Can battery & brake controller be trailer mounted?

[3 Dog Nite]

I'm thinking about getting a utility trailer to tow behind my classic MH. There will be a solar panel mounted on the roof to keep the battery charged. This way, I'll only need a wire coming off the cold side of brake pedal besides the usual lighting wires. I'd love to get a slap on the back or a kick in the pants on this idea. All thoughts are welcome. I haven't done anything or made any purchases yet. I just plan on getting a trailer large enough to require brakes in all states.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, "YES" you can, but how are you going to adjust the brake controller to match the tow vehicle? And how are you going to activate the manual control lever when full brakeing is needed. "NO" you won't be able to. Buy a trailer with a mechanical/hydraulic surge brake.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by 3 Dog Nite

I'm thinking about getting a utility trailer to tow behind my classic MH...... I just plan on getting a trailer large enough to require brakes in all states.

3 Dog -

Please refer to the following thread:

1990 250 tow capacity?

- especially posts #2 and #4. Towing capacity is NOT limited by the strength of the hitch - in your case it is probably an engineering parameter that has MUCH more to do with the distance from the main axle to the hitch, and the skid resistance when a side load is put on the rear of the unit.

Pulling any more trailer than the rated weight behind ANYTHING is very dangerous, but especially a 345 due to the extremely long rear overhang. No amount of hitch beefing will change the posted safe tow limit that is listed in your owner's manual.

Remember, your 345 is basically a one ton truck that has been loaded 100% of the time with around 8 tons for the last 20 years or so....don't press your luck (or the suspension, traction, or drive train) by asking it to do any more than a 2000 lb trailer.

If you are not concerned about your own safety, please be concerned about those who share the road with you.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, "YES" you can, but how are you going to adjust the brake controller to match the tow vehicle? And how are you going to activate the manual control lever when full brakeing is needed. "NO" you won't be able to.

Have towed a trailer with surge brakes I would not recommend it for a larger trailer. Surge brakes only work when the combination is in a straight line. They are NO HELP on a curve because the tow vehicle is extending the tongue just when you want the brakes to work

If you use a standard 7 pin connector you can feed the trailer battery voltage forward to the brake controller on the 12 volt pin and still have an independent system operating off the trailer batteries. If you do this I would suggest you use # 10 wire for the battery and brake wiring going through the TV to overcome voltage drop do to line lose.

If you want to be able to pull other trailer with the TV that would require the use of the 7 pin connector use the center pin, commonly used for backup lights, as the trailer battery feed forward. You could also put relay on the TV end of this wire to switch it between the trailer battery and the TV backup lights thus have the best of both worlds. When the trailer was attached the relay would pull in and cut off the backup light circuit. When any other trailer was in tow the back up lights on that trailer would work.

[3 Dog Nite]

Yes safety is first on my mind, hence my asking those who may know better. My trailer choice was to be within the parameters choosen by Airstream. Being a fulltimer I must think about those states that require brakes on trailers that gross at 1000 lbs. I appreciate all of your shared knowledge.