Electric Trailer Brakes

I want to do away with the hydraulic brakes and install an electric brake system instead. Does anyone have electric brakes on their boat trailer? I’ve heard mixed opinions on them for boat trailers such as “you can’t mix electricity and water” and “they’ll rust.”

My take is Hydraulic brakes will rust too and if I waterproof all of my connections shouldn’t I be fine?

I drive a 2010 Silverado 1500 and, with living in Arizona, I would feel much safer with trailer brakes when driving through the mountains.


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They'll rust the same as hydraulics will. The only difference is the actuation method, a magnet with friction material on the drum face side vs a hydraulic cylinder. Brakes come with various components bare, painted, coated, or galvanized... Which can help them last longer.

The big issue with electric brakes is ensuring all connections are water tight. heat shrink butt connections crimped with a proper ratcheting crimper, topped with a slathering of liquid electrical tape and a heat shrink tube is probably adequate. It works for my lights anyway. The other question is how well sealed is the magnet and wiring going into the coil, that may vary by manufacturer, I'm not certain if some are rated for submersion.

I redid my trailer brakes nad wheel bearings a couple years ago and went with all new hydraulic brakes. I got the loaded backing plates to just bolt on for about $45/ea. Reused drums and master cylinder, new bearings, races, seals, lines. $284.19 for all the parts after shipping.

Looking at etrailer.com now I see 10"x2.25" hydraulic brakes assemblies for about $50/ea and electric for about $30/ea. So $80 cheaper to go electric. Wiring might cost a little more than plumbing (use marine tinned wire of overkill gauge), but probably about a wash after hoses, master cylinder if you needed it, etc. For me I just went hydraulic because it's what was on there and conventional wisdom, good enough for me. I don't know that's it's necessarily a bad idea to try electric, it's not like it'll cost you a fortune to try.

There was a thread on Wake World regarding this not too long ago and some guy had done an electric over hydraulic conversion. Basically at the axles everything stayed the same and there was a control unit mounted on the tongue of the trailer that would actuate the trailers master cylinders when the truck brakes were applied. I think he also has to get the tongue welded up so it wouldn’t move in and out any more. Let me see if I can find the link.


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EOH - Eletric Over Hydraulic Conversion
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...3&share_type=t


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Originally Posted by rdlangston13

EOH - Eletric Over Hydraulic Conversion
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...3&share_type=t


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Great feed! Thanks for the link. That a great example of how to do the conversion the right way the first time. I’m a little over budget on my build so I’m going to have to improvise somehow.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by cadunkle

They'll rust the same as hydraulics will. The only difference is ....

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Thanks Cadunkle! I’m going to give it a shot. Planning on ordering electric brakes that have been coated/ painted. I’m definitely going to solder and heat shrink all of my connections. Also I’m going to seal up where the wires go into the magnet. I’ll let you guys know how it goes!



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