Keeping your Trailer Brakes in Shape

With all the moving parts of your trailer, there’s going to be a lot for you to think about and take care of if you want it to keep working for you safely and efficiently. One of the key parts of your trailer is the brakes. If your brakes go, it’s not exactly the end of the world, but it does make driving and controlling the trailer harder for you and your tow vehicle. That’s why Howdy Ranch RV has provided some tips for understanding your trailer brakes and how to keep them in tip-top shape. If you need additional help, just stop by our dealership near Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Rockport, Laredo, and Victoria, Texas. One of our experienced professionals will help you with all your trailer needs.

Types of Trailer Brakes

First, it’s important to understand your trailer. The key to proper maintenance is knowing what it needs and to understand that, you’ll need to know how your trailer brakes work. Odds are, you’re working with one of two styles. One of the more common options is electric brakes. Electric brakes use an electrical connection (big surprise) to send signals from the tow vehicle to the trailer. When you hit the brakes in your truck or car, an electric signal gets send to the trailer brakes to let them know the unit needs to slow down. The signal is almost instantaneous, so both sets of brakes are engaged at the same time.

The other option is called surge brakes. By following the laws of physics, if you step on the brakes of your tow vehicle, your towed trailer is going to want to keep rolling forward. This lurch is what triggers surge brakes. When they feel that the trailer is pushing against the tow vehicle, they activate to keep the weight of the trailer from making it more difficult for the whole unit to stop. Surge brakes can be particularly helpful for people who are near the water a lot and don’t want to risk short circuiting electric brakes. 

Brake Maintenance

The most basic way you can maintain your trailer brakes is to simply keep an eye on them. As you use them, make note of the times when they don’t seem to be performing properly or even when something just seems out of the ordinary. Even the most innocuous problems can be warning signs for a much bigger issue. 

You’ll also want to perform regular, more thorough inspections. Check every part of your braking system for signs of damage or dangerous wear and tear. You’ll want to look for signs of corrosion on the parts that might indicate certain parts are grinding together. Also check the shoes or drums to see if they’re becoming too thin and need to be replaced. This should happen for both the right and left side of the braking system. If one side seems to be wearing faster than the other, then you might be loading your cargo unevenly and will need to pay closer attention to weight distribution. If this isn’t the case, then you might have a more complicated, mechanical problem to deal with. 

Also think about the kinds of brakes you use and how that might affect the kind of maintenance you need to perform. For example, if you have electric brakes, then you’re going to need to check and maintain electrical connections and wiring on top of everything else. For surge brakes, you can always try pushing the trailer forward to see how quickly the system activates and whether or not you might be looking at a brake fluid or master cylinder and wheel cylinders issue. 

However, as helpful as tips for at-home maintenance can be, we know there are a lot of times when you’ll need help from a professional. If this is the case, then contact our service department at Howdy Ranch RV. We’ll set you up with one of our trained technicians so you can get back to a safe and efficient towing experience. We proudly serve Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Rockport, Laredo, and Victoria, TX.