Forum Discussion
Bionic_Man
Feb 19, 2019Explorer
For electric brakes, you will need to have a controller wired in at the dash of the motorhome.
While not in a towed, I have plenty of experience in both surge and electric, and I would choose electric hands down.
They have the advantage of allowing you more control. If the towed vehicle ever starts to fish tail, you can reach down and apply a little brake to stop it. There is no worry with backing up (without either a lock out device or a trailer with a wired in solenoid, you can't back up with surge brakes). With surge brakes, the tongue of the trailer has to move some to allow them to activate. So every time you pull forward, you will get a little bit of a jolt as the tongue moves out from being compressed. And while not common, if you are going down a pass and the weight shifts forward from a downshift, it can activate the surge brakes without you intending to do so.
In my mind, the only advantage to surge is the fact that you can tow it with any vehicle, and not have to add an electric brake controller.
While not in a towed, I have plenty of experience in both surge and electric, and I would choose electric hands down.
They have the advantage of allowing you more control. If the towed vehicle ever starts to fish tail, you can reach down and apply a little brake to stop it. There is no worry with backing up (without either a lock out device or a trailer with a wired in solenoid, you can't back up with surge brakes). With surge brakes, the tongue of the trailer has to move some to allow them to activate. So every time you pull forward, you will get a little bit of a jolt as the tongue moves out from being compressed. And while not common, if you are going down a pass and the weight shifts forward from a downshift, it can activate the surge brakes without you intending to do so.
In my mind, the only advantage to surge is the fact that you can tow it with any vehicle, and not have to add an electric brake controller.
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