Electric Brakes

[Onetime]

Has anybody done electric brakes on a boat trailer?

Want to put brakes on a trailer and a couple of people have suggested electric brakes.

Prefer electric brakes over surge brakes. Feel they have better control and no backing up issues you get to experience with surge brakes. Just never considered them for a boat trailer that goes in the water.

So looking for some feedback before I dive in. Anybody else put electric brakes on a boat trailer?
Would unplug the trailer before going in the water, which is what my routine is anyway.

[Euroski]

I just converted dual axle which already had disc to electric over hydraulic. A few friends with drums and also use electric and have't heard any complaints.
Check out hydrastarusa.com as they have complete conversion kits

Also check other suppliers as also have them.

[Onetime]

I’ve seen the electric over hydraulic set ups. That’s not what I mean.

Referring to true electric with the magnetic actuators in the drum.

[Instigator]

Ive been seeing them advertised on the new trailer boats but don’t know if they’re true electric or not.

I towed a utility w/true electric and liked them.

[JasonRS]

I used a trailer for one season with true electric brakes under my old bassboat while i restored tbe original trailer. I never had any problems with mine.

[mjw930]

It’s really irrelevant whether someone has done it and it seemed to work, full electric drum brakes on a boat trailer is not the correct setup. Electric trailer brakes are not designed to be fully submerged and will self destruct in short order.

The proper setup for boat trailers are electric over hydraulic. SS calipers and lines are recommended. No one uses drum brakes on boat trailers anymore either, disk brakes are the standard now.

Electric over hydraulic are the hot ticket, they work an order of magnitude better than surge brakes. The two trailers I have use surge only because I rarely use them. If I were to go back to trailering on a regular basis I will convert both to electric over hydraulic.

IMHO Hydrostar are the gold standard, https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Bra...Hydrastar.aspx

Combine the actuator kit above with the proper Kodiak SS brake kit here and your golden. https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Tra..._lbs_Axle.aspx

[roadkill636]

I worked at a trailer manufacturer and have built many trailers with electric rakes. I myself have them on my boat trailer for over q0 years now. Full electric. That magnetized a and pulls a wedge on the drum brakes. A very simple system that can be bought for around $200 per axel.

[Onetime]

Thanks for all the input.

This is for a 21’ single engine outboard boat. I’m close to the legal requirement weight wise at 3000pounds to need brakes on the trailer. Would like to feel more comfortable when aggressive braking is needed because someone just pulled in front of you and traffic is stopping.

To me the disc brakes with electric over hydraulic is overkill for this application. Not to mention would be at least $1,500-$2,000. If it was for a bigger boat and a lot more weight then it could be justified. Did discs on both axles for my 28 twin engine boat and the stopping was phenomenal. They were surge so backing up was a pia when all four discs would lock up. Was going to go electric over hydraulic. Made a steel block that I put in the actuater for backing up instead. Sold the boat so never put the electric over hydraulic.

I can be all in with an electric set up for $250. Brakes, drums, wire and break away kit. Worst case if I have to occasionally replace a magnet actuator it’s $25-$30.

[1954bmw]

On a surge brake setup, why couldn't you plumb in a line lock (like the drag racers use for burnouts) hook it up to your reverse lights and you should be able to back up ok???

[Onetime]

Have had the trailer hydraulic solenoid lock that’s wired to reverse lights.
They’ve been hit or miss on actually locking sufficiently. That’s why made the steel block so the actuator could not activate the brakes.