Trillium 1300 braking system

[lisakmoser]

Hi! We have a Subaru Ascent and are hopefully buying a 1975 Trillium 1300 this week. It does not have a braking system. I'm not sure of the weight of the vehicle but does anyone use this without a braking system? We would need to drive it home without one (around 2 hours, major highways).

Sorry I'm a total newbie with this stuff!! Thank you!

[John in Michigan]

To be safe, trailer brakes are strongly recommended. For the Trillium, if it has brakes, they would be electric. Look for cast iron brake drums behind the wheels and a 7 blade connector on the tongue. Then you need to have a 7 blade connector near your hitch receiver and install a brake controller on the dashboard or center console that is accessible to the driver.

If the Trillium doesn't have brakes, it is possible to add them if the axle has a square plate with four bolt holes behind each wheel.

[jokra]

Lisa, there are several issues that you brought up and the first one is what is your tow vehicle towing capacity? That should be in the manual or available from the dealer. To tow an empty trailer like the 13 ft Trillium you should not need brakes, but you do need lights if driving at night and when the tow vehicle brakes come on. You can overcome this with the magnetic lights used by tow trucks that are available from auto parts stores but still require the correct connector on tow vehicle and proper installation on the trailer back bumper.

[lisakmoser]

Hi! On our Subaru Ascent the tow capacity is 5,000lb. BUT...it says we need brakes on anything over 1,000lb. And I feel like a Trillium is a little more than that.

To be honest I don't even understand how brakes work.

Our hitch has something to plug in electricity and I thought that was the lights but maybe I'm wrong? SO new to all this...it's like another language to me.

Thanks!

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by lisakmoser

SO new to all this...it's like another language to me.

Thanks!

Maybe you should get a book like this and study it so you can ask good questions and understand the answers.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idio.../dp/002864171X
Updated and revised, this guide is for the more than 30 million Americans who are living the RV lifestyle and the millions of others who are thinking about taking the plunge. It provides the necessary information to get the most out of the RV experience, including basic facts regarding the different types of RVs, advice on buying an RV, driving tips, information on how to choose a campground, and much

[John in Michigan]

Lisa,

Yes the Trillium 1300 will be over 1000 pounds, probably closer to 2000 pounds fully loaded.

So based on your first post, you said that you would not have trailer braking when you pick up the trailer. So in that case you would want to drive carefully and keep safe distance from vehicles in front of you.

Concerning trailer brakes, as I mentioned in post #2, for your Trillium, if it has brakes, they would be electric. Look for cast iron brake drums behind the wheels and a 7 blade connector on the tongue. On your tow vehicle, you also need to have a matching 7 blade connector near your hitch receiver and install a brake controller on the dashboard or center console that is accessible to the driver. If the Trillium doesn't have brakes, it is possible to add them if the axle has a square plate with four bolt holes behind each wheel.

[Alex Adams]

If the Subaru Ascent is like all the other Subaru models, the factoring trailer wiring harness will be 4-pin which won't power brakes on the trailer. You will have to get a 4 way to 7 way trailer wiring harness and have someone wire it for you. In addition, you will need a brake controller which is what actually activates the trailer brakes when you press the brake pedal in the tow vehicle. There are many options for doing this kind of setup from a fully Wired brake controller to a controller that doesn't require a connection to the tow vehicle wiring. What you do will depend upon multiple factors including not voiding your warranty by splicing wires into the tow vehicles wiring harness.

I went with a product called the Autowbrake which hooks into the wiring of the trailer so all I had to wire on the Tow Vehicle was a power connection from the battery to the 4 pin to 7 pin trailer wiring harness I installed on my Crosstrek. This eliminated any possible warranty gotchas since I never touched any of the wiring harnesses in the Crosstrek. At some point I will be posing about what I did along with photos. I just haven't had time yet.

[gordon2]

Other options to get it home..

• a flat bed tow truck ($$$$$) - Not a needed or good option really.
• Friend with a beefier truck that can handle the brake-less trailer safely. ($ - $$$)
• A delivery service that will tow it for you (like the freelancers that Scamp uses)

IMHO Once home you should find the best three trailer shops in a reasonable distance from you, have a long talk with them, including the tips you get here, and then pick the shop that gives you the warmest fuzzies (because they know what they are talking about and what they say makes sense and checks out).
Then let them install everything you need.

As for the brake controller, the AutowBrake might be the way to go.. Scamp is using it on some Subaru's because of some problem with a regular hard wired brake controller. No idea if that will apply to your car however. But I have doubts that you can add brakes on the existing axle anyway, so the question of which controller might be moot... so get some good local help to figure it all out.

[Jon in AZ]

Agree that with care and appropriate use of lower gears when climbing and (especially) descending hills you will be okay to pull the empty trailer home.

If the trailer does not have brakes already, look for a square mounting plate on the axle right behind the wheel. It’ll be at an angle with four bolt holes. If it has that, adding brakes will be straightforward.

