Thread: trailer breaks/kits

That is one set of kit that isn't getting any cheaper... I'd caution on the 2t unbraked as you are exceeding the regulated unbraked tow rating of the vehicle towing the light trailer (regulated max unbraked is 750Kg). I've heard of some people who have run into insurance issues with accidents while towing.

I've got an unbraked tandem contractor trailer here that we were looking at getting converted to one braked axle - used to be a pretty cheap and simple conversion with a caliper bracket to fit standard RHS axles and you could pick up a kit for around $600 to do it. Best I could do buying all new was $1200 for a basic kit - bloody near fell over! Also WoF are getting a bit twitchy about trailers that are obviously able to be loaded past 750Kg - this is the issue we had with the tandem unbraked as it's 550Kg empty (solid little hua) and they are looking sideways at us just loading 200Kg. Yeah yeah it's used for plastic pipe nudge nudge wink wink.

Mechanical brakes are pretty much reserved purely for the parking brake for electric over hydraulic TB-class (3500Kg) trailers now, not worth investigating as a standalone. I would park electric drums in the same category - they work well but have issues like the requirement for an in-cab controller to get the best performance out of them.

Best, easiest, simplist and most reliable trailer brake setup is hydraulic with the override type coupling (coupling slides back pushing the lever onto the trailer master cylinder which applies the brakes to the level that the trailer is pushing the tow vehicle for in-built proportioning). What I've just found is a Trademe seller getting rid of 6 sets of calipers needing rebuild (I've got a few caliper spares here already), a pair of stub axles and a duo-fit override coupling (all up under $130). An installation kit and a master cylinder with lever and a few misc fasteners and good to go... The only other bit I'll need to fab up is a set of caliper brackets to fit the 50mm RHS axle tubes - you used to be able to buy them off the shelf but not any more. Cheapest I can do it for to be realistic and not shortcutting on any of the equipment (rebuilt calipers and couplings are fine, I use brand new brake cylinders fittings and pipework). To buy a complete kit off Trailparts or CM was prohibitively expensive for what we were looking at, as with labour and install it became cheaper to buy a new trailer!

Lights are a bit of a suck it and see - Hella and Narva make good LED's (not worth fitting incandescent bulbs now) but they are not cheap. You need to be a little careful with the cheaper options as well as often times they are orphans and you cannot replace like for like. If you can stretch to the top name gear for a new build you'll buy once but cry once. I've used several cheaper options in the past that were rated IP67 or better but flooded quickly and failed not long after. As far as fitting I would connect and terminate using either solder and two layers of glue lined heat shrink or use duraseal crimps and also find a way to run the cable with a reserve or excess amount tucked away to allow replacement and servicing of the lights. Also marine grade tinned cable - it's not uncommon to see trailers that have never been swimming turn up with buggered cheap cable that has fizzed down it's length and needing replacement. Usually it's the negative/earth cable (if you use the full 7-core cable you can get away with using one of the accessory cores to replace the earth, but most often they have fitted cheap crap 5-core so you're buggered and need to replace the lot).