Trailer with electric brakes

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:54 pm

G'day guys,
I am borrowing a trailer from a mate, he just bought it and hasn't used it and he doesnt know "why the brakes doesn't work" and I said straightaway it has electric brakes... but I am not experienced about electric brakes - how does it work?

Do you require brake booster assembly in your car or there is an pin out from your brake lights to activate the electric brakes, I only drove it for 3 kms to here with the trailer and it doesn't seem to be working? (maybe because it doesn't have a load.

I need a reply asap because I am taking it to the country to pickup an kitchen and its hilly as well and i would like to know if the brakes are working before I head off in the noon.

My liberty has 7 pin plug but from memory 5 pins are being used (indicators, tail, brake lights & earth)

Thanks
AP

jsubie · Post by **jsubie** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:18 pm

G'day AlpineRaven
my old mans trailer has elect' brakes and if I need to borrow it I have to use his car because his car has a brake booster installed.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:03 pm

The component on the car isn't really a brake "booster" so to speak. More an electronic controller unit.
They usually have a sensor which detects the tow car's rate of decelleration and apply the trailer's brakes by a proportional amount. You can also get units that are set to apply the trailer's brakes in the event of it becomming separated from the tow hitch while in motion.
I guess your mate's trailer might be missing this control unit, unless the trailer has some kind of inbuilt one or something like that.
It might be best towing it into a trailer parts joint and getting them to show you how it works, or possibly buy any missing parts. Probably best for safety's sake.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:02 pm

my folks caravan has some electric brakes that work with magnets aparently lol...

neway to get them to work they had to install a unit into our Pajero (the only car which can tow it) and wire it in then it works when the caravans hooked up and will apply braking on the caravans drums when the Pajeros brake is pressed
can alter the sensitivity and apply it manually etc etc.

neway the moral of my story is that they wuldnt work without a particular unit in the Tow car.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:48 pm

I installed one in my parents commodore to tow a horse float.

This particular one does not have a pendulum/photosensors to measure deacceleration, it simply ramps the dutycycle of the trailer brakes over a timeperiod set by a control on the unit.

You simply set the time according to the weight of the load and how quick you usually stop. Although simple, it is quite effective.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:47 pm

I ended up borrowing dad's trailer and a mate came with me with his trailer so we went in 2 cars with trailers to collect the kitchen... I was relieved that I didnt take that trailer, I found out from data plate on that trailer is 710kgs, Liberty's towing capacity un-braked is 800kgs & the kitchen itself would be approx 300kgs.
Cheers
AP