Notice: We request that you don't just set up a new account at this time if you are a previous user.
If you used to be one of our moderators, please feel free to reach out to Chris via the facebook Outerlimits4x4 group and he will get you set back up with access should he need you.
Recovery:If you cannot access your old email address and don't remember your password, please click here to log a change of email address so you can do a password reset.

Trailer Queens .......................

General Tech Talk

Moderators: toaddog, TWISTY, V8Patrol, Moderators

Post Reply
Posts: 5457
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 9:49 am
Location: Sydney

Trailer Queens .......................

Post by Shorty40 »

I want to tow the 40 to the NSW night run on the 31st, so I will need a trailer :roll: ;)

Anyway, I have been getting conflicting stories about what sort of brakes I will need. Some say electric some say overrider. Even the RTA doesn't seem to have a standardised answer :?

I imagine the 40 would weigh about 1600-1700 kgs. How much would a car trailer weigh ?

This will be towed behind a petrol GQ.

What sort of trailers are people out there using ??

Cheers

Dan
Posts: 2820
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 10:04 am
Location: Redbank Plains, QLD

Post by Daisy »

lekky brakes would be the best idea i would assume. Regardless of which state you're in you'll still be okay while the overrider brakes would be closely looked at i guess..... Not sure here.. but Im interested in this concept as well as I'll be towing my vk to the upcoming summernats.

Tom
Posts: 7230
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 10:42 pm
Location: Brisbane

Post by MissDrew »

Electric are the best as they also give you the opinion to be able to lock the trailer brakes up with a slide on the controller, good if you get the sways up bad as locking just the trailer brakes up will pull it straight.

But hyrdrolic brakes are good cause then you can tow it behind any car, you don`t have to have the controller in it.

If and when I buy a trailer I`ll get elec brakes cause then it helps with stopping other people from borrowing it as they can`t tow it behind their rig unless they have elec brake controller in it to.

Daz used to have one that had hydrolic disks on it and it was very good.
Posts: 1781
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2003 6:44 pm
Location: Central Coast NSW

Post by Midget »

Dan
My first trailer had cable brakes,they where very average.. :roll:
My new trailer i built now runs electric brakes and it is probably the best trailer i have ever towed..
I would recommend electric brakes for your rig..

Hope this helps

Jamie
Team 4x4 Specialist 005
Proudly Sponsorsed By
WWW.MAXXIS.COM
WWW.STAUNPRODUCTS.COM
COUNTRY WIDE MECHANICAL
Thanks to
WWW.OPW.COM.AU
WWW.DOBBINENGINEERING.COM
Posts: 4275
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Sydney

Post by ozy1 »

iv got electric breakes in my gq, and have found towing trielers that the best to use are electric as the are adjustable from incab, where as hydrolic arent.
Posts: 5457
Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 9:49 am
Location: Sydney

Post by Shorty40 »

Sounds like electric brakes might be the go however, I can't seem to find anyone who hires car trailers with them :roll:

Everyone hires the trailers with over riders.

Does anyone know if it is true that if the combined weight of trailer and rig totals more than 2 ton you MUST have electric brakes ?? And would my 40 and a trailer be over 2 ton ?

Last one for now, does $220 fitted sound ok for the electric brakes on the GQ ?

Thanks

Dan
Posts: 2296
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 4:30 pm

Post by OVERKILL ENG »

All hire trailers will have Overide brakes as not everyon has the brake controller in there car from a towing oint of view you can't go past electric if setup properly the trailer will slow the tow rig down making braking a lot more stable.
There isn't much to wiring the controller in I would do it myself the units sell for less thsn $100.
SAM
OVERKILL ENGINEERING
www.overkill4x4.com
Posts: 1781
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2003 6:44 pm
Location: Central Coast NSW

Post by Midget »

Dan
You will find that your 40 and the trailer will most likely be over 2 tonne.
As for RTA rules,A standard car trailer (like the ones you hire)cna only take a maxium totol load of 2 tonnes (trailer and load).
You should really have a heavier trailer with both axles fitted with electric brakes and also fitted with a break away brake sytem,This inturn ends up costing a shiate load of cash and also means your trailer rego go's through the roof,it also means you have to take your trailer to an heavy vehicle inspection station every year for rego..
Hope i did'nt scare you to much...

