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Old 05-22-2012, 06:07 AM   #21
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Name: Eric
Trailer: Scamp 13
Michigan
Posts: 256
Good. We adjusted them very similarly. We first did exactly what you said, but with them barely rubbing. Then we drove and tested. Then we tried another way. We adjusted them more until it stopped turning freely and then backed off. Then we drove, tested, and checked for heat. We got a little better braking force the second way. I don't think we had "enough" rubbing the first time.
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Old 05-22-2012, 08:18 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by ericw View Post
We adjusted them more until it stopped turning freely and then backed off. Then we drove, tested, and checked for heat. We got a little better braking force the second way. I don't think we had "enough" rubbing the first time.
Good to hear.... it just didnt sound right the first time. You may find that after you have put a few thousand miles on the trailer & they have had a chance to wear in that you need to adjust them again, I needed to on mine.

Now get out and have fun with it!
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Old 05-22-2012, 09:59 AM   #23
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Name: Eric
Trailer: Scamp 13
Michigan
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We did both adjustments the first day trying to get them as good as possible. Thanks for the suggestion to adjust the brakes again after using them for a while. I will do that.

After buying our first FGRV last winter, we head out in 2 weeks for the first time. After that we are going to CA for 2 weeks (which is the real reason we bought the trailer!). We can't wait.
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Old 05-24-2012, 10:27 PM   #24
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Name: kevin
Trailer: 13' Scamp
Colorado
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My experience with 16' scamp with the 10" brakes, I could get that thing to lock up the tires very easily. I now have a 13' with the 7" brakes and get a pathetic tug when I put the full boost, full power from the tekonsha prodigy controller. I am a little disappointed, though glad to hear you have had the same experience.
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Old 05-25-2012, 06:28 PM   #25
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My experience with 16' scamp with the 10" brakes, I could get that thing to lock up the tires very easily.
Me too! GAD here I was thinking there was something wrong when I actually caused the trailer to 'lay rubber' and totally stop the truck when I cranked on the lever. I've backed the boost off and the trailer is capable of stopping both... but still, hearing about everyone's experiences on this thread, I was concerned. Not anymore... cool!
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Old 05-26-2012, 05:29 PM   #26
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Name: Ron
Trailer: 2008 13' Scamp
British Columbia
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I don't really understand the comments about the 7" brakes not being able to lock up the wheels. That's not my experience.

I just retro-fit my Scamp 13 with 7" brakes from R&P and fitted a Hopkins controller. My first slow speed brake test I locked up the trailer brakes solid. I dialed the controller down and I had my wife stand on the curb and observe the wheel. Still locked up solid. Dialed it down a bit more and repeated the test. No lock up and noticable braking from trailer.

I just made a quick trip from Vancouver to Calgary and back. Lots of chance to use the brakes going over the Rockies. They work well, I'm happy that I installed them even if they weren't legally required.

So I wonder about those with 7" brakes that aren't able to lock them up. Is it the brakes or the controller?

Ron
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Old 05-26-2012, 05:45 PM   #27
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I don't really understand the comments about the 7" brakes not being able to lock up the wheels. That's not my experience.

I just retro-fit my Scamp 13 with 7" brakes from R&P and fitted a Hopkins controller. My first slow speed brake test I locked up the trailer brakes solid. I dialed the controller down and I had my wife stand on the curb and observe the wheel. Still locked up solid. Dialed it down a bit more and repeated the test. No lock up and noticable braking from trailer.

I just made a quick trip from Vancouver to Calgary and back. Lots of chance to use the brakes going over the Rockies. They work well, I'm happy that I installed them even if they weren't legally required.

So I wonder about those with 7" brakes that aren't able to lock them up. Is it the brakes or the controller?

Ron
Have you weighed your trailer. My guess you don't have a lot of the heavy options and it's quite a bit lighter than mine some of the others.
Just a guess.

