Trailer brakes
I have a Cougar TT 31RKS that is 35' long and comes in at about 8500lbs loaded. I tow with a '11 GMC Sierra 2500HD. The trailer is 4 years old and I have never been able to get the GMC factory brake...
Forum Discussion
blt2ski wrote:
At least here in Washington ST, you need the brakes to be locked up if you move manual lock to full on. Then try to pull forward, your trailer brakes should be locked and holding you in place on a level hard surface. That is one of the field tests you.have to pass if an LEO pulls you over, a d checks to verify your brakes function. IF one or more wheels do.not lock up, you have a failed braking system.
I would suggest anyone reading this, find out what your state, or ones you travel thru require your trailer to do to have a legal setup.
Locking the brakes/wheels while moving is not required. BUT, trailer brakes manually activated need to stop, slow down the whole rig.
OP imho does not have an issue from what I read, generally speaking....Then again.
Marty
while my trailers (current and past) wouldn't lock the wheels on dry pavement while moving, if the controller was on full force and I was stopped, moving forward depending on the tow vehicle was either not possible or would leave the wheels locked.
Many of the guides for setting the trailer brake setting is to drive at 5-10 mph on a gravel surface and adust the controller to just lock the wheels on gravel. That's how I've set mine in the past and that seems to work fine, even in the few cases I've needed to make a high speed panic stop. you do NOT want the trailer brakes to lock up in a panic stop. worse effect than having the rear wheels on the TV to lock up in a panic stop!
On wet or gravel surfaces I adjust the trailer brake controller down.
The washington requirement seems to be a reasonable check on trailer brake functionality.
