How do your trailer's surge brakes work?

[IDBoating]

I'm asking because I have two boat trailers with surge brakes, and they are working completely differently.

My existing boat's trailer is a single axle with the typical surge brake actuator on the tongue. When the trailer is uncoupled (i.e. sitting by itself, not hitched to a towing vehicle) I can move it around manually with little effort.

My new boat's trailer is a double axle with brakes on one axle and the same kind of tongue-based actuator. When it is uncoupled, I cannot move the trailer at all. If I really, REALLY force the tongue to one side or the other, you can actually see the stress build up in the tires and axles - the front and rear wheels on the same side of the trailer twist and flex trying to prevent the trailer from moving. Yet when I hook it up to a towing vehicle, it moves just fine.

I have made certain the emergency cable isn't pulled. I have made certain the coupler is fully forward, as if being towed. I have pressed the little release button underneath the coupler. I have even tried leaving the cable connected to my truck and shifting into reverse (so the backup lights come on and therefore provide power to the backup solenoid in the coupler). Nothing will make those wheels turn. Yet connect it to the truck and it pulls around just fine.

I'm baffled.

[embo]

Don't know what is going on with your trailer, and I can't tell you exactly how my double axle trailer works but I know I can move the trailer around with no problems with or without the boat on it. I don't do anything special, so I can't say what would be wrong. But thought I would tell you my double works just like your single axle. Only time my brakes work is when they are suppose to.

Sorry if this doesn't help.

[lohe]

its a dual axle trailer..... That's how they are. You are talking about moving it side to side correct? If so that is how dual axle trailers are.

[The friend Ship]

Your truck hopefully has a bit more weight and horsepower to push the dual axle around. I cant move ours around very much, and it weighs almost half of your boat, but my f-150 shows it who'se boss

[Ewok]

Are you trying to push around the empty trailer or with the boat on it? Are you trying to push it yourself or with a tractor or hand truck? I think it's just to heavy for you to push around by hand. If you need to push it by hand to fine tune a parking spot in your garage for some reason I would use these, I might need them for my garage.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ZTC-5000/

[talltigeguy]

Sounds like you are pushing it sideways, and you are not going to be able to do that. With tandem axles, one of the wheels has to slide, and no person has that kind of strength unless the surface is very slick to allow one of the wheels to slip.

Have you tried just going forward and back? You could probably do that with a bit of elbow grease.

[zad0030]

Torsion Axles Bud.

[Timmy!]

Does it have a 5 pin connector? If so, it has an electric lockout for reverse. Maybe I missed this, but did you use the lockout pin on it when trying to move it backwards? Should be a little key that is shaped like a D.

[91Terminator]

If you are trying to turn it you will have to get it rolling first, then you will need to push it or pull it the way you want it to go very very hard, since its a dual axle the wheels fight each other, do not worry about the twisting, next time you have it hooked to your truck make a really tight turn and go look at it that is what they do, as you saw at our facility it is not the easiest place to maneuver so I have seen some seriously twisted axles. Dont worry about that. I move these trailers around the lot by hand all the time you just have to really give it all you got to turn a tandem axle. The hand truck is the worst with tandem's it will just flip the hand truck trying to turn you just have to use all your force. trust me i have moved and turned your exact trailer many times.

[IDBoating]

I move these trailers around the lot by hand all the time you just have to really give it all you got to turn a tandem axle. trust me i have moved and turned your exact trailer many times.

Thanks for the feedback.

I don't understand the comments here about needing tires to slip. Unless these trailers have solid axles (i.e. the left and right wheels cannot rotate independently). That can't possibly be true, right?

If all wheels can rotate independently, then it should be possible to rotate the trailer around the centerpoint of the four wheels. The long tongue - quite distant from that point - should give you lots of leverage to make that happen.

[zad0030]

We turn ours by hand all the time. Thats how it gets in the garage.

[IDBoating]

We turn ours by hand all the time. Thats how it gets in the garage.

That's what I do with my existing single axle as well.

I swear, it feels like the brakes are engaged by default and only disengaged when the truck is towing it. But I've checked everything and cannot see how they could be. And if they were, I'd have trouble when actually towing with the truck - which I don't.

[da.bell]

What type of vehicle are you towing the boat around with?

If a Ford, there is a relay that needs to be added. Ford doesn't put the relay in the breaker box for some reason.

[IDBoating]

What type of vehicle are you towing the boat around with? If a Ford, there is a relay that needs to be added.

It's a Dodge.

And the problem I'm having is when the trailer is DISconnected from the towing vehicle. As in, "Get it close and then tuck the trailer into position by hand when you're done."

[talltigeguy]

If all wheels can rotate independently, then it should be possible to rotate the trailer around the centerpoint of the four wheels. The long tongue - quite distant from that point - should give you lots of leverage to make that happen.

You miss the point exactly. There is a center point that the trailer can rotate around, and the problem is that the 2 axles are about 3 feet apart. By definition, one of those axles is further from the center point of rotation and it will have to slide if you were trying to make a pure 360 degree turn with the trailer.

Do what Terminator said and if you are moving forward or backward, the tires that are furthest from the centerpoint will slide easier.