For the record mine has about 1500 lbs on the axle. Add about 200lb tongue weight for a grand total of about 1700 lbs.
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Old 05-26-2012, 06:24 PM   #28
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Name: Rick
Trailer: 1973 Bugeyed Boler
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My 13' Boler weighs about 1250 on the axle. I can lock up the wheels so that it jumps around like crazy if I manually use the controler. My controler goes up to 12 with 10 decimals between each. If I crank it to 12 it locks up manually. If I put the controler to 6 (what the manufacturer recommends to start) it does not lock up using the brake pedal. The problem is picking the correct setting for your trailer. I finally had to use the boost to get the setting I like. (I have 3 boost settings that seem to give a bit more brake) I think there is more than enough stopping power in the 7" brakes. I think you just have to set them up correctly.
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Old 05-26-2012, 07:35 PM   #29
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Name: Eric
Trailer: Scamp 13
Michigan
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Interesting. My controller seems to be the same. It goes up to 12 also. It is a Tekonsha P3 . It actually goes to 14 and it seems to be the voltage it is putting out to the trailer. I tried 6 and 12 and 14 and all the boost settings and read the manual 4x. Manual or automatic never lock up the brakes. I did it with someone who has worked on trailers for 10+ years.

How do you adjust the brakes? Perhaps we did something different. I assume you know you have 7" and not 10" because people have reported the 10" locking up like you said. You have a Boler and the weak brakes seem to be on the scamps, but I don't know why that would matter if we all have 7" electric brakes.

How many miles do you have on the brakes? Most people agree they get better with mileage for a little while.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I want the best braking possible and would love to get to the bottom of this.
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Old 05-27-2012, 03:56 PM   #30
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Eric
We have the same controler and a similar trailer (Boler 13 and Scamp 13?) Can you not get your trailer to hop when you are driving 10 MPH and manually by hand push the lever on the controler all the way to the left so that the controler reads 12 or more? Mine locks up when I do this. However it does not lock the brakes up when I drive normally. I have the setting on 6 (I think with boost 1) At slow speeds using the the hand manual slider I hear the brakes humming. When I first got my new axle the brakes were like yours, but after 3 adjustments and 4000km the brakes are now OK. Let them wear in and re-adjust
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Old 05-27-2012, 04:24 PM   #31
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Name: Eric
Trailer: Scamp 13
Michigan
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I go 10 or 25 mph and when I manually by hand push the lever so the controller reads 12-14 I get a distinct tug but nothing like the brakes locking up the axle. I tried settings of 6, 12, and others. I tried all the boost settings (which theoretically I didn't think would matter and it didn't).

I'm waiting for the wear in and readjust period .
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Old 05-27-2012, 04:33 PM   #32
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Name: george
Trailer: FunFinder
Missouri
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Originally Posted by rhkirkham View Post
My 13' Boler weighs about 1250 on the axle. I can lock up the wheels so that it jumps around like crazy if I manually use the controler. My controler goes up to 12 with 10 decimals between each. If I crank it to 12 it locks up manually. If I put the controler to 6 (what the manufacturer recommends to start) it does not lock up using the brake pedal. The problem is picking the correct setting for your trailer. I finally had to use the boost to get the setting I like. (I have 3 boost settings that seem to give a bit more brake) I think there is more than enough stopping power in the 7" brakes. I think you just have to set them up correctly.
The purpose of the 'boost' setting on a prodigy is to make the controller "ramp up the braking power" more quickly when you first apply the tow vehicles brake pedal. It does not change the total amount of braking being applied.
In other words, with no boost set, when you touch the brakes on your tow vehicle, the trailer brakes essentially come on gradually. When you set the boost let's say to "1", as soon as you touch the brake pedal, you immediately start getting 13% of what the total braking is going to be ( but the same maximum ). At boost 2, you start with 25% of the total braking.
You may find that if you set the boost too high, it can make the brakes feel kind of "juddery" ( technical term ! ) around town at slow speeds. So sometimes I punch mine back to "no boost" when going thru stop and go traffic, and then punch it back up to B1 one I clear out of town.
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