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 Camping, Trailering, and associated Outdoor Gear
 Towing something smaller - brakes?		  New Topic  Reply to Topic
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puddleplasher
Clinician



USA
1296 Posts
Posted - 08/09/2010 :  10:00:31 AM  Show Profile  Visit puddleplasher's Homepage Send puddleplasher a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ok here's a question for you trailer people: when towing a smaller trailer than a horse trailer, how do you decide when you should have electronic brakes on the trailer? Is there some rule of thumb as to when to get them and when not to bother? We're thinking of getting a simple flatbed trailer to haul some equipment occasionally, and aren't sure whether we should get the additional brake system or not.

'plash
Pepper sez: "Don't forget the horse!!"
'Plash's Ride Log

Red Hawk
Clinician



USA
5092 Posts
Posted - 08/09/2010 :  10:41:25 AM  Show Profile Send Red Hawk a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'd check with your local BMV and see what's considered legal. It'll probably go by the loaded weight of what you're towing, I would imagine, though these regulations vary from state-to-state.
"God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses"
--Robert Browning

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
-- Author Unknown
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Hook
Trail Boss (Moderator)



Canada
6115 Posts
Posted - 08/09/2010 :  9:54:32 PM  Show Profile  Visit Hook's Homepage Send Hook a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Actually I would reccommend brakes for any trailer you plan on hauling on the highway.

I supect that if loaded it was less than 30% of the truck weight you should be okay for short hauls.
Hook(ed)......on Horses

"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. " Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
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PaintGal
Trail Boss (Moderator)



USA
5300 Posts
Posted - 08/10/2010 :  08:02:08 AM  Show Profile Send PaintGal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
We have a 14' flatbed trailer and it does not have brakes. I don't know why hubby got it w/o them but I sure wish it did! I haul the biggest load when I get hay and get pushed downhill pretty hard. I can allow for the weight, hills & stops but it's the unexpected that I worry about. Thank heavens, I can take the back roads and go slow when I get hay.

Depending on your truck size & what you haul, you might be okay with out brakes on the trailer but I don't think you'd regret having them.
Karen ~ Trails
&
Joe Paint Gelding
Paoli, IN


"My treasures do not sparkle or glitter, they shine in the sun and neigh in the night."



~~~~~~
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hmeyer
Clinician



USA
2194 Posts
Posted - 08/10/2010 :  11:24:38 AM  Show Profile Send hmeyer a Private Message  Reply with Quote
In Indiana, I think the law says you have to have brakes on any trailer over 3500# (gross wgt). May be similar in other states.
"You learn a thing a day, you store up smart" - Festus Haggen

"A man’s soul can’t be hidden,
From the creatures in his care." -
Hard Candy Cowboy by Debra Meyer
Edited by - hmeyer on 08/10/2010 11:25:12 AM
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PaintGal
Trail Boss (Moderator)



USA
5300 Posts
Posted - 08/10/2010 :  7:29:44 PM  Show Profile Send PaintGal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hmeyer

In Indiana, I think the law says you have to have brakes on any trailer over 3500# (gross wgt). May be similar in other states.



Ooops... I figure was close to 5000 this afternoon when I brought a load of hay home. Like I said, I'm on backroads and I have 2 stop signs and 2 short but steep hills BUT I sure wish it had brakes.

Sort of OT but WOW... it was HOT today. Somebody had to drive the truck so I got stuck with that job but the 2 guys that loaded the trailer sure were hot. It was about 100 degrees and HUMID.
Karen ~ Trails
&
Joe Paint Gelding
Paoli, IN


"My treasures do not sparkle or glitter, they shine in the sun and neigh in the night."



~~~~~~
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