Questions on electric trailer brakes

Carroll_B · December 22, 2002

I am planning on purchasing a 24 ft power boat. The trailer currently has hydralic surge brakes. I think in my state, Maryland, that after Jan 1, 2003 all trailer brakes must be converted to electric. I plan to tow the boat with my 79 C-20, 350 CI with a 4:10 rear. My questions are:

Is converting from surge barkes to electric brakes something that average person can do or is this best left to a professional? Do you have a ballpark figure of what this will cost me per axel? What brake equipment is required inside the truck to control the trailer brakes?

Shaners · December 22, 2002

I can't answer all your questions, but I'll take a shot at a few of them.

You will need an electric brake controller for your truck and some wiring and a 7-prong plug out back. If you have any mechanical abillity you can do all this yourself in an afternoon and it'll cost less than $125 for good stuff.

If this is going to become law, I bet there is a conversion kit available from some aftermarket company. If there isn't let me know and I think we could make a killing selling the "kit". LOL!!!

Your surge brakes are Hydraulic, where as the electric brakes will be Magnetic. So I imagine the whole guts will have to be swapped out on each axle. The tounge of the trailer may need to be modified too in order to remove the surge brake (Once again that is up to the guys in Maryland to determine). Your axles and drums should be able to be used again (I would hope), but the way the pads are moved will have to be switched over to magnetic.

Some states only require brakes on one axle of a tandem axle trailer up to certain GVW's. If your state is one of those, and your boat/trailer falls into that catagory, and if you don't tow far or in heavy traffic, then you could possibly save a few greenbacks by just outfitting one axle of your tandem axle trailer with electric brakes.

Sorry I couldn't help you more...

WEFs99 · December 22, 2002

The Hitch Man in Waldorf MD. has everything you should need to convert. I just bought shoes there and saw they have complete backing plate sets and hubs. I can't think of anything else you need except for blue 12 gage wire. Oh yeah....you will also need the break away switch and battery assembly. I have heard that some big organizations were hard against surge brakes but I wasn't aware of them being banned.