As for $220 for your electric tralier brakes fitted to your GQ,Thats not bad if it is supply and fit..
If you can get a brake control unit yourself,you can fit it yourself,they are not that hard.(if you get stuck call me,i fitted mine to my 80)

Jamie
Team 4x4 Specialist 005
Proudly Sponsorsed By
WWW.MAXXIS.COM
WWW.STAUNPRODUCTS.COM
COUNTRY WIDE MECHANICAL
Thanks to
WWW.OPW.COM.AU
WWW.DOBBINENGINEERING.COM
User avatar
POS
Posts: 4318
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2002 8:52 pm
Location: Perth

Post by POS »

The unit for the Towing Vehicle sounds cheap enough, but does anyone know how much it costs to set-up a trailer with Electric bracks!

Say i could get a older trailer with overrides how much will it cost and what are the parts i need to set up electric brakes!

At the moment i hire a trailer from a local servo and is really cheap however it is always a concern to me what the person did to it before i hired it!
Posts: 4275
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Sydney

Post by ozy1 »

Dan, just had electric brakes fitted to my old mans GU for $240, had previous quotes all above that, like ARB $375, go for it
Posts: 1781
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2003 6:44 pm
Location: Central Coast NSW

Post by Midget »

POS wrote:The unit for the Towing Vehicle sounds cheap enough, but does anyone know how much it costs to set-up a trailer with Electric bracks!

Say i could get a older trailer with overrides how much will it cost and what are the parts i need to set up electric brakes!

At the moment i hire a trailer from a local servo and is really cheap however it is always a concern to me what the person did to it before i hired it!


Adrian
If you build a new trailer from scratch like i did,you would be up around the $2500 mark,but if you could find a trailer in good condition and just swapped the brakes over you should get out of it for any where between $500 to $800 depend on if you buy new axles also...

Jamie
Team 4x4 Specialist 005
Proudly Sponsorsed By
WWW.MAXXIS.COM
WWW.STAUNPRODUCTS.COM
COUNTRY WIDE MECHANICAL
Thanks to
WWW.OPW.COM.AU
WWW.DOBBINENGINEERING.COM
Posts: 4275
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Sydney

Post by ozy1 »

POS wrote:The unit for the Towing Vehicle sounds cheap enough, but does anyone know how much it costs to set-up a trailer with Electric bracks!

Say i could get a older trailer with overrides how much will it cost and what are the parts i need to set up electric brakes!

At the moment i hire a trailer from a local servo and is really cheap however it is always a concern to me what the person did to it before i hired it!


rang up about electric trailer breaks today for the camper, and was quoted $150 a side for the backing plate only, then you need to get the drums ontop of that, so all up tandem trailer, your looking at about $600 just for backing plates.

BACKING PLATES INCLUDE:- backing plate, shoes, magnetic coils,

Shawn
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:57 pm
Location: Brisbane, QLD.

mmm

Post by Brad »

With Electric brakes you can also fit the controller to the trailer and run it from your brake light wire. Yes you have to get out and adjust it on the trailer but it means you can tow it with any car.

I have a mate who's trailer is setup like this and it tow's 2 tonne loads plus just fine. Even stops with them on ..
Brad
www.offroadvw.net
Posts: 7230
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 10:42 pm
Location: Brisbane

Post by MissDrew »

Fourwheelin wrote:
You should really have a heavier trailer with both axles fitted with electric brakes and also fitted with a break away brake sytem,This inturn ends up costing a shiate load of cash and also means your trailer rego go's through the roof,it also means you have to take your trailer to an heavy vehicle inspection station every year for rego..
Hope i did'nt scare you to much...

My mother has a 4 horse gooseneck float that weights over 4t with the 4 horses and gear on it, it has 3 axles, has 4 breaking wheels, has electric breaking system and brake away system, it only needs a normal roadworthy and has been like that since 1985. I don`t know what the rego cost is.
Posts: 3299
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2002 8:28 am
Location: Sydney

Post by spazbot »

Having towed large 30kw gensets into the bush before, electric brakes are the only way to go, its a nightmare with the std breaks esp if your going down big hills etc th trailer likes to break itself and then starts boucing round etc, can be very scarey, had it happen to me on the big hill along the putty rd one day. had to do the decent at 10km hr
www.overkill4x4.com
ph 94766137
Posts: 2186
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 9:11 pm
Location: Melbourne, now with 1HDFTi power!

