Not really funny, but got quick laugh from surge brakes

[Renze]

Surge brakes are actually great. They are much stronger than electric brakes (disc style), totally proportional, and need no adjusting or tow vehicle mounted actuator. Like I said, I get mine all with lock out solenoids or you can add one for under $40 and you are all set. Very nice if you tow a trailer with multiple vehicles.

Chris

Over here in Europe, Knott, WAP and BPW have good functioning autorelease surge brakes, that let the brake shoes retract even if the bowden is pulling them out, when the direction of rotation is reversed.
Alko also has a system but its prone to get stuck.

Older trailers around here, have this manual latch to prevent the brake from being actuated when reversing. the last 10 years all trailer axles have backmatic brakes as standard. Also automatic slack adjusters.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Talk about things in the water, about 10 years ago we had a trash truck go in. He came to empty the dumpster and then thought he would take a look like this guy. What a mess. Another time we had a big Diesel Pusher. I was told it was worth nearly $300,000! We have a truck and trailer go in about every 4 weeks between May and August. It really picks up to about 1 every other week in late August through the October as everyone gets the boats out for the winter lay up. Usually its the boats gain weight because people bring so much junk to the lake and leave it in the boat. I know my uncles boat gains 2,000# but it weighs 18,000# empty so its all relative. We also see plenty of broken drive shafts/U joint on trucks. When the wheels spin they always want to keep on it and put people in the bed or on the bumper and then they jump up and down and pow. Happened Sunday to a brand new GMC 1500. Got pulled out boat trailer and all with one of my trucks.

Chris

 

[Inspector507]

With him trying to 'help' and back up, I literally dragged his boat up the ramp most of the way with his boat tires skidding.

He probably made the situation worse. If he was trying to back up his truck, he was activating the brakes. If you had pulled him up with him freewheeling, the brakes would have not engaged. Or at least it seems that way to me.

 

[Diamondpilot]

He probably made the situation worse. If he was trying to back up his truck, he was activating the brakes. If you had pulled him up with him freewheeling, the brakes would have not engaged. Or at least it seems that way to me.

You are 100% correct. This happened to us once at Lake Cumberland, but not at the ramp. If any of you are familiar with this lake, in Southern Kentucky, the terrain is a task getting the last 5 miles to the lake. Many grades in excess of 20% and curves that would make a snake jealous. Anyway we were driving to the water on a 1 way road that looped around at the ramp back up to the top, probably 2-3 miles. We got 100 yards from the ramp and the road was under water. They got 3 inches of rain the night before and we must have been first down the road, lucky us. Anyway my buddy had just a Jetski on his 4x4 V6 Ranger so we un-hitched it and he turned around and pulled each rig up with a tow strap backwards. We locked out the brakes on the trailer but it would have been about impossible to drive up backwards without some help pulling. He got us all up before anyone else tried it then went back and got is Jetski and we went down the up lane to the ramp, it was not under water.


Chris

 

[Dargo]

I gotta admit, you guys are an informed bunch. I was sort of afraid that I'd get a bunch of replies saying "I don't understand" or something similar. I couldn't find his lockout for his brakes, but I was sort of in the frame of mind to just get him outta my way as fast as I could.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I gotta admit, you guys are an informed bunch. I was sort of afraid that I'd get a bunch of replies saying "I don't understand" or something similar. I couldn't find his lockout for his brakes, but I was sort of in the frame of mind to just get him outta my way as fast as I could.

You did right. I would just want him out of my way also. Just curious why you used a ski rope though? I keep a tow strap and a 5' length of chain with a grab hook on one end and a open hook on the other in each of my vehicles, even my Saturn. Not towing anything with the Saturn but have been in the snow drifts before when guys showed up saying I would tow you out but don't have anything.

Chris

 

[Skyco]

Me too. I keep several long tow straps, several chains and a high lift jack in my truck at all times. Unfortunate thing is nowadays you gotta be real careful who you help out. Some folks would sue you if you damaged their stuff helping them

 

[irvingj]

Diamondpilot, Renze, and any others.... I'll post another thread on the surge brakes on my trailer-- still have some questions! Thanks for the info so far!

 

[Dargo]

You did right. I would just want him out of my way also. Just curious why you used a ski rope though? I keep a tow strap and a 5' length of chain with a grab hook on one end and a open hook on the other in each of my vehicles, even my Saturn. Not towing anything with the Saturn but have been in the snow drifts before when guys showed up saying I would tow you out but don't have anything.

Chris

Snatch strap was in my tractor. I wasn't gonna use my jumper cables.

 

[Charlesaf3]

I was talking to a friend at a barbecue recently, moaning about my marina bill and saying it'd be nice to have a trailerable boat. He told me I'd regret it quickly, as I couldn't even guess the amount of idiocy you can see at a boat ramp.

You guys aren't helping my side of the argument much.

How do you break truck parts loading a boat? Trying to get too small a truck/too big a boat up a ramp by shock loading? Seems to me if you were doing things right nothing should break (though the boat might not move)?