Trailer brakes locking

[dnash008]

Hello everyone,
I've been having an issue with my pontoon trailer since purchase. It's a dual tandem axle and tends to lock up the brakes rather easy. Most of the problems occur when backing up. Recently after trying to back the boat into my driveway the frame snapped on the welds right where the manufacturer fused the extension onto the single axle trailer to make it a tandem. I'll also mention the fabrication welds were very bad there and almost non existent. Long story short....it's all welded up and I have to fix the issue. One trailer shop prior to the frame snapping said don't waist his time bringing him the trailer and to just run a wire from my reverse lights to the electronic break actuator at the nose of the trailer. This would ideally disengage the electronic mechanism. However now I'm wondering won't the spring mechanism still engage the breaks when backing up? Or should I be looking at something else? Thanks in advance for the responses!

 

[bruceb58]

Do you have disk brakes? If so, you will have a solenoid valve that prevents fluid being forced to the brakes when in reverse which is what the one person was telling you.

If you have drum brakes, you probably don't have that valve and don't need one since they are free backing which means they don't work in reverse.

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard.

Do what the trailer shop said to do. That's how the brakes are disengaged so you can back up.

One trailer shop prior to the frame snapping said don't waist his time bringing him the trailer and to just run a wire from my reverse lights to the electronic break actuator at the nose of the trailer.

The frame broke, not because bad welds broke, but because like many of us, you didn't heed advice or read instructions. A single wire would have saved you needless expensive repairs if you had followed the shop advice before busting up the trailer.

 

[Silvertip]

Before free backing brakes came along, I know of folks who actually fried transmissions trying to back up and simply could not figure out why this thing would not back up. Does nobody take high school physics any more? But I guess I should ask if it is even taught anymore. One look at a brake actuator should at least get one thinking "how does this thing work".