ELECTRIC BRAKES

Goanna · Member

ELECTRIC BRAKES

Rolly · Guru

Well, some kind of efficient braking to assist the tug's retarders is most certainly needed.

Over-ride brakes are permissable in law for trailers of less than 2 tonnes, but are not really adequate.

There are some other, and more expensive options available, but the electrically activated kind are the most common.

Usually the brakes themselves consist of the normal, old fashioned, internally expanding shoes-in-a-drum system activated by electromagnets which are controlled by a device located close to the driver in the towing vehicle.
The most up-to-date of these are initially activated from the brake light circuit and have a decelerometer mechanism which adjusts the trailer brakes proportionally to the braking effort of the towing vehicle.
There are several other adjustments and over-ride functions as well.

Accurately balancing the braking effort of the 'van to the tug is mostly a matter of 'suck-it-and-see' as the parameters vary with the actual loaded weight of each of them, the state of wear and adjustment of the brakes, road and traffic conditions etc.

It all sounds more involved than it actually is, but one soon gets a 'feel' for it.

This is one of those things that are helped by:

a. Getting the initial installation done well, and

b. Getting some 'hands-on' instruction in the niceties of their usage.

-- Edited by Rolly on Friday 9th of October 2009 02:53:39 PM

Goanna · Member

Hi Rolly, thanks for your information...........Cheers.

PeterD · Guru

Goanna

What van are you talking about? Do you have a van with over ride brakes?

PeterD

Goanna · Member

Hi Peter, am looking around at the moment at 17ft types and noticed some have electric brakes and some have not. Thought it would be better with..........Cheers

ballast2 · Guru

G'day Goanna.I have towed vans with both override and electric brakes and I swear I will not have another van that does't have electric brakes. Both work well but properly set up electromagnetic brakes will slow the van and pull your car back into line going down steep grades.They will also slow the van before the car in normal conditions.Mine also have a panic button that can be pressed if car brakes fail. Overrider brakes rely on the towing vehicle slowing and the weight of the van pushes on the car thus slowing the van. No good if the towing vehicle cant slow. Both work but I feel electromagnetic are best for me. Up to you what you choose.
Cheers Jack.

Goanna · Member

Jack,Thanks for your info....cheers Geoff.

dave06 · Guru

probably not necesary on a 17 footer but would be desirable, even if only for the "override" factor

with standard overide brakes the van must be pushing pretty hard before they kick in with electric just one touch of the brake or the overide button and you have control

mike and Judy · Guru

Yeah agree with all that been said, just make sure the controller is a good one and you can get at it easy

Goanna · Member

Ok thanks.

Gary and Kerry · Guru

Check eBay for controllers at a good price.

Terro · Guru

Our old van, a 70's Franklin had override brakes. Yes they did operate after a fashion but weren't terribly succesful. We were out of caravaning for a few years whilst spending the kids inheritance travelling OS. When we returned to vanning the changes had been enormous. Electric brakes on all vans that I looked at. I thought that all vans now had to have electric brakes to be roadworthy or whatever the term is for vans. Anyway I definitely wouldn't be without them, best thing since se.... As for controllers I have found the Tekonsha Prodigy a great unit.

Terry