I know that electric brakes are probably a good idea, but I wonder if anyone has found them a necessity. Is the "E" electric brake ready?

*bump*

I pulled a Starcraft 1704 pop-up trailer that was close to 1500# with no problems at all. It did not have, nor did it require, electric brakes.

I've pulled two boat trailers with my E -- one is probably right around 1500 lbs. and the other is around 1000 lbs. My rig brakes fine with either trailer on the E's brakes alone, but I strongly suggest you take care to make sure your tongue weight is correct, especially since as a tow vehicle, the E has a very short wheelbase.

My 1500 lb. trailer needs a longer tongue, or needs the trailer axle moved back a hair. As it is now it makes the E feel too squirrily for me. I've known this situation existed before acquiring my E, but with previous longer wheelbase vehicles, the effect wasn't so pronounced. My 1000 lb. trailer however, is balanced perfectly, and it's easy to forget it's even there! I intend to fine-tune my 1500 lb. trailer to behave the same way.

I've towed up to 2000 lb. trailers for years without trailer brakes -- the thing is, you have to remember the trailer is there, and that even with auxiliary brakes, you need to plan ahead for increased stopping distances.

I was lucky once when I was much younger. A cop let me go without a ticket for running a red light on a rainy night when I had motorcycles on a trailer that I knew weren't secured at the rear. Attempting to stop would have either jack-knifed the trailer or would have flipped the cycles onto the trunk of the car, and since I could see there was no cross traffic, I slowed but coasted through the light. The officer (correctly) told me it was my responsibility to plan ahead, so I've done my best to do that ever since then.

[quote:f92328ffe1=" "]I've pulled two boat trailers with my E...but I strongly suggest you take care to make sure your tongue weight is correct, especially since as a tow vehicle, the E has a very short wheelbase...My 1000 lb. trailer however, is balanced perfectly, and it's easy to forget it's even there! I intend to fine-tune my 1500 lb. trailer to behave the same way.[/quote:f92328ffe1]

hownowcb,

Points all well taken. Thanks for the insight! I know that the "coastlines of the world" guy had a fairly aggressive trailer/weight setup, and was complaining of the very thing you mentioned.

Tongue weight, like character, matters. :wink: