Brakes are they worth the effort?

[RogerH]

My new to me Boler has the electric brake option and am wondering if they are worth the effort? Not sure of their status and my tow vehicle is a 1965 Chevy C10 1/2 ton pickup.

[Mike Bromley]

This thread should be interesting.

My Boler weighs 1440 lbs dry...a concern when galavanting thru Kicking Horse Pass or sections of the Crowsnest Highway. My impression of BC's 'trailer cops' is that they'd like us Albertans NOT to bring heavy-ish Bolers with no brakes. BC's brake-less limit is 2000 lbs, like AB's, but I've already had that feeling of wonder as my brakes heat up holding back the dead weight behind.

I'm reserving the option after this summer's travel activities.

[Roger C H]

My new to me Boler has the electric brake option and <span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%">am [b]wondering if they are worth the effort?</span> Not sure of their status and my tow vehicle is a 1965 Chevy C10 1/2 ton pickup.

Only if you want to live.

[BobB]

I'll vote for hooking up the electric brakes and keeping them in good working order. Dry weight doesn't matter. What matters is what the trailer weighs when loaded and ready to go camping. Think about how silly you would look after crashing into the rig in front of you, or after rocketing through a curve because you couldn't stop.

[Mike Ames]

I'd like to see pictures of the truck.

[Lyndon Laney]

The main advantage of trailer brakes [no mater what the weight] is to keep the trailer behind you in sudden stops If the trailer isn't directly behind you in a hard stop it will tend to jackknife to the side of least resistance and cause all kinds of strange things to happen

[james kent]

We've owned and towed our Boler since 1994 using a GMC Saffari van and with a Dodge Dakota. The trailer does not have brakes and there is no provision on the axle for them. We've never had a problem braking using these tow vehicles although if I had the option without doing a re-axle then I would add them on. If you don't put them on then always have your tow vehicle brakes checked before any major trip. And some things to remember.
-First, reduce your speed.This also helps your mileage.
-Try to leave a larger space cushion between you and the one in front and start slowing down well before your stop
-Finally use your lower gears to help reducing your speed when comming to a stop.
Again, if you have the option already on your trailer then by all means add them on.

[Bonnie]

Had the brakes on the PP and it does help with stopping and handling. Overkill? Maybe, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[RogerH]

Some good points and I will add that to my to do list. The drum brakes on all 4 corners of the 65 take a little getting used to and I have locked them up on more then one ocassion.

[RogerH]

I'd like to see pictures of the truck.

Here you go...nothing special.

[Donna D.]

I'm glad my trailer has brakes for the reason of economy. Stopping a half a ton, a full ton or more behind a tug causes excess wear on the tug brakes. The brakes on any motor vehicle were designed for THAT motor vehicle, not that tug and more by hundreds of pounds. Think about everytime you apply the brakes in your tug, going downhill, around corners, etc. Trailer brakes are MUCH cheaper to replace than the brakes on my truck.

[Darwin Maring]

In the state of Virginia, USA, If your trailer has electric brakes it must be Inspected each year.

So: You might want to make sure they Work if you have the same law where U live.

Electric brakes: Better to be safe than sorry. Really come in handy in panic stops.

[Mike Bromley]

Here you go...nothing special.

Sepfer the fact that it is a really nice looking plain-jane!

[Roy in TO]

In addition, the brakes can be applied separately to help control the trailer.

I once did an evasive manouver to avoid hitting someone that cut into the lane I was moving into. The trailer started swaying which had a major effect on my Ranger. For a few macro moments (which felt like hours), I thought I was going to lose control and roll. Someone else here has described the phenomena as "the tail wagging the dog". Had I known that by merely manually applying the trailer brakes, I could have greatly diminshed the effect.

The piece of mind knowing you will have more control when needed is worth the cost of a good controller.

[Gina D.]

I used the trailer brake panic button once to stop the CAR from hydroplaning. That millisecond was worth all the effort to have the brakes on the trailer operational.

[Darnelle]

Hi Roy,

Since you tow a 16' Scamp with a Ranger would you have any towing/driving advice for me? I have a 4x4 Ranger with a frame hitch (5,000 lb. rating), 2" ball (5,000 lb. rating) and transmission cooler. Owner's manual states the max I can tow is 3,600 lbs./350 tongue weight. I flipped my ball mount so the ball is at about 21 inches from the ground. My 16' Scamp is pretty basic -- no A/C, toilet or shower. Have 2 propane tanks and a 3-way frig, so I'm guessing the loaded weight will come in at something over 2,000 lbs. Lots of margin weight-wise, but the 16-footer has a lot more wind resistance than anything I've owned before. Ranger is an automatic and I will tow in Drive not Overdrive. I'm adding a brake controller.

Thanks!
Darnelle

[Roy in TO]

Hi Darnelle,

I don't tow a 16' Scamp. My only experience so far is with my 13' boler American. My 94 Ranger 4.0 V6 4x4 specs are somewhere around the same. Wind resistance is noticable, I would think with the 16' being a little taller the wind resistance would be a bit more. What year is your Ranger and what does your manual say about total frontage area.

Advice? I'm not sure what you want to hear. In the city and on hills, I keep it out of overdrive. On relatively flat highway (grades equivalent to train tracks) I keep it in Overdrive. If it starts hunting for gears, I'll drop her out of overdrive. IMO the tranny is weak on these. Mine likes to shift up and down in the 50-55 MPH range in OD.

Though I've got a tonneau, I've always wondered if a full cap or some canoes / kayaks over the bed might help with the wind resistance. Being a 4x4, I did notice less resitance when I raised my trailer a few inches when I replaced the axle. Some have suggested you get an air dam under the truck when it hits the lower trailer. I do know of members here that tow Scamp 5th wheels with Rangers.

My opinions may change once I get my 16' Uhaul VT. Till then, I'm a little nervous if the tranny will hold up to it.

Roy

[Darnelle]

Thank you Roy.

Yeah, I'm wondering mostly about the transmission. I'm getting conflicting info here in town so would like to hear from Ranger drivers. Mine is a '93 V6 4.0 with a fiberglass topper. Boiled the transmission fluid on my maiden tow with the 16' Scamp, but I had left the truck in overdrive. I'm pretty in-tune with the sounds and feel of my truck, plus keep an eye on the guages, and I didn't notice anything working too hard, in fact I was thrilled at how it towed! But it was late and I was tired -- I'd better watch the rpms since the sound and feel was good. I'm getting a flush and fill with a filter change. Can't get a different vehicle right now and don't want to fry my tranny! We bought the 16-footer believing the Ranger would handle it just fine. Can the transmission cooler get plugged and then not provide any help? Would a flush and fill help the cooler as well? I have the appointment with a transmisison shop tomorrow. I'll ask them questiions, but it seems most mechanics just want to bill me for repairs rather than give me advice on maintenance and how not to need repairs.

[Roy in TO]

Darnelle,
I've been told by a few tranny people not to power flush and fill the A4LD tranny.

They say, drain it, drop the pan and inspect for warning signs, change the filter, top up with new fluid then repeat after a few thousand klicks. My cooler has rubber hoses so it would be easy to flush alone but there is not that much fluid in it. OTOH the torque converter holds a lot more fluid.

If your tranny needs work they usually offer a rebuild and a remanufacture. I always get the two mixed up but one replaces all the parts (preferred) and the other only replaces what they think is gone.

I'm no expert on this, but suggest you check out the tech library and forums at:
http://therangerstation.com/

I've been expecting mine to die for a few years now. When it starts slipping it is usually low a touch.

[Darnelle]

Oh my gosh, thank you! I'll be leaving for the trans shop in an hour!! I will go to your link and print out the advice so I can point that out to the trans guy.

So far there is nothing wrong with my transmisison -- no slippage, noise, leaks, etc. I wonder if the cooler is plugged (if that's even possible) and I did boil the fluid so best get that changed (perhaps not via a flush though!). I'll have the trans people do an inspection.

Also checked again (and again and again!) via specs and owner's manual regarding tow capabilities. I should have plenty of margins on vehicle weight, camper weight and total weight. Trailer front exposure can be up to 50 sq. ft and I am just under that. If towing in Drive only doesn't do the trick I will bring all to a scale.

THANK YOU so much Roy! You are a sweetie!