Trailer brakes

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68coupe

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I bought an 18 ft dovetail trailer a couple of years back from a neighbor. I didn't need it, but he was moving and just wanted to get rid of it. I normally pull it with my F-150 that is equipped with electric brakes. A friend just borrowed it, but his truck had the 4-way plug and no electric brake controller. I was looking on eBay at 7 pole to 4 pole adapters. Then realized that with the adapter you wouldn't have electric brakes.

When is it alright to pull that size trailer without brakes? I think that I certainly want trailer brakes when hauling a car or tractor.
 
when the truck pulling the trailer can stop before you hit anything..

I have towed alot with out trailer brakes...but now the trailers have working brakes...
 
Empty. is a simple answer. but i have been told by insurance adjusters that if you have a wreck and the tralier brakes are not properly working you can be liable for ALL damages. ( i can imagine any adjusters looking that far) but it is basically improper equpiment
 
EMPTY.......nearly cost me a car, my van an most of all my family...DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Another question - At what weight/size/length do they start putting electric brakes on trailers? Do they only put them on tandem trailers?
BTW - thanks for the answers, I appreciate it!
 
There didn't used to be electric brakes and common sence was required instead, but we know how much of that there is these days.

You didn't load more than the truck could control and stop.
You left yourself plenty of stopping distance.
The trailer was loaded with the bulk of the weight correctly placed on the trailer.

These days I would recommend against it entirely, and the insurance companies agree.

Your buddy should just get a brake controller if he wants to have use of the trailer.
 
Frankly, there use to be a LOT of "luck" involved. These days I would NEVER consider tow barring a vehicle that weighs nearly as much as the tow vehicle, for example.

The other thing about trailer brakes is that they can prevent a jacknife situation. If you were to get into some situation, say, water, where the trailer "wanted" to come around, being able to apply the trailer brakes "first" or even "by themselves" just might save your a$$
 
67Dart273 said:
Frankly, there use to be a LOT of "luck" involved. These days I would NEVER consider tow barring a vehicle that weighs nearly as much as the tow vehicle, for example.

The other thing about trailer brakes is that they can prevent a jacknife situation. If you were to get into some situation, say, water, where the trailer "wanted" to come around, being able to apply the trailer brakes "first" or even "by themselves" just might save your a$$
Click to expand...

The birth of the knob/slide on the controller that lets you apply the trailer brakes only. :D
 
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