Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all,

Looking at fitting an electric brake setup to my camper and just seeing peoples opinions on the drum vs disc option. Are most electric brake systems on campers drum setups? Are there any major problems encountered with either, especially when used offroad? Presume as with a car that disc is better but is it necessary? Any other info much appreciated.

Thanks,
John.

Hi all...Nev,Im pretty sure you can only have electric drum brakes.

Ah right, so the disc versions are all mechanical or cable operated I take it?

as far as i know yes your right, i have never seen a electric disc brake. hmm i might google it and see if anything pops up as i am going through this now with my navara camper.

cheers mark

I have my own business servicing brakes etc on caravans, camper trailers and off road campers. There is no such thing as electric disk brakes.
Electric brake mechanism's don't cope well with corrugations. I do believe electric brakes are a better set up than cable or hydraulic brakes because you have more control over the braking, however in an off roader I would go hydraulic disk for sure. When ordering the coupling for your camper make sure you get the 800kg spring fitted inside it then your brakes work really well. Most people just buy a coupling with the std spring and wonder why their brakes hardly work.
Hope this helps.

I have electric drums on my camper and have owned it for a couple of years since it was first built.
I wouldnt use any other combo for my camper.
I have taken it through the old telegraph line both ways on a trip to cape york and never had a problem at all. They are Alco brand on a independant axel arrangement and i run 33s on them. My axels are a straight shaft so there is 2 equal size wheel bearings instead of 1 large and 1 small.
If i was to have another built for any reason i would use the same setup.

nottie wrote:I have electric drums on my camper and have owned it for a couple of years since it was first built.
I wouldnt use any other combo for my camper.
I have taken it through the old telegraph line both ways on a trip to cape york and never had a problem at all. They are Alco brand on a independant axel arrangement and i run 33s on them. My axels are a straight shaft so there is 2 equal size wheel bearings instead of 1 large and 1 small.
If i was to have another built for any reason i would use the same setup.

That's nice. Only two years? well I guarentee you will be replacing the backing plates within another two years. The electric brakes have nothing to do with what axle you run you can still have the overlay axle running the bearing set up you currently have on a hydr disk set up. I replace far more electric brake mechanism's than disk on true off road campers

DR Frankenstine wrote:

nottie wrote:I have electric drums on my camper and have owned it for a couple of years since it was first built.
I wouldnt use any other combo for my camper.
I have taken it through the old telegraph line both ways on a trip to cape york and never had a problem at all. They are Alco brand on a independant axel arrangement and i run 33s on them. My axels are a straight shaft so there is 2 equal size wheel bearings instead of 1 large and 1 small.
If i was to have another built for any reason i would use the same setup.

That's nice. Only two years? well I guarentee you will be replacing the backing plates within another two years. The electric brakes have nothing to do with what axle you run you can still have the overlay axle running the bearing set up you currently have on a hydr disk set up. I replace far more electric brake mechanism's than disk on true off road campers

True offroad campers you say
Well who gives a fark what you think about what i run. Have you ever seen my set up
To be honest ive had my set up for about 5 years. No failures. Has held together and travelled better then ones that cost double.
Couple of years was just a figure of speech.
I look after my gear very well and do not flog it over corrigations or the likes and it does me well.
Nev asked opinions about brakes and i gave him mine. Nothing wrong with letting him know my full set up arrangment.
I use a car trailer frequently with hydraulic brakes and i am not a fan off them at all.
Shore magnetics would have there issues but I havent had any at all.

Nev if it does help my trailer loaded weights about 1200 KGs. And as said I dont flog it and never tow the crap out of it over corrugations.

I do believe that there are two different electric brake actuators that attach to the drum. There is a regular one desined for on road only and a heavier duty more vibration resistant one for off road use.

I thinjk it was Carac in Dandenong that carried both in stock.

We have electric drums and hydraulic disk and drums on most of our trailers at work, The trailers all spend thier time being pounded to the max on corrugated roads.

I am responsible for the maintenance on them and there is no way I will be putting hydraulic on the camper I am building. They keep the "Lockout tag" manufacturers in business.

The hydraulics are constantly failing due to dust and mud in cylinders, broken lines, broken master cylinders, moisture in the fluid, etc, etc, etc.

The electrics still need maintenance and parts every so often, but more often they work, unlike the hydraulic and I reckon they have lots less parts to go wrong.

My vote = Electric

Sorry off track - nup, never seen electric disks so electric 12" drums it is.

My two bobs -
Hyd over ride brakes do nothing when the trailer is dragging you back down a hill that you didn't quite make it up. They might not work as effectively backwards as they do forwards, but they're better than nothing.

Ideally I would like a set of electrically actuated hyd brakes (use an ABS like actuator for hyd pressure) but $$$$$$$

Peter H

sierrajim wrote:I do believe that there are two different electric brake actuators that attach to the drum. There is a regular one desined for on road only and a heavier duty more vibration resistant one for off road use.

I thinjk it was Carac in Dandenong that carried both in stock.

yep thats right. There's an off road magnet available.
it has a nylon sleeve in it

Just ordered my electric brake axle and drums for the camper. Big axle and brakes 6 stud landcruiser 2 tonne rating. Also got longer springs with greasable shackles for a better ride 1.6 tonne rating. Pick them up next week. Towing the camper with no brakes was just dangerouse.

LudaCris

mate i av e been running electric brakes on my 1200kg builders trailer onroad for 10years and its done over 200000klms and i have only replaced the blocks twice same as the pads electric all the way

My camper has Alco electric brakes and I use a Tekonsha Prodigy controller. I like to know that going down a slippery muddly hill I can apply as much or as little braking as I like. They seem to be wearing well and have not given me any grief.

yep thats right. There's an off road magnet available.
it has a nylon sleeve in it[/quote]

Whats the difference apart from the sleeve

The vans we biuld at work run electric drums, except when needed to run air brakes, and the vans are plated as 4495kg full weight. I do the services on the brakes and am yet to see one that needs to be rebuilt or even needing pads and some are 5-6 years old

I run a plant trailer that hauls a 2.5 tonne cherry picker every few days.
It runs one hydraulic braked axle and one electric on a roller rocker assy.
the reason for this is that I can tow it behind my twin cab ute using electric brakes and behind my canter truck using hydraulic's.
maintance wise the hyd system requires at least twice the amount of work,or my guys break something ie master cylinder lines etc.
electric gets my vote.

www.trojanparts.com.au

"Hydrastar" Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Controllers
HYDRAULIC BRAKE CONTROLLER
Part Number Description
34911 Activated by an electronic controller hard wired into the tow vehicle, this model has a output pressure of 1200psi making it suitable for use with disc brakes. 12 volt