No Brake Controller

[Soundguy]

Yep.. if that trailer is still moving 15 minutes after it came unhitched.. you were going way too fast!

soundguy

 

[J_J]

When you wire up the trailer plug, do not tie the breakaway battery switch to the plug. It should be tied in somewhere back on the frame. The reason is that if your trailer should come loose, it may try and go up under the towing vehicle and could jerk all the wires out of the plug, and then you would not have the breakaway battery voltage.

The guy I was following, was going 65 when the trailer came loose, it took him a while to get it under control. I hung back just in case he rolled his trailer and towing vehicle.

 

[buckle97]

Can anyone fill me in on how hard it would be to add a breakaway kit with a battery? Is this something I should consider doing to my trailer?

 

[buckle97]

Missississippi requires brakes on any trailer over 2,000#

BoatUS.com: Trailering Club

Chris

Does this mean the weight of the trailer has to be more than 2,000 lbs to require brakes or the GVW is over 2,000 lbs?
Also on that site it said Breakaway Brakes are required in MS. I'm confused why or how these new dealers are able to sell trailers without breakaway brakes if the law is that they are required.

 

[J_J]

Can anyone fill me in on how hard it would be to add a breakaway kit with a battery? Is this something I should consider doing to my trailer?

It would be an easy project. You need to purchase the battery box, battery, and the breakaway switch, and some wire and connectors. If you are using the battery alone with no charging circuit, then all you have to do is wire the breakaway switch between the battery 12 v positive and the blue wire. and you are set. To check it out, raise one or two wheels and spin them, and pull the lanyard on the switch. Brakes should grab, and the wheels should stop.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Does this mean the weight of the trailer has to be more than 2,000 lbs to require brakes or the GVW is over 2,000 lbs?
Also on that site it said Breakaway Brakes are required in MS. I'm confused why or how these new dealers are able to sell trailers without breakaway brakes if the law is that they are required.

Very easy to add a battery and brake-away. If you lived near me I would tell you to bring it over, should take about 1 hour. They are able to sell them like that because no one is looking. Just like everything in life its the users responsibility to make sure it is within the laws.

As for the weight the answer I got from my local officer is its the GVWR, not the actual weight. So if the trailer has a GVWR over 2,000# in your case it must have brakes. It just says brakes, not necessarily on all axles. Just as long as it has brakes. Same with towing. What I am saying is say you have a trailer that has a GVWR of 7,000# and you tow it with a S-10 rated at 4,000# but you never load the trailer past 3,500# you are illegal in his eyes. So in other words you tow vehicle must have a rating equal or greater then the trailers GVWR.

JJ is right on the wiring but I will just add you must ground the battery to the trailers frame and while you are at it I would go ahead and hook up a wire to the positive post of the battery to the trailers corresponding plug to allow the tow vehicle to charge the battery when hooked up and running.

Chris

 

[buckle97]

Thanks Chris.

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. some places even sell the kit with an electronic charger, the bat and box and the wire stubs... pretty much just splicing into your existing harnes with paower and ground connections for the bat.. and brake power connection and power connection for the breakaway switch..

soundguy

 

[radioman]

a S-10 rated at 4,000# Chris

I beg to differ. I was under the impression that my s-10 is rated for 5k? or maybe you are referring to the one with a smaller engine ?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I beg to differ. I was under the impression that my s-10 is rated for 5k? or maybe you are referring to the one with a smaller engine ?

I was just using that as a generic example. You could replace it with any vehicle. Just pretty obvious when you see a S-10 or small vehicle pulling a trailer that is 7K.

Chris