Towing BX24 200 miles with Jeep Grand Cherokee

[KeithInSpace]

work off the brakelight circuit

Missed that one...

It is not possible. Brakes are proportional and brake lights are on/off. Having your trailer brakes being either "on" or "off" would not be very helpful IMHO. I laugh even thinking about it.

A brake controller is a complex inertial system that varies braking strength based on your settings and preferences and the forces being imparted on the vehicle either by accelleration or decelleration. You cannot replicate that by connecting brakes to your brake lights.

My boat trailer did have one of those tounge mounted hydraulic assembly things...worked OK, but didn't really "grab" the brakes in an emergency stop...just helped a little by keeping the trailer behind you.

 

[mswlogo]

I guess my buddy forgot his truck has the controller or assumed mine had one. Because all he was concerned about was Jeep towing capacity. It is a tandem trailer and I know he does everything by the book. I'll just borrow his truck too. It's not worth wiring my Jeep for this one trip and I certainly wouldn't want to make a 200 mile trip be the first trip to test out the installation of a controller.

Thanks for the info.

 

[LBrown59]

I guess my buddy forgot his truck has the controller or assumed mine had one. Because all he was concerned about was Jeep towing capacity. It is a tandem trailer and I know he does everything by the book. I'll just borrow his truck too. It's not worth wiring my Jeep for this one trip and I certainly wouldn't want to make a 200 mile trip be the first trip to test out the installation of a controller.

Thanks for the info.

Why are you having to haul your tractor, how did it get 200 miles away from you?

 

[mswlogo]

Why are you having to haul your tractor, how did it get 200 miles away from you?

I'm buying it.

 

[Crash101]

MSWLOGO
As others have said, you MUST have brakes to pull that much weight. Now the decision is your's. Buy and install a brake controller (about $100 plus installation) or borrow a truck with one already installed. If the truck you mentioned does not already have one, it wont do you any better than the jeep. Boat trailers use surge brakes because you sure don't want to dip an electric brake into the water, but for any trailer over 3500 pounds Gross Weight you must have working brakes.
You may do well to find someone who would be willing to go get the tractor for you. Might be cheaper.

 

[SnowRidge]

MSWLOGO
Boat trailers use surge brakes because you sure don't want to dip an electric brake into the water, but for any trailer over 3500 pounds Gross Weight you must have working brakes.

3,500 lbs didn't sound right, so I looked them up.

Most states require them at 3,000 lbs, not 3,500. Some states are higher or lower. Crash, your state of Mississippi is 2,000 lbs according to this listing of trailer laws and regulations for the US and Canada:

AAA Trailer Towing Laws And Regulations

 

[rpoage]

In a past life I was involved in full size car racing and I would like to forget how many towing miles I have covered in my life time. My first comment is that anyone towing anything requiring 3500GVWR or more had better be looking at brakes. There are options here.

You mentioned you are going to rent the trailer. There are trailers that use a hitch/tongue mounted brake systems "Surge Brake Actuator" my limited experience with these is not good they will get the job done if they are in good working order. They may have trailers for rent with these as they will work on any hitch.

The Electronic brake controllers will require installation but will allow smooth adjustment of the trailer breaks. Older units required being plumbed into tow vehicle break systems but new unites just require mounting and electrical hook-up
Hayes Brake Controller Company - Welcome

Of course there is always the local flat bed company? Their equipment, time and insurance?

 

[Skyco]

I think if you rent one of the U-Haul car trailers they have surge brakes built in. Newer surge brakes work pretty well, last big boat trailer I had, had them with a hydraulic shock cylinder to damp the mechanism and it worked very well. Older units had no damping so they would sometimes oscillate and drive one crazy

 

[LBrown59]

1*I'm buying it.
mswlogo

2*You may do well to find someone who would be willing to go get the tractor for you.
Might be cheaper.
Crash101

1*Congrats on the BX24.
You will like it.
Did you get a price on having it delivered from anyone?
2*I just bought a BX1500 and the delivery charge was only 200.
At that price I couldn't see fooling with it myself.

 

[mswlogo]

I never said I didn't need breaks on the trailer, geesh.

I didn't know all electric break systems have to be controlled by a controller (accelerometer only) rather than a simple on/off circuit triggered by break lights. I understand why but I didn't know they controlled the amount of breaking electrically (by pulsing or voltage or current). I thought Electric breaks were full on or off (and designed to not totally lock, similar to surge breaks).

Electric breaks get exposed to as much water on a rainy day as they would at the boat launch. They get exposed to road salt too. So I don't buy the reason boats tend to have surge breaks is because of launching. I think surge breaks are more novice proof. It's pretty hard to screw it up.