Question: How to share an electrically braked trailer?

[eddomak]

Hi All,

I have been considering buying a camper trailer and am in the research stage. I can see from the NSW legislation that I would need to fit an electronic brake controller within the towing vehicle. From what I can tell, this costs a couple of hundred dollars and a couple of hours labour. (Excellent instructions on the D4 forum... :D).

But say I want to lend this to a couple of mates at different times of the year? They would also need to install EBC's in their vehicles?

I looked with interest at the Tekonsha RF (trailer mounted EBC but with a remote head unit that plugs into the cigarette lighter and communicates via RF) which would allow the easy transfer of the remote head unit, but it seems like it hasn't been released in Australia.

Has anyone else come up with how to do this (buy a camper trailer and lend it to friends without needing to do installations on each and every vehicle)?

Thanks!

[Tombie]

Why is it your cost? ;)

[Blknight.aus]

if you're nice enough there is a teshonka harness kit that can be used.

you buy yourself the whole unit, those who want to use your trailer outfit their vehicle with the harness and then you just swap the head unit across.

I dont rate the wireless units especially those that plug into the ciggy socket, fine if its your vehicle but how do you know their socket is wired up and powered up?

[Homestar]

I would have thought that having electric brakes on your trailer would be a perfect excuse not to lend it to anyone.:D

[Utemad]

If someone was nice enough to lend me their electrically braked trailer then I think I would be happy to buy and fit my own controller to my car.

[eddomak]

Thanks for the replies so far. I think the main difference is that at the moment none of us tow/camp all that much.

The thing I haven't told you yet is that yes, for some mates I might lend it for free, but other people I might ask for $100 for the lend, which would help cover the costs of maintenance and buying it in the first place. In which case if they also need to fork out $400 for something so occasional it might not make it worth their while to borrow from me either...

[AnD3rew]

You can buy a perfectly decent unit for under $100 but it is the labour to wire it up, if you can do it yourself then it is not an expensive excercise.

[slug_burner]

Hi All,

I have been considering buying a camper trailer and am in the research stage. I can see from the NSW legislation that I would need to fit an electronic brake controller within the towing vehicle. From what I can tell, this costs a couple of hundred dollars and a couple of hours labour. (Excellent instructions on the D4 forum... :D).

But say I want to lend this to a couple of mates at different times of the year? They would also need to install EBC's in their vehicles?

I looked with interest at the Tekonsha RF (trailer mounted EBC but with a remote head unit that plugs into the cigarette lighter and communicates via RF) which would allow the easy transfer of the remote head unit, but it seems like it hasn't been released in Australia.

Has anyone else come up with how to do this (buy a camper trailer and lend it to friends without needing to do installations on each and every vehicle)?

Thanks!

Only applies if the trailer is two tonnes or more, less can be on an override brake.

[eddomak]

Only applies if the trailer is two tonnes or more, less can be on an overrun brake.

Thanks! I have now found the relevant piece of RTA paper (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi22.pdf), which backs that statement. So it means in theory I would not need an EBC at all (campertrailer is far less than 2 tonnes) so long as an overrun brake is installed.

It also seems to imply if I used the Tekonsha RF unit for improved handling due to braking under non-overrunn conditions then (providing the overrunnbrake is installed) I would still be compliant?

[Utemad]

Electric and override brakes are different and can't be fitted at the same time AFAIK.

Plus override brakes are useless compared to electric.

[AnD3rew]

Electric and override brakes are different and can't be fitted at the same time AFAIK.

Plus override brakes are useless compared to electric.

Lots of trailers have electric brakes plus backup override brakes.

[bee utey]

Override brakes are only legal if the gross trailer mass is less than the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. IE you can tow 2T with a 2.4T vehicle but not with a 1.8T vehicle on override brakes.

Electric brakes have definite advantges over override braking systems but override systems can work very well when set up properly. I've towed for years with hydraulic override brakes that have later been converted to run vacuum braking as well, by modifying a brake booster fitted to the hydraulics. I have no idea how override and electric systems would combine.

[weeds]

Lots of trailers have electric brakes plus backup override brakes.

Not sure that I have seen this.....didn't think it was possible

Trailers over two tone need a brake away system....

[Utemad]

Lots of trailers have electric brakes plus backup override brakes.

Is this done by connecting the override actuator to the handbrake on the electric drum brake?

The main reason I fitted electric brakes to my camper was for better braking control on dirt roads. You won't get this much if at all with override brakes.
I think this is the main reason you rarely see override brakes on off road campers etc.

[debruiser]

I'd go the electric brakes. Override are crappy and never seem to do much for me. No wait that came out wrong! They never seem to stop much? O gee, you know what I mean.

[Blknight.aus]

Electric and override brakes are different and can't be fitted at the same time AFAIK.

Plus override brakes are useless compared to electric.

yeah they can.... the cheap version has the same basic cable setup as per normal over runbrakes (that also double as a hand brake) with the electric brake system overlaid onto it. (typically this setup is used to provide electric brake trailers with a manual parking brake and if you have this its easy to convert the parking brake to over run brakes by changing the hitch from a static head to a springloaded dynamic head)


Remember that override brakes are the brakes you don't have when you think you have brakes on the trailer.


very roughly the minimum for brakes on light trailers by GVM(trailer) is

up to 750kg none
750kg-2T Override brakes on at least one axle (command brakes if GVM trailer is greater than the tow vehicle GVM)
2t+ Command brakes with a break-away control that provides positive braking for at least 10 minutes.

[Slunnie]

very roughly the minimum for brakes on light trailers by GVM(trailer) is

up to 750kg none
750kg-2T Override brakes on at least one axle (command brakes if GVM trailer is greater than the tow vehicle GVM)
2t+ Command brakes with a break-away control that provides positive braking for at least 10 minutes.


Here is the caveat for 750-2000kg brakes.

Brakes have a rated capacity, so in reality if you want it to remain compliant knowingly (ie duty etc) then your brake capacity will need to match the maximum weight of the trailer. What this means, is that depending on the size and capacity of the brakes you fit, you may still need to fit brakes to more than 1 axle only and it has to be noted that the rule says at least one axle, not one axle only.