Trailer brake question

Hip · May 21, 2008

Berne said:
for clarification...

all trailers travelling through WA need to have a breakaway setup?

cuz I ain't got one....

you mean the electric brake breakaway chord with the little battery that applies brakes to the trailer in case of a seperation from the tow rig?

utility trailer without brakes dont have them?

i do have the setup but the battery is probably dead....

Berne · May 21, 2008

Hip said:
you mean the electric brake breakaway chord with the little battery that applies brakes to the trailer in case of a seperation from the tow rig?

yup, that one.

fmj · Jun 7, 2008

trailers in Wa. with a titled gross weight of 3000# & over are required to have brakes on all axles, and are required to have a brakeaway system that will lock the brakes for a period of about fifteen minutes.
there are two types of trailer brakes,

electric> operated by an electric brake controller that is installed in the tow vehicle

hydralic> operated by a surge coupler mounted on the tounge of the trailer

skrause · Jun 9, 2008

fmj said:
trailers in Wa. with a titled gross weight of 3000# & over are required to have brakes on all axles, and are required to have a brakeaway system that will lock the brakes for a period of about fifteen minutes.
there are two types of trailer brakes,

electric> operated by an electric brake controller that is installed in the tow vehicle

hydralic> operated by a surge coupler mounted on the tounge of the trailer

You forgot electric-over-hydraulic and air. :fawkdancesmiley: Surge breaks bring the suck.

FYRMAN · Jun 19, 2008

TigTorch said:
The law is based on the gross weight of the trailer. If the gross weight is 4000 lbs or more you need trailer brakes. If the gross weight is less than 4000 lbs, brakes not required.

3000 pounds.

All car hauler trailers will have brakes because the trailer is capable of meeting or exceeding 4000 lbs gross. If your moving the trailer empty the brakes aren't legally required.

Yes, they are. They go by GVW. If you wreck the thing, they aren't going to pick up all the little pieces and weigh them to see if you were overweight.

If you had a light trailer with a Sami, you could conceiveably be under 4000 lbs and not need brakes.

See above. GVW.

Hip said:
yes both axels required by State RCW's. beware some trailers built and sold in this state do not meet the RCWs.....bulldog is one.

That was a mistake mad by the dealer, and the person that took the order. The dealer should know that it needed brakes on both, and the guy that took the order at the factory should have known that the trailers needed them. We were shipped brake kits for trailers several times because the factory screwed up.

Berne said:
for clarification...

all trailers travelling through WA need to have a breakaway setup?

cuz I ain't got one....

Technically, yes. There are no checks in place to make sure, but if you get the one cop that just had his wife leave him, he can, and will, ruin your day.

Hip said:
you mean the electric brake breakaway chord with the little battery that applies brakes to the trailer in case of a seperation from the tow rig?

utility trailer without brakes dont have them?

If your trailer is rated at 2990 pounds or lower, you don't need brakes.

i do have the setup but the battery is probably dead....

If you have a breakaway switch, you have brakes, and don't feel bad. Most trailers that are outside of 6 months of being new, have dead batteries.

fmj said:
trailers in Wa. with a titled gross weight of 3000# & over are required to have brakes on all axles, and are required to have a brakeaway system that will lock the brakes for a period of about fifteen minutes.
there are two types of trailer brakes,

electric> operated by an electric brake controller that is installed in the tow vehicle

hydralic> operated by a surge coupler mounted on the tounge of the trailer

Yup.

Dewey · Jun 22, 2008

Actually it is any vehicle towing a trailer that is 40% of the towing vehicle gross weight. unless it is a commercial vehicle than it is 4000 lbs or 40% whichever comes first. (according to scalemaster at Cle Ellum Scale)

All vehicles towing a trailer with trailer brakes are required to have a breakaway switch installed in Washington State (some states are different) and yes WSP does check and they state if you are in an accident and do not have one they could use that to determine fault.

Just my 2 cents worth and seems to be up to tha autorities and their interpritation just like everything else.

after researching it looks like we both had correct information so I included a web site to the edit... Hope it helps

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/150_015.pdf

TooRisky · Jul 7, 2008

Just my 2 cents, when ya get to hauling these rigs, mine is a 85 4runner, they tend to stop fine in controled settings. The problem arises when a emergancy stop is needed and this happens at least once a trip do to operator head up his ass or the other person senereo. Either way it happens and with out brakes on all 4 axles it is tough to get fully stopped when needed and you just dont have the menovering capability with the trailer on. What ever it costs will be always less than losing everything to a wreck thats your fault, and probably cheaper than the deductible if it was not your fault. Now take into concideration the family/friends with you or the loved ones in the other vehicle and the price is nil considering the benefit of a full on complete and working braking system.

fmj · Sep 12, 2008

new info to me,
trailers with a gross weight over 10k, the operator is required to have a C.D.L
but there aren't many cops enforcing this issue

ZedMikey · Sep 15, 2008

fmj said:
new info to me,
trailers with a gross weight over 10k, the operator is required to have a C.D.L
but there aren't many cops enforcing this issue

Got a link to an RCW? That number seems awfully low.

Avanteone · Sep 15, 2008

ZedMikey said:
Got a link to an RCW? That number seems awfully low.

x2. My haulmark enclosed trailer fully loaded /w Jeep is roughly 12k. I've been stopped recently /w it and nothing said about CDL.

J

zukkev · Sep 15, 2008

Anything with a GVWR of 26K or less, not required to have CDL---That's how Uhaul lets the idiots that's never driven a box van rent 'em!:redneck:

4xjunkie · Sep 15, 2008

Avanteone said:
x2. My haulmark enclosed trailer fully loaded /w Jeep is roughly 12k. I've been stopped recently /w it and nothing said about CDL.

J

Types of vehicles requiring a CDL
You must have a commercial driver license (CDL) to drive any of the following vehicles:

All single vehicles with a manufacturer

zukkev · Sep 15, 2008

4xjunkie said:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/cdlvehicles.html

Hmmm..learn something new everyday...good job!!! At least I was part right!!:redneck:

Avanteone · Sep 16, 2008

"All trailers with a manufacturer

zukkev · Sep 16, 2008

Looks like it; You can have a 14K GVW trailer, and as long as your truck is 12K or less, you're good to go....12,001 GVW on the truck and you're screwed!!!:screwdog: