Brakes

In California, brakes are required on any trailer coach or camp trailer having a gross weight of 1500 lbs. or more. Usually the braking capacity on tow vehicles is good, however, it may not be good enough to safely stop the several hundred to several thousand additional pounds that your trailer weighs. Most conventional and fifth-wheel trailers have electric brakes, activated by a controller in the tow vehicle. The controller automatically coordinates the tow vehicle and trailer braking so the two systems work together when the brake pedal is applied.

The controller can also be helpful in stabilizing a trailer that sways because of bad road conditions. Manually applying the trailer brakes by using the hand lever on the controller will restabilize a trailer that is likely to sway.

Folding camping trailers and boat trailers are usually fitted with surge brake systems which operate separately from the tow vehicle's brakes. Surge brakes are applied by a mechanism attached to the receiver/ball connection. As the tow vehicle slows, the forward motion of the trailer compresses the mechanism which in turn applies the trailer brakes.

Motorcycle trailers do not need brakes unless the weight exceeds 1500 lbs. gross. If you install brakes on your motorcycle trailer, be sure the brakes do not brake harder than the motorcycle or the motorcycle may flip backwards over the trailer when the brakes are applied. The brakes must always be properly adjusted.

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