If not, you’ll need a new axle with brakes. That’ll run about $800 installed, but not including the controller and wiring in your vehicle. An axle without the brake plate is probably older, and may well be due for replacement anyway. Torsion axles last around 20 years.

As said, get several bids for the work. They can vary wildly. Cargo/utility trailer shops are often good for this kind of work.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

...
If the trailer does not have brakes already, look for the square mounting plate on the axle right behind the wheel. It’ll be at an angle to the ground with four bolt holes. If it has that, adding brakes will be fairly straightforward....

Its the square plate on the left.. As you can see, if the wheel was mounted it would be hidden and you have to get low and look under the camper on the inside.



As for towing it home, it helps to have some experience in addition to all the other things mentioned.. greater following distance, using low gear on downgrades, etc. Its up to you and your comfort level.

[Jon in AZ]

Yup. I missed seeing the plate on my Scamp the first time I looked. As Gordon says, you have to get your head under the trailer to look at the back of the wheel.

Note the picture shows a leaf spring axle. Your torsion axle has no visible springs. Rubber inside the axle tube serves instead, but it’s also the rubber that eventually wears out.

[thrifty bill]

While the steel plate means you can add brakes to your Trillium axle, I believe that would be a mistake with a 44 year old axle. The torsion axles on Trilliums and many other campers as well has a manufacturer's life span of 20 years. You are way past that mark.

It is more cost effective to just get a replacement axle that has brakes already installed on it. That is my plan with my 42 year old Trillium. Trailer brakes are always a plus, and in an emergency, you will be happy to have them. Until you have that situation, you may not miss not having brakes.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

While the steel plate means you can add brakes to your Trillium axle, I believe that would be a mistake with a 44 year old axle. The torsion axles on Trilliums and many other campers as well has a manufacturer's life span of 20 years. You are way past that mark.
...

Yes of course you are correct.. but only if your assumption that it is the original axle is also correct, which at that age is questionable.

It might well be a newer axle with brake mounting plates but no brakes. Which just reinforces my suggestion to get a good local trailer shop to look at it. They can evaluate the axle.

[thrifty bill]

Yes, easy enough to test if the rubber inside the torsion axle has any life in it left.

[sdunshee]

HI LIsa, check out the state by state requirements for trailer brakes. Some states require them at 1000 lbs, 1500, 2000, etc. So you will need to adhere to what your state requires.

That said, I had the ebrakes on my Trillium 4500. It is essential, especially if you ever travel where there are up hill and down hill grades of 6%+.

The most important thing about my brakes is they SAVED MY LIFE. I was in a bad swaying situation due to semi-truck draft and the brakes allowed me to dampen the sway to a manageable level and maintain control of the vehicle.

Better safe than sorry.

Good Luck

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by sdunshee

I was in a bad swaying situation due to semi-truck draft and the brakes allowed me to dampen the sway to a manageable level and maintain control of the vehicle.

I doubt the sway is attributable to the semi. More likely the trailer was improperly loaded and the semi triggered the sway.

[sdunshee]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I doubt the sway is attributable to the semi. More likely the trailer was improperly loaded and the semi contributed.

Yes, you are sooo right Glenn, and something that a newcomer like Lisa should know. You can have sway if you are loaded incorrectly. Balancing the weight is key. The former owner of my Trillium had put a large room air-conditioner in the back window which really threw the balance off. But the old AC was handy as I live in the desert. I didn't realize until too late that it likely affected the load. I found I still needed the brakes even when properly loaded.

[ScamperWillow]

Hi Lisa, welcome!! The forums are an excellent resource and wealth of information, I learn SO MUCH within every post, and apply info to my repairs/upgrades. As a new FG owner I take many notes, and return to threads as needed. You’ve received well rounded and knowledgeable replies.

Wishing you good luck,. Please always make thoughtful and safe decisions and enjoy your new camper!

[thrifty bill]

Anything hanging out the rear is going to lighten tongue weight. Best to take it to a certified truck scale. For under $15 and less than 15 minutes you will know. My Trillium tongue weight measured at 220 pounds with my 1977 Trillium, total weight of 1540 pounds. Very lightly loaded, battery on the tongue, spare tire on the rear.

[GlenP]

Hi there, when I got our first Trillium, I enquired and was told that my Sienna would easily handle the 1300's weight because it is a lower weight than the vehicle towing limit. When I asked about brakes at an RV dealership, they suggested that a trailer that light did not require them. So we proceeded that way for years. Once we got the 4500, which is much heavier, the electric brakes were certainly needed and appreciated. But my 1998 Sienna EASILY handled the lighter trailer without brakes, whether it be weaving through narrow, twisting logging roads, or at high speeds on a superhighway through mountains. I could hardly tell I was towing a trailer because it was so light. I did have to gently corral swaying the odd time, but maybe I should not have been driving quite that fast at the time. Tapping the trailer brakes really helps with swaying.

So I guess my point is that it is certainly possible to tow the 1300 without adding brakes, I guess depending on the tow vehicle. The 1300 is great in that regard. Do you think that the Trillium factory was negligent when they decided that they were not needed?

Cheers!
Glen