we’re talking about; Keeping your family safe.
Single or Tandem Axle Pontoon Boat Brakes? |
| Our 10” disc brakes can stop about
3500 lb. Many states require brakes on trailers with capacities over
3,000 lb. The weight of the trailer should be included in the weight of
the load. A 3,000 lb. boat on a 800 lb. trailer might get by with single
axle brakes, you’d be close and probably within the law. But a 4500 lb.
pontoon on a 1,000 lb. trailer really should have tandem axle brakes
with a stopping capacity of 7,000 lb. The States of Michigan and
Pennsylvania require brakes on ALL axles for trailers with capacities
over 3,000. A high percentage of the brake trailers sold in Michigan do
not meet the law. |
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| Disc Brakes versus Drum Brakes |
Disc Brakes: Disc brakes have more stopping power than drum brakes and they operate better in wet conditions. They run cooler and stop faster in emergency braking situations. There are fewer moving parts to wear and they can be easily inspected. They can be quickly rinsed when used in salt water. Because of increased costs the pontoon trailer industry has been slow to adopt disc brakes, except for salt water trailers. However the price of modern disc brakes has come down in recent years and in the next couple of years most boat trailers will have them.
Drum Brakes: Drum brakes have moving parts in an enclosed mechanism. Every time you launch and retrieve they are saturated with water and often the water sits in the drums until it evaporates.The moving parts can corrode and salt water will destroy drum brakes in a very short time. Add to this scenario that drum brakes must be adjusted and the only way to inspect them is to take them apart. It’s easy to see why some boaters prefer to take their chances without brakes than to hassle with drum brakes. The automotive industry generally discontinued drum brakes years ago in favor of disc brakes, but a few low quality trailer manufacturers still sell them.
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Hydraulic-Surge verus Electric Brakes |
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The majority of boat trailers use hydraulic-surge brakes. A piston in the brake actuator senses the tow vehicle slowing and sends brake fluid to the brakes. There are various styles of brake actuators but they all work on the same principal. |
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| Click above to enlarge |
Electirc Actualtor Inside vehicle |
Magnets in drum engage the brakes |
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| Electric brakes
are engaged by stepping on the tow vehicles brake pedal. The tow
vehicle and every other vehicle that may be used to tow requires
the electric brake controller. ($150+) Some customers have
electric braking systems on their tow vehicles for cargo
trailers or campers and occasionally they want electric brakes.
Painted automotive grade electric brakes are not intended for
submersion in water. Submerging a pair of electromagnetic
actuators and wiring in water is generally regarded as a bad
idea. In the past three years we’ve sold four trailers with
electric brakes and had difficulties with three of them. We
will not sell pontoon trailers with electric brakes.
However there is one company that will. As you’d expect they are
one of the low quality manufacturers and electric brakes are
generally about $150 less than hydraulic-surge brakes (the price
of the actuator). You’ll spend that much or more to wire your
vehicle and repair the wiring or electromagnetic actuators when
submerged in water. |
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Click here for more information |
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| Back-up Brake Lock-Out |
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Some trailer braking systems have a serious flaw. If you back-up
an incline the brakes engage. It’s infuriating when it happens
and an outrage that trailer manufacturers save money on brake
actuators without back-up lock-outs . Our
trailersforpontoon.com trailers eliminate this problem.
Our brake actuator has a solenoid that is electrically activated
when the tow vehicle is in reverse. It locks out the brakes and
they don’t engage. Our five prong adapter replaces the common
four prong. Don’t have one? We’ll give you one. Our actuator has
a manual lock out, but because we pay extra for the electric
solenoid you’ll probably never use the old fashioned manual
lock-out. |
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| Brake
Size Matters |
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| Many
pontoon trailer brakes are small 7” drum. These are usually
standard on trailers with 10” or 12” tires. Our trailers with
13” or 14” tires have large 10” Disc brakes. These are
automotive style brakes and each pair has a stopping capacity of
3500 lbs. If you have a boat motor and trailer package that
weighs about 2000 lbs. Small brakes will probably work fine. If
you have a modern heavy pontoon, 3000 lb. with a 500 lb. engine
on a 960 lb. trailer you’ll want big strong brakes. The bigger
the better. In many situations you’ll want tandem axle brakes,
capable of stopping 7000 lbs. If someone tries to sell you 7”
brakes, learn what the stopping capacity is and ask for an
extended warranty. You’ll probably need it. |
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| Our
Trailer Brakes |
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are many things about our trailers that set us apart from
competition, brakes is one of them. We use the modern concealer
coupler with a back-up solenoid standard. Trailers with tandem
axle brakes have tandem axle brakes actuators, (most boat
trailers only have single axle brake actuators). Many brands do
not have back-up solenoids. You have to get out of the tow
vehicle and use a devise to back up an incline. There is a lot
of information on the internet about how hydraulic-surge brakes
work so we’ll just highlight what make our brakes different and
better. |
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| Most
boat trailers use the hydraulic-surge system of braking. A
plunger in the brake actuator senses the tow vehicle is slowing
and sends brake fluid to the brakes to stop the load. |
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| Todays
heavier pontoons often need more that 3500 lbs. of stopping
capacity. More trailers are being sold with tandem axle brakes.
Most pontoon trailer manufacturers do NOT spend the extra money
for tandem brake actuators, we do. We want you to stop
your modern heavy boat, not merely slow down. |
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For Information Call
(877)294-3395 or (574)294-3386 |
Trailers for Pontoons