New swing tongue conversion

[Jeffrey]

Check out my new swing tongue I had installed on my 2000 boatmate trailer at the local marine shop. The boat is a supra comp that's around 20 feet long. Basically they took out the old tongue with the brake actuator I don't use, and bolted tongue material in place of it. Then attached a fulton swing tongue device and fitted a traditional 2 inch hitch on the other end using the same tongue material. I can now rest easy knowing the boat will easily fit in our 23 foot garage at our lake house. Plus there will be enough room to walk around it without having to step and trip over the tongue. The shop does excellent work and is a quality operation if anyone is interested in the central Florida area.
The shop also cut and welded the handle to my winch. Before it was too long to turn without hitting the trailer frame. The previous owner had a pretty pathetic set up that was truly unusable. 117891179011791

[TitanTn]

Nice! But are you saying you don't use brakes? Not only does it make towing less stressful, but if you're ever involved in an accident, you'll have a tough time collecting insurance money (or worse) if they find out you don't have brakes on the trailer.

[cadunkle]

Not sure what a comp weighs, but it may be light enough that brakes are inconsequential.

[Jetlink]

I know that my trailer never had brakes from the beginning. There are plenty of times though that I wished the trailer had brakes. No close calls yet, just a slight pucker factor involved.

[CornRickey]

Could you possibly post some more pictures of the work and possibly larger ones? Thanks

[TitanTn]

Uh oh! Mine doesn't have brakes.

I'd say that you're legally required to have them, and insurance companies could certainly make that an issue of not paying if so desired.

http://www.towshop.com/trailer_supplemental_braking_laws.htm

[Jetlink]

So, the question I guess is, when did these rules come into effect and are there any exemptions or grandfather clauses?

[TitanTn]

I'm guessing there's not any grandfathering on this issue. It's safety related and is fairly easy to add to any trailer. On the personal side, it really enhances the towing experience. I've towed a lot with trailers that SHOULD have had brakes, and I've towed with them. It makes a huge difference.

There's lots of people who travel without brakes and make it fine. I'm just guessing it would be an issue for insurance companies in general, and/or if someone got seriously injured or killed.

[cadunkle]

I'm guessing there's not any grandfathering on this issue. It's safety related and is fairly easy to add to any trailer.

Ford Ford at least, cars didn't have seat belts as standard equipment until 1965, and no standard shoulder belts until 1968. Retrofitting is not mandatory. Seat belts are very easy to add to most any vehicle. Trailers may be different and of course every state is different.

[TitanTn]

Ford Ford at least, cars didn't have seat belts as standard equipment until 1965, and no standard shoulder belts until 1968. Retrofitting is not mandatory. Seat belts are very easy to add to most any vehicle. Trailers may be different and of course every state is different.

That's true, but seat belt use only affects the person who decides to wear them or not. Trailer brakes significantly affect the safety of those external to the person who decided whether to use trailer brakes or not. I'm not one to automatically agree with govt rules just because they exist, but trailer brakes not only make things safer for everyone, but they significantly reduce stress for the operator. There always seems to be a driver that doesn't recognize that I'm towing 6,000 pounds and need a little more room to maneuver. I'm often reminded that I'm glad to have brakes when I tow.

[Jetlink]

To continue this derail, is it possible to add trailer brakes without modifying the receiver? The frame of my trailer comes together about an inch or less behind the receiver and therefore quite a bit of work would be involved swapping out the receiver.

[CornRickey]

Should be very easy. Unbolt the old one, bolt a new surge brake hitch on. Run the brake lines. Most axles have the mounting holes for the calipers. Wire in a back up lock out. Brake lines are probably the most challenging. I'd buy a double flair tool for the brake lines. There cheap compared to having to buy exact length lines and couplings.

[Jetlink]

The problem is that the receiver isn't bolted to the trailer, it's all one piece and I'd have to torch it and do some heavy modifications to the area. I'm afraid that swapping out the receiver might make that area weaker, all so I can have trailer brakes for the 4 times a year that I tow.

[TitanTn]

To continue this derail, is it possible to add trailer brakes without modifying the receiver? The frame of my trailer comes together about an inch or less behind the receiver and therefore quite a bit of work would be involved swapping out the receiver.

You could easily install electric brakes and not modify your receiver at all. No need to run brakes lines either. Several years ago electric brakes would have been a no-no for boat trailers, but they are making resin-sealed electronics now that can even be used in salt water if desired.

[2500HD]

this should answer your questions about the legality. Funny thing, is that I built my own trailer for a pontoon boat and when the police officer certified it their was no mention of needing brakes.....it had none. Never had a problem with it though.
http://www.boatwheels.biz/brakelaws.pdf
http://www.brakebuddy.com/Towing-Laws

[wotan2525]

Electric brakes are FOR SURE the way to go over surge. They work much better and are a "current" system. You can find entire disk-brake packages online.

That being said, I wouldn't fuss with it for a comp unless you are towing with a small vehicle. Any recent-model pick-up truck will easily stop that load.

[TitanTn]

Everyone has to make up their own mind. For me, the ease of towing makes this an easy decision.

I seriously doubt the police will ever call anyone on brake usage. I'd be a little more concerned about liability for property or bodily injury. So even if you're over the limit by just a little bit, the other driver, their family, the state, etc., could make things very ugly for a "needless accident caused by a boater who didn't follow towing laws." Just to be clear, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone, just saying that the possibility exists. Again, this isn't the primary motivator for me to have brakes.

We did get off track from the original post, but this was a great (related) dialogue that many people participated in (other than the OP).

p.s. One more thought. Even the Comp would be over the most common weight limit of 3,000 lbs. You have to factor in the weight of the trailer (about 1,100 lbs for a single axle) and all accessories, fuel, etc.