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Robere210's avatar
Robere210
Explorer
Jul 28, 2015

Elec. Brakes on Truck-Bed Trailer

Hi, first post here. Hope this is in the correct forum.
My tow vehicle is a '95 Dodge Cummins 2500 pickup, with an ATS transmission. I have tens of thousands of miles towing experience towing a 1960 2-horse, in-line horse trailer that I have restored and converted to a hillbilly RV. I'm very handy with tools and working around vehicles. I've rebuilt engines and transmissions, etc.

So my question is about a trailer I just bought. It was made from the pickup bed of a '74 Ford 3/4 ton truck, and has the 3/4 ton rear end under it. Whoever did the work did good welds, and I have no worries about it's stability as a trailer. I've towed it around 200 miles and it's very stable behind my truck. I would like to put elec. brakes on this rear axle. Anybody got any tips? Do I need to replace the backing plates, or can I use the '74 Ford backing plates as is? I don't expect to tow at capacity with this trailer, but I'd like brakes on it for security. I'm thinking of the type of brake that a signal from the brake lights energizes magnets and pulls the brake shoes into the drums.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2015
    Don't know about the brakes, but that's really cute! Love it! Welcome to the forums too!
  • Robere210's avatar
    Robere210
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2015
    Thanks Dutch!

    Choochoo, do you mean elec over hydraulic? If so, probably not--I don't need super brakes on this trailer--I'm an old guy and don't generally get myself into towing trouble. Then too I'm cheap. Elec over Hydraulic sounds expensive.
  • ChooChooMan74's avatar
    ChooChooMan74
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2015
    Robere210 wrote:
    Thanks Dutch!

    Choochoo, do you mean elec over hydraulic? If so, probably not--I don't need super brakes on this trailer--I'm an old guy and don't generally get myself into towing trouble. Then too I'm cheap. Elec over Hydraulic sounds expensive.
    Ooops, type. Yes. And, as stated, you have most of the hydraulic part. I think it will be more if you mess with it and convert it over to electric.
  • path1's avatar
    path1
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2015
    Trailer looks cool. Bet you have a hard time backing it:)

    Didn't know 2500 had top lights then.
  • JaxDad's avatar
    JaxDad
    Explorer III
    Jul 28, 2015
    My first thought would be to just add a hydraulic surge brake coupler and plumb it into existing brakes on the former truck rear end.

    You say you're not going to be hauling a lot of stuff with it so perfectly matched braking shouldn't matter.

    BTW, the backing plate on the truck axle will be completely different from one for electric brakes. The only way you could add electric brakes, short of doing some serious fabricating, would be to swap out the axle. I think that would be far more spendy than you'd like.
  • Robere210's avatar
    Robere210
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2015
    ChooChoo, the more I think about it, the more elec over hydraulic makes sense. As K Charles says, the hydraulic part is already there. I believe that's the way I'll go.

    Path1, yep... backing it up is a female dog. It's funny, I have a trailer ball on the front end loader that's on my tractor, and I can push the inline horse trailer backwards all over the place while on the tractor, but backing it up with my pickup is frustrating. I can generally get it about 6-8 feet back before it gets all balled up on me. You have a good eye--I put the lights on the truck cab myself.

    Thanks Jax. Yes, after thinking about it last night I'll just go hydraulic some way. Just depends on what I can find at what price. I do have a brake controller on the truck.
  • Robere210's avatar
    Robere210
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2015
    I just did more research, surge brakes seem the way to go. Thanks guys!

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