Trailer Brake required?

[Jfuller678]

I just purchased a 1976 25 ft Trade Wind which I tow with a 2005 5.4 Liter F150. Would you recommend I install a trailer brake?

[BradS]

Yes Im not sure what the law says but they are required for trailers over 3 or 5 thousand pounds. Even if they were not required trailer brakes are real nice to have.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by Jfuller678

I just purchased a 1976 25 ft Trade Wind which I tow with a 2005 5.4 Liter F150. Would you recommend I install a trailer brake?

Yes, trailer brakes are required in California (and probably all other states) for trailers over 2,000 or so pounds. Your Tradewind has a gross weight of about 6,000 pounds.

Bill

[joe3957]

I assume what you are asking is should you install a brake controller in your TV, surely your tradewind has brakes.

[dwightdi]

You have brakes on the trailer. The question is which kind. If you have the disk brakes that were available that year you would need a vacuum connection plus a brake controller to make them work. If you have the drum electric brakes you only need the controller. There are a number of different types of controllers to choose from. All have their good and bad points.

[Kajtek1]

In CA any trailer above 1500 lb require working brakes.
Boat trailers are exception.

[Stefrobrts]

Yes, you definitly need a Brake Controller in the truck. I've been very happy with my Prodigy. I went with a cheaper controller at first and it wore out my brakes by standing on them at stops. The Prodigy winds down once your stopped.

[Goin camping]

For legal and safty reasons the answer is a resounding yes.

If your trailer has drum brakes you only need a controller installed in the truck and maybe a new plug at the back of your truck. You can DIY or any RV sales and serve, Hitch Co and most mechanics can install one for you.

Towing the trailer will be a lot more relaxing with brakes.

[moosetags]

You absolutely want trailer brakes whether or not they required by law. The Airstream should have the brakes. You need a brake controller for your tow vehicle. Towing a heavy trailer without operating trailer brakes is courting disaster.

I have been using a Prodigy brake controller for about two years, and I am very satisfied with its performance. The prodigy is about the most expensive brake controller out there ($150). I had two other controllers pror to the Prodigy and they were both junk. I think that I paid $70 for one and $90 for the other. If I had bought the prodigy to begin with, I would have been way ahead.

Bria

[Foiled Again]

Can you say "Jacknife"?

I blew a rear road side tire in my tow vehicle - on my big first trip out with my new 25 FB SE. Fortunately going uphill - unfortunately at 65 mph. The Airstream acted as an anchor - and it's brakes kept me straight as I stopped and pulled over.

My 2003 Suburban with oversized tires could have easily rolled without the Airstream in tow, and without the Airstream's brakes I'd have never successfully negotiated two lanes to the right berm.

Paula

[scf31]

I must agree with everyone else, I also have a 25 footer , Tow with a 2500 Chevy, Brakes are a must !!!! lots of crazys out there that cant drive , never know when you got to nail the brakes hard, there is no choice here

[vswingfield]

Why would you not want trailer brakes? It escapes me!

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, my Navigator has great brakes, but I couldn't imagine trying to stop with an extra six thousand pounds on back without it's own brakes. I recently replaced my Tekonsha Voyager with the Tekonsha P-3; This Friday will be my first time out with the new brake controller. I'm curious if I will actually feel any difference in brakeing. But I do know it will be a lot easier to adjust knowing that it has numbers instead of just an LED light. Anyhow it sure looks better.

[flyfshr]

No Trailer Brakes?

Imagine, if you will, that you have your house refrigerator on a two wheeled dolly and you're rolling it down your desending sloped driveway by yourself and the fridge is sort of pushing you along because of its weight. Now - try stopping. You can do it but it would be so much better, and safer, to have a second person behind the fridge helping you stop it. Brakes need to be supplied to where the weight resides.

Brad
FF

[yukionna]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

No Trailer Brakes?

Imagine, if you will, that you have your house refrigerator on a two wheeled dolly and you're rolling it down your desending sloped driveway by yourself and the fridge is sort of pushing you along because of its weight. Now - try stopping. You can do it but it would be so much better, and safer, to have a second person behind the fridge helping you stop it. Brakes need to be supplied to where the weight resides.

Good analogy! I forgot to turn on my brakes shortly after we purchased our trailer and I remember saying out loud to my husband that the truck wasn't stopping as we approached a stop sign, with the truck brakes on. It is a strange (and scary) sensation when you have your foot on the brakes but are still being gently pushed forward.

[Lumatic]

Your F150 is capable of stopping your rig 99.9% of the time. The .1% is panic stops. In this situation not having brakes on the trailer will result in a stopping distance of twice as long and a good chance of jack knifing the trailer without trailer brakes. The combined weight of the F150 and Tradewind is at least 10,000 pounds.

[Jfuller678]

Thank you all very much for you responses. I thought I knew the answer but as a first time trailer owner I wasn't sure. This forum is great and I look forward to the day I can actually answer someone elses question.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Jfuller678

I just purchased a 1976 25 ft Trade Wind which I tow with a 2005 5.4 Liter F150. Would you recommend I install a trailer brake?

What you do depends on the value that you place on yours, your families, and others lives.

If you feel that they are of little value, then don't do anything, for a hitch or brake controller.

If you feel theirs lives, and yours has an infinite value, then do everything you can do, regardless of costs.

BS is an abbreviation for many things.

When Airstreaming, BS means don't "be sorry," and it also means "be safe."

Being safe, by doing everything by the "book," pays huge dividends.

Andy

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by Jfuller678

I just purchased a 1976 25 ft Trade Wind which I tow with a 2005 5.4 Liter F150. Would you recommend I install a trailer brake?

Safety,
First the brakes for your Turck are designed to stop the truck. get a brake controller.
Second: when the trailer starts pushing the truck bad things shappen. See my website Truck Trailer Accident