Post by +dj_hansen+ »

With electronic brakes, u can do safer hillstarts by locking up the trailer brakes, rather than relying on your handbrake and clutch. Same way semis etc use their pneumatic trailer brakes.

We have electronic brakes on our VX, and having been in different cars towing with electronic and hydraulic, electronic felt a bit more reliable.

:)
Cheers,
Dan.

[i]1996 HDJ80R[/i]
User avatar
Guy
Posts: 10366
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2002 8:43 am
Location: Wangaratta

Post by Guy »

I used the electric brakes that were enganged by the brake wireing (apprently the system that was used on the trailer I was pulling had some sort of gyroscope in it so the controller would put the brakes on harder if the vehicle was braking hard)
I was towning a house full of "stuff" in an 8 by 6 fully boxed in trailer from Cairns to Melbourne .. the combined mass of the GU and Trailer was around 5900Kg ... still pulled up quite Ok .. fortunately didnt have to try any emergancy stops.

That particlar system cost the owner of the trailer and stuff being towed about $350 to $400 fitted from memory ... I refused to pull it that far with the dodgey old hydraulic setup
" If governments are involved in the covering up the knowledge of aliens, Then they are doing a much better job of it than they do of everything else "
Posts: 2136
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 6:36 pm
Location: Lake Macquarie

Post by 4sum4 »

So what about exhaust brakes as well as eletric brakes would that be good or a waste of money
[url=http://downunder4x4.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1650]86 Hilux[/url]
and a 84 extra cab



If Rocks Had P^ssies Our Lives Would Be Perfect :D...
Posts: 1040
Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2002 11:15 am
Location: sydney

Post by planb »

paint it purple and call it a caravan :D
User avatar
DAZ
Posts: 1689
Joined: Sat Feb 22, 2003 7:40 pm
Location: Shepparton Vic

Post by DAZ »

I had a car trailer with over ride discs ( they were good ) it weighed 800kg to heavy with checker plate floor etc sold for nearly $3000. my next trailer will have no floor etc electric breaks , drop axels and im hopeing between 300 and 400kg kerb weight .
Posts: 1781
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2003 6:44 pm
Location: Central Coast NSW

Post by Midget »

Guts wrote:
Fourwheelin wrote:
You should really have a heavier trailer with both axles fitted with electric brakes and also fitted with a break away brake sytem,This inturn ends up costing a shiate load of cash and also means your trailer rego go's through the roof,it also means you have to take your trailer to an heavy vehicle inspection station every year for rego..
Hope i did'nt scare you to much...

My mother has a 4 horse gooseneck float that weights over 4t with the 4 horses and gear on it, it has 3 axles, has 4 breaking wheels, has electric breaking system and brake away system, it only needs a normal roadworthy and has been like that since 1985. I don`t know what the rego cost is.


Guts
I'm not sure either,i'm just going off the RTA book and also the trailer building company that are accross the road from me....

Jamie
Team 4x4 Specialist 005
Proudly Sponsorsed By
WWW.MAXXIS.COM
WWW.STAUNPRODUCTS.COM
COUNTRY WIDE MECHANICAL
Thanks to
WWW.OPW.COM.AU
WWW.DOBBINENGINEERING.COM
Posts: 7230
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2002 10:42 pm
Location: Brisbane

Post by MissDrew »

Unless it has changed in the last few years she only has to get a normal roadworthy for it :?
Posts: 1781
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2003 6:44 pm
Location: Central Coast NSW

Post by Midget »

The only reason i found out about it was i was going to have brakes on both axles and a break away system,just for the weight factor,and also it is illegal to tow anything over 2tonne total mass without it..
Until i found out the cost involved...

Jamie
Team 4x4 Specialist 005
Proudly Sponsorsed By
WWW.MAXXIS.COM
WWW.STAUNPRODUCTS.COM
COUNTRY WIDE MECHANICAL
Thanks to
WWW.OPW.COM.AU
WWW.DOBBINENGINEERING.COM
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:07 pm
Location: North Coast

Post by TUFF60 »

As i am in the engineering trade and the manufacture trailers, the rules state that a trailer with duel axels of 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inch in dia, both mechanicaly braked (preferably disk) takes the carrying cap to 2500kg. But who apart from the boys with F250's etc, who has a vehicle that could tow a trailer with a aggregate mas of say 3000kg-3500kg! Pretty certain, but if need be i can post details tomorrow after work.
NO EXPECTATIONS, NO DISAPOINTMENTS
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests