Trailer brakes question

[jkust]

I have a Shorelandr trailer with surge brakes. If the boat is unhooked from the truck and sitting on it's own, should the trailer brakes stop it from rolling backward or must a person pull the emergency actuator cord to lock them up? I was under the impression that the trailer brakes won't allow it to roll away while unhooked.

 

[oldjeep]

The trailer brakes do nothing when unhooked and do not use the breakaway as a parking brake - it is not deigned to be reset.

 

[jkust]

Ok, then I learned that the hard way I see.

 

[oldjeep]

Here is a video of how they work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyS51zwOghY

Shows how to release them and also the clip that you should replace if you yanked on that cable

 

[jkust]

Well, now I just need to repair the cabin from my stupidity. I had assumed the brakes held it in place, that the wheel chalks would be a back up and that a thick cable around a tree would be the emergency fall back. Clearly the brakes weren't meant to hold, the trailer specific chalks got crushed like cardboard and the lock holding the cable together snapped like a toy.

 

[oldjeep]

Well, now I just need to repair the cabin from my stupidity. I had assumed the brakes held it in place, that the wheel chalks would be a back up and that a thick cable around a tree would be the emergency fall back. Clearly the brakes weren't meant to hold, the trailer specific chalks got crushed like cardboard and the lock holding the cable together snapped like a toy.

Ouch - any damage to the boat, or was it just the empty trailer? Best bet if you are parked on a slope is a couple cement blocks behind the tires and a chain attached to the safety chains and a tree. Or just a chain through each rim hooked to the frame so that the wheels can't turn.

 

[jkust]

Sadly the boat was on the trailer on the driveway as I await my boat lift to be delivered. The thick metal piece that serves as a step/tail light is mangled but I'm scratching my head how the boat is unscathed. The ss rubrail saved the whole side of the boat but the cabin itself took a bit of a beating. Had the outdrive not been completely trimmed up, it would have hit the wood deck but it went right over the top by an inch so was really lucky.

This whole cabin ownership situation is a lot of extra work and money I'm realizing. I plan on doing the cabin repairs myself which is so far siding and outside trim damage. I need to figure out how to use two Cedar 2x4's as the outside corner siding trim to match. Going to get a table saw but not sure how to make the cuts.

 

[bruceb58]

The brakes are also not meant to be under pressure forever even if you used the breakaway.

If you don't know how to use a table saw, I suggest getting someone who knows what they are doing. They aren't simple like trailer brakes!

 

[dingbat]

....

 

[dingbat]

This whole cabin ownership situation is a lot of extra work and money I'm realizing.

Exactly why we don't have a second home anymore. I spent more time keeping up with things than anything else. Sold both and bought a "gentleman's" farm. Same amount of work, just don't have to drive the 1.5 hours each way between job sites every weekend.......lol

 

[edthearcher]

i also have surge brakes, my house is built into a hill, about a 20 degree incline, never trust brakes on a trailer, i keep 2 4x4 under my wheels

 

[jkust]

Exactly why we don't have a second home anymore. I spent more time keeping up with things than anything else. Sold both and bought a "gentleman's" farm. Same amount of work, just don't have to drive the 1.5 hours each way between job sites every weekend.......lol

Yep...I got a call from an unknown neighbor informing me of the situation late Sunday night when they got home and googled the ownership info to contact me, then I had to take off work to drive up there Monday morning to address the boat and cum-along it out of where it was sitting and assess the damage only to drive right back home. The boat lift I'm waiting to be delivered is over 12 grand, plus we need a fishing boat as well and a lift for it since fishing out of my sig boat is a chore. The quote to fix the cabin damage was more than I had hopped for so will fix it myself which will likely take a weekend of my time. Hoping the bleeding stops soon and that these are just first year expenses never to be revisited.

 

[bruceb58]

You have homeowner's insurance?

 

[oldjeep]

You have homeowner's insurance?

Doesn't sound like enough damage to get past a standard deductable

 

[jkust]

You have homeowner's insurance?

$2500 deductible on the cabin owners policy. Quote to fix was under that and a diy job is very inexpensive by comparison. Needed to buy $50 worth of tools/special cedar nails/couple blades/piece of downspout and maybe a couple hundred in trim and siding which I'll need to buy up there do to I don't have a vehicle to fit the long pieces of siding in. Will borrow a table saw and hopefully take me a day of work. If the boat would have come in at a sharper angle, the damage would have been a lot worse all around. I hate when lessons are learned like this but on the plus side nobody was hurt since we stayed home. I've learned more stupid lessons this past year...

 

[bruceb58]

I have a vacation home too. Costs a lot to maintain it! That's why I rent it when I can to try to cover the costs.

 

[jkust]

For fun one day I was checking out what people get for rentals around the area and to my surprise they were booked solid for the summer and were thousands per week plus non-refundable deposit and cleaning deposit. I think I would have a hard time with strangers using our personal place and not one bought to be a rental.

 

[oldjeep]

Bigger places bring big $$$. My wifes family rents a different place each year for 15+ people to hang out and ski/board/whatever for a week. I am always somewhat surprised at the things that are sitting out in the homes, but I guess when you are renting at $$$$ that tends to filter out the people who would mess up your house. Place up on Vermillion this year, but I think that one is actually an investment property not a place owned by a family.

 

[bruceb58]

Mine is booked solid for the summer except for when I go up there. Prices range from $300 to $600 per night in my area.

 

[jkust]

I noticed then that some of the places have pontoons, jetskis, fishing boats and other toys you can rent for a good bit of money per item. We have rented maybe a dozen houses ranging from slightly above average family homes to full blown estates over the last several years in different states. Always treat them very good. Here is one of our favorites we have rented every winter for the last several years. http://www.vrbo.com/176406 We book it for the next year while we are staying there each year.