Adding brakes to Tandem trailer

[mitchell2345]

Hi,

I have a 21' Dynasty I/O. I'm estimating the entire packages is around 4500lbs. This past season we put the boat in a slip but this winter we want to buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 to tow with next year.

Currently the trailer has no breaks on it. I am going to add them before I drive too much to save my car breaks.

I'm wondering opinions on how many disc breaks I need. Would breaking the front axle be sufficient or do I really need to break both axles?

It looks like the going rate is $400 for 1 axle and $600 for two.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Mitchell

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

I just did that this week. I did my own labor...it's not really difficult. You just need to ensure you have the flanges on the rear of your current hubs (square plate with four bolt holes) If you have those, you're good to go. The brakes themselves will set you back approximately 1000.00 for 4 of them.

Don't just do one axle, do both for safety sake (my boat is a 21 ft as well). Do a test with the boat, going at the fastest speed you plan on driving and hit your brakes hard...on a secluded piece of road of course. If it takes A LOT for you to stop, do both axles for sure then.

The hardest part for me was making sure the hoses were correct and bleeding the air out as the final step. There are some good videos on Youtube that helped me. I feel confident enough to do my own bearing packing and brakes on my car now!

See you on the lake

Joe

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

OR you could do electric for LESS..... whatever you do put BRAKES on it and not BREAKS.. LOL
I second doing both axles.... much less chance of skidding tires

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

If you call Champion trailers (nationwide brake distributer) they will tell you to do surge/hydraulic brakes for a boat trailer. Much less chance of a short due to water. The choice is yours though.

See you on the lake

Joe

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

in fresh water there is NO shorting problem whatsoever... in salt water well maybe... I dunno... if you are worried, unplug before launching

 

[ufm82]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

I've had both- electric and surge. I put electrics on my single axle because I had access to the kit cheap and I have to say they worked fine. I liked the adjustable controller in the truck and the ability to crank it up/down when desired. I used to turn them off when in traffic so the trailer didn't tug on me all the time. (Like in a traffic jam.) They were fine for the three years I had that trailer and never had a shorting issue in either fresh or saltwater.
I currently have surge on my tandem and have discs on the front axle only. I like them equally well as I hook up the trailer and go- no adjustments needed. No issues in traffic either. Which is better? I love the disc brakes- very strong and easy to service. I liked the electric drums- not as easy to service but adjustable for the conditions. Bottom line, either are a plus over no brakes, especially on a big trailer/boat combo. My rig only weighs in at 3,500 lbs or so but with no brakes that thing will put a jump in the blood pressure in a quick stop...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Get Kodiak disc brakes. Drum brakes are a PITA. I have electric/hydraulic with Kodiak discs so I have the best of both worlds. Definitely do both axles.

 

[Lakes84]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

in fresh water there is NO shorting problem whatsoever... in salt water well maybe... I dunno... if you are worried, unplug before launching[/QUOTE

Hey I'm just reporting what one of the biggest trailer retailers in the country told me, as well as others. This forum has already taught me a lot, but sometimes the differing answers I see leave me more confused than I was before lol

See you on the lake

Joe

 

[mrchev]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

had only surge brakes on one axle on my 89 load rite, with a 22 ft doral aft cabin on it. that was the way it came from the dealer new,have the original sales paperwork.My car trailer had single electric, liked the surge better.

 

[N3UP]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Check your state's towing regulations. You may be required to have brakes on all axles.

That said, do both anyway. Brakes are something you can never have enough of.
I would do disc with electric over hydraulic. So worth the investment for the way it tows.
Use an inertial controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy P2.

I have an earlier version of the Prodigy and it works just fine with my Brakerite II hyd unit.

My rig is in the neighborhood of 6K pounds loaded and I have enough brake to lock trailer wheels if I get on them extra hard.

I will NEVER own any trailer with surge brakes ever again.

 

[Titanium48]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Where and how often do you plan on launching the boat? Any type of brakes will work well if you're launching a dozen times a year in fresh water. On the other hand, 50 launches a year in salt and you will want the stainless discs. I like electric brakes as well for the adjustability and the ability to apply them without applying the tow vehicle brakes, but then again I've never had a trailer with surge brakes so I can't really compare them. Electric drums are cheap, but frequent launches in salt water will corrode the magnets. Electric over hydraulic with stainless discs solves that problem, but costs $$$.

 

[109jb]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

I'd highly recommend doing both axles, but if you only do one then the rear axle is the appropriate one if it is a leaf spring trailer with spring equalizers. It has to do with how the equalizers work.

Oh, and my dad's boat trailer has had electric brakes for many years. Works well, and no problems. Fresh water use only though so can't say for salt water.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Do not use electric brakes if you ever put your trailer in salt or brackish water.
That said I would use kodiak disc's.
I just took my trailer, no brakes (4,100 lbs on the axles) and installed surge with kodiak disc's made a significant difference. I figured I can add the other 2 brakes at anytime if I want to. Braking was improved enough that I have not decided if I will add the other two brakes.
I decided against the electric/hydralic just due to cost. $140 vs. $500 for an actuator.
I figure for the cost I would be better off adding the other set of brakes.
So 4 disc with surge vs. 2 disc with electric/hydralic.
I was pleased with the kodiak brakes.

 

[204 Escape]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Hmmm brakes on both axles......... Our EZ Loader came from the factory with surge/disc brakes on just the rear axle.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

N3UP is right on.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Re: Adding breaks to Tandem trailer

Believe it or not, my 24' cuddy in my signature came with brakes on only one axle. Afte I bought it, I immediately added brakes to the other axle which required me to get another axle becuase mine didn't have brake flanges. I ordered the axle I needed from my trailer manufacturer to exactly match the one with brakes on it. I asked the trailer manufacturer why it only had one axle brakes on it. The response was that the boat dealers can order whatever they want even if it isn't the safest thing to do. He said he surely wouldn't reccomend towing my boat with brakes on one axle.