Thread: Elecbrakes.com. Opinions?

Explain something to me. Why do people (as you have done) post questions about things which are not vehicle specific in a vehicle specific area instead of in, say, the section of AULRO devoted to trailers and towing?

Trailers, Vans and Campers
Chat specifically relating to sleeping and living quarters you tow behind your Land Rover and how you have them set up including but not limited to chatter about brakes, shocks, tow hitches, kitchens, tarps etc etc

Is it because you never venture outside your vehicle area? Have a look around, there's a wide world of AULRO out there.

Yes, would be much better in the trailers section - do you want myself or Ron to move it for you so it's in the correct location?

As to the topic - it doesn't say anywhere that they are legal - not only about using the phone while driving - their claims using a navigational aid on your phone (which is legal in some states) wouldn't cover this application in my mind, I wouldn't risk it, but also is this system approved for use in Australia? Last time I checked only one wireless brake controller was legal and that uses a specific radio frequency from a plug in controller that's sits in the front of the vehicle - we use these at work on our 3,000KG trailers so they can be legally towed by (the correct towing vehicle) without needing to have a wired brake controller.

Having spoken to the manufacturers of the unit we use, they had to prove through rigourous testing that the signal wouldn't drop out at any stage before they were given the green light to sell it here - I can't see a Bluetooth system complying with this to be honest.

No where on their website that I can see shows it's legal for use on Australian roads unless I missed something.

Not saying it isn't legal, but I'd check carefully before buying, you'd hate to find out after an accident or being pulled up and the Police or your insurance saying 'no'.

Personally I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot barge pole, but that's just my opinion.

and emergency manual braking means you have to ?????

Considering the current (amp) requirements of modern trailer brakes I fail to see how the tiny wires on a std vehicle have even a remote chance of keeping up safely.

The potential savings in not needing an in-car controller would, in my case, be eaten up by having to buy a bloody iPhone!
They say it complies with ADRs, not that it's approved, so it's open to interpretation by law enforcement and insurers. Not for me, I'm afraid.

Reading through "Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 38/00 – Trailer Brake Systems) 2006" it is unclear to me if it meets the intent of this regulation - there's a bit about needing to be able to operate the brakes from the drivers seat, but say you had received a phone call and the app wasn't visible on the phone - that would then be in breach of this regulation IMO, but a bit grey. Easier just not to use it IMO.

Also, as Tombie said - the standard wiring wouldn't be up to the current requirements for the electric brakes - the trailer or caravan is still going to need a decent power supply running to it - it can't use the break away battery so unless another battery was fitted and charged say from the parkers, then the vehicle would need additional wiring anyway.

The system we use does just this - uses a separate battery that is charged from the parkers - the system has an alarm on it that screams at you should you not turn your lights on, or turn them off while driving along. I'll find a link to that system as I think it's a much better system if you need wireless but the only real reason you'd need a system like this is if you had multiple vehicles needing to tow the trailer - but even then, there are controllers out there that unplug from a cradle and plug into another vehicle, so only the wiring needs to be fitted to each, not an entire controller in each.

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 38/00 - Trailer Brake Systems) 2006

Apologies, you are absolutely right. Should have posted in trailer section. Happy for this to be moved.


Re the topic, I agree with all. Sounds really scary to me. Cool concept but multiple safety concerns.

Heck, you guys are a tough crowd !

These guys also do a wireless version
http://www.trailparts.com.au/brake-controller/ So Elecbrakes are not the only one. Although the Credo has a dedicated screen.

The both state that they are ADR compliant. Correct me if i'm wrong but to get an ADR approval the whole braking system is considered, not just the controller.

I'd reckon that both units have a battery somewhere, the Credo certainly does, and for +$600 on the Elecbrakes you'd hope so as well.
Current draw seems pretty hard to track down but one source (dexteraxle) for 10 - 12 inch drums stated 3 amps each and another site stated max 15 amps for 12". From my experience with hydraulic solenoids I'd reckon the max current of 15 amps is the pull in current and that the 3 amps would be the continuous current. Our 1000 kg magnets on our safety gates pull just under 1 amp at 24 Vdc so for me 3 amps add up. Given pull in currents for solenoids usually last 100 to 200 ms, 1 mm^2 wire would be able to handle the 6 amps of continuous load (2 brakes) for an hour without looking sideways, but the both sites recommended gauge equals 2mm. If you are on the brakes for an hour, surely you've probably got bigger problems.

I'm not sure about all of the problems with the wireless, both of these systems would use the brake light to bring on the brakes and the wireless is just to adjust the settings on the controller, if the wireless is lost then it just uses the current setting. I don't have a brake controller on my defender, but my Disco 2 had one installed, tell me if I wasn't using it correctly, but the several times I towed my dad's van around for him ( at the time he had one of those jeeps), once the controller was set I didn't touch it. The van was a little over the 2000 kg mark.

For the money, if I had one vehicle and one trailer, I recon there are plenty better options, but after having to tow hire car trailers around for a few people over the years, I think that it would be a great thing for a hire fleet.

Cheers
Glen