Great Deal on Electric Brakes for Trailers, without CX-5 can only Tow 1000#

Electric brakes are not the only solution to achieve the higher towing limits.

My wife's horse trailer has inertia brakes. These brakes are drum brakes that are operated by the tongue pressure created when the tow vehicle applies it's brakes. As the tongue pressure increases, the trailer braking increases, reducing tongue pressure and modulating the trailer brake. The net effect is the trailer tongue can never apply a force on the tow hitch greater than a pre-determined amount. Thus, a 2000 lb. trailer can be brought to a rapid halt without undue pressure on the tow vehicle.
 
Inertia brakes won't help with trailer sway. Applying electric brakes manually when you detect sway will straighten it right up.
 
CC58 said:
Inertia brakes won't help with trailer sway. Applying electric brakes manually when you detect sway will straighten it right up.
Click to expand...

A properly engineered trailer will not experience what you call 'trailer sway' if the tow hitch is mounted at the correct height and the trailer is properly loaded. It is not wise to depend upon manually applied trailer brakes to deal with an unstable tow setup. That's a public nuisance, manual brakes or not.

But cars like the CX-5 that have small overhang (distance between rear axle and tow hitch) and that have a uni-body chassis as stiff as the CX-5 are not prone to trailer sway like flexy body on frame vehicles with larger rear over-hang even when the operator is clueless about proper loading.


.
 
MikeM. said:
A properly engineered trailer will not experience what you call 'trailer sway' if the tow hitch is mounted at the correct height and the trailer is properly loaded. It is not wise to depend upon manually applied trailer brakes to deal with an unstable tow setup. That's a public nuisance, manual brakes or not.

But cars like the CX-5 that have small overhang (distance between rear axle and tow hitch) and that have a uni-body chassis as stiff as the CX-5 are not prone to trailer sway like flexy body on frame vehicles with larger rear over-hang even when the operator is clueless about proper loading.


.
Click to expand...

Have you found your surge breaks to require extra maintenance or costly maintenance? I like that you don't have to mess around with force setting compared to electric brakes. But the initial price of surge brakes (even used ones) is kinda steep.
 
MikeM. said:
A properly engineered trailer will not experience what you call 'trailer sway' if the tow hitch is mounted at the correct height and the trailer is properly loaded. It is not wise to depend upon manually applied trailer brakes to deal with an unstable tow setup. That's a public nuisance, manual brakes or not.

But cars like the CX-5 that have small overhang (distance between rear axle and tow hitch) and that have a uni-body chassis as stiff as the CX-5 are not prone to trailer sway like flexy body on frame vehicles with larger rear over-hang even when the operator is clueless about proper loading.
.
Click to expand...

Many things can induce trailer sway. Improperly loaded trailer, crosswinds, being passed by a big truck, going downhill, speed. The CX-5 has a relatively short wheel base and high center of gravity which aren't good things for towing.

Myself, I would never want to be caught in a sway situation where I have no way to stop it. Inertia brakes can't stop sway, but electric brakes can.

Here is what can happen if you loose control due to trailer sway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfFbQpmqWk
 
Chris_Top_Her said:
Have you found your surge breaks to require extra maintenance or costly maintenance? I like that you don't have to mess around with force setting compared to electric brakes. But the initial price of surge brakes (even used ones) is kinda steep.
Click to expand...

It's my wife's horse trailer but I do know it has worked well for the 5+ years we've had it and it's never had any work performed. But it probably has less than 5000 miles on it. The inertia brakes came standard on the trailer so I didn't know they were expensive. The brake system looks very simple and easy to maintain.
 
Towed many thousand mile, never had trailer sway. I've seen trailer sway on other peoples rigs. All improperly loaded. I always lift up on the tongue to make sure I have no less than 50lbs tongue weight. Simple physics. CG in front of axle and proper tow in.
 
pjensen641 said:
Towed many thousand mile, never had trailer sway. I've seen trailer sway on other peoples rigs. All improperly loaded. I always lift up on the tongue to make sure I have no less than 50lbs tongue weight. Simple physics. CG in front of axle and proper tow in.
Click to expand...

I agree, a properaly loaded trailer won't sway. I have pulled a number of trailers for years. Tongue weight / loading is the key. I have calmed down a trailer where I couldn't change the load (one large piece of furniture) by stopping at a hardware store and buying a bag of sand and fastening it to the V shaped tongue. You want 10 % of the trailer weight on the tongue.
 
pjensen641 said:
Towed many thousand mile, never had trailer sway. I've seen trailer sway on other peoples rigs. All improperly loaded. I always lift up on the tongue to make sure I have no less than 50lbs tongue weight. Simple physics. CG in front of axle and proper tow in.
Click to expand...

Ugh CG something I have to compute each time I fly. But then again I dont want to pitch up or down uncontollred lool
 
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