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it is a conversion that is easily done and works very well.. I'm going to assume you have surge brakes now. If so, you simply buy a BrakeRite electric over hydraulic actuator. They come in both a remote control and a wired version, so you'll want the wired one. Once you use it, you'll see that they are a night and day improvement over surge brakes.
I don't understand what the complaint is with surge brakes. I tow a 24 ft boat with a surge brake 4 wheel dic trailer My truck stops the same with or without the trailer. I couldn't ask for more. We also have a 10000 lb box trailer with electric brakes, and although it stops well when the controller is adjusted properly, we're always fiddling with according to load. The surge unit seem to take care of itself. We tow with three different trucks and the surge unit is totally tranparent but we have to adjust the for the electric braked trailer.
__________________
Ed Panzella
"BAITS MOTEL"
2450 MAYCRAFT PILOTHOUSE
Higganum, Ct
What brake controller do you have in the truck? The best option would be what kerno said and go with the electric/hydraulic system. We have everything for the conversion give us a call if you have any questions on the setup.
The problem with surge brakes is that they depend on the tow vehicle decelerating faster than the load in order to work. Once the trailer slows an iota slower than the truck, the brakes release, since only pressure on the coupler applies them. Sure, surge brakes work and have worked for many years. But having the brakes apply in a constant an linear fashion is an improvement that I find very apparent when I drive the electric over hydraulics.
I don't find electric brakes to be an improvement over surge hydraulics. I have a car carrier with ordinary electric brakes and I think they are worse than surge brakes. Electric over hydraulic is a different world. Just he ability to set some drag on the trailer while going down a long grade is great.
also elec. brakes when used with a fully proportional brake controller give the driver full control over the brakes just like stopping your car or truck. Mechanical actuated or surge brakes are set to brake at a set amount and cannot be controlled very well how little or much braking is applied. In the rare chance you need to hit the brakes hard and need 100% braking, only elec. brakes with a fully proportional controller will give you that. In canada, trailers over about 5500#'s are required to have driver actuated brakes. The logic is that at this weight, the trailer and load is near or over the tow vehicle's weight and stopping or slowing is significantly better controlled with driver actuated brakes rather than relying heavily on the tow vehicle's braking system (most common driver actuated brakes are elec. or elec over hydraulic brakes).
any trailer can benefit from driver actuated brakes, but the bigger the trailer the more dramatic the results.
PS. i use the Tekonsha Prodigy and P3 and both a very good.
We also have a 10000 lb box trailer with electric brakes, and although it stops well when the controller is adjusted properly, we're always fiddling with according to load. The surge unit seem to take care of itself. We tow with three different trucks and the surge unit is totally tranparent but we have to adjust the for the electric braked trailer.
What kind of brake controller are you using, a high end controller will not require you to fiddle with it.
Thanks all for the information! The brake controller is a "U-Haul" brand, I would prefer to do the install-upgrade myself if not to difficult. I had to get an adapter which accepts my blade type trailer wire connector to fit the round vehicle mounted. My vehicle is a 98-GMC K3500 4x4 diesel 6.5L Again thanks for all input.
almost all braked controllers are made by Tekonsha and OEM'd "Uhaul", "Brake-rite", etc.
go to www.tekonsha.com and educate yourself on brake controllers and then go get a fully proportional controller and have peace of mind.
What kind of brake controller are you using, a high end controller will not require you to fiddle with it.
Don't know, my sons installed them. I think they're all different, at least 2 anyway. They all have a slider and a pendulum, that about the extent of my knowledge of them.
__________________
Ed Panzella
"BAITS MOTEL"
2450 MAYCRAFT PILOTHOUSE
Higganum, Ct
I switched from the surge brakes to the electric over hydraulic brakes. I like the feeling of the boat not pushing from the beginning before it starts to decelerate. Obviously it would deal with itself with surge but when I have more gas or gear in the boat i can change the gain so the boat stops better. I also dont like the extra movement of the tongue of the trailer with the surge.
My trailer came with surge brakes from alluminum slide on, what a joke that was. After sliding through two intersections trying to stop for red lights in the rain I switched to Electric/Hydrolic and what a diffrence. Theres no comparrison, my controll box can go all they way up to 10 but works great on 3.5 or 4.0. If I turn it up any stronger it jerks the truck to a stop. You will go through pads quicker because they will now actually be working and not all controll boxes are compatable with all actuators. I had to switch the one in my truck for a diffrent king.
Converting hydraulic to Electric
Converting hydaulic to electric braking
