Offshoreonly.com - how much truck will i need to pull 8k pounds

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormbauer (Post 4031509)

All this talk about brakes if a joke... If a trailer is build correctly and sized properly for what it is handling the brakes should be more than adequate to stop it properly.... The intent of proper setup trailer brakes is to stop the trailer not to push the tow vehicle...I am not saying to drive illegal just stating the facts...

I'll disagree. Here's why:

The overwhelming majority of boat trailers are configured with Surge Brakes.
1) Surge Brakes only work at 100% when the tow vehicle and trailer are in a straight line. Any type of angle between them and the surge brake actuator is not getting the same "urgency" (leverage) to stop as the tow vehicle which is trying to stop in a straight line (under normal conditions).
2) Ratchet that up a little: The tow vehicle starts to slide. Now the surge brake actuator is not getting much if any leverage to apply the trailer brakes.
3) One step further: The tow vehicle starts to slide, and cut to one side or the other AND the trailer has so much momentum that it pushes the tow vehicle around backwards into a jack-knife.

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Way too many trailers are cheaped-out, especially when they come with the boat from a dealer as a package deal; and/or when the trailer is bought for storage only and not expected for long hauls. This gets into the scenario you mention of an adequately spec'd and prepared trailer the for the boat. However, this is overlooked all too often.

I've towed the same hull/boat (37 Active Thunder) on at least a dozen different trailers; all at varying price points and specifications. There is a direct relationship to how much you spend on a trailer to how well it is equipped to how well it stops. EoH braking systems and brakes on all or almost all of the axles (2 out of 2/2 out of 3-minimum as examples) is the only way to ensure you are best suited for towing AND stopping in any conditions.

And yes, you need enough "ass" in the tow vehicle to have some semblance of control if you lose trailer brakes all together.
Converse, you also need a way to activate the trailer brakes in case you lose tow vehicle brakes. EoH and Electric brakes offer this. Surge do not.