As a responsible boater and father, I try to learn and follow all rules and regulations. This way, ensure my safety, the safety of my family’s and fellow boaters as well. Been a commercial driver and pulling trailers for a living is how I came to wonder whether or not my boat trailer needs brakes. I did a lot of research and want to share it with you in this article.
So does my boat trailer need brakes? It is recommended in the majority of the states that trailers with a total gross weight of over 3000 lb have to be equipped with an Independent braking system. However, most experts suggest that they should be installed on trailers 1500 lb or heavier.
There are some safety precautions as well as other information about brakes on your trailer, which will be more easily understood later after reading this article.
Are Brakes Required On a Boat Trailer?
Use the following table to find out if your boat trailer needs brakes depending on where you live or where you plan on taking your boat and the weight of your trailer and boat combined. Click here for more detail about specific regulations by state
| State | brakes required | Weight |
| Alabama | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Alaska | Yes | Over 5,000 lbs |
| Arizona | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Arkansas | Yes | Over 1,500 lbs |
| California | Yes | Over 1,500 lbs |
| Colorado | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Connecticut | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Delaware | Yes | Over 4,000 lbs |
| District Of Columbia | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Florida | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Georgia | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Hawaii | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Idaho | Yes | Over 1,500 lbs |
| Illinois | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Indiana | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Iowa | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Kansas | Yes | No specific weight |
| Kentucky | No | |
| Louisiana | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Maine | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Maryland | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Over 10,000 lbs |
| Michigan | Yes | Over 15,000 lbs |
| Mississippi | Yes | Over 2,000 lbs |
| Missouri | No | |
| Montana | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Nebraska | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Nevada | Yes | Over 1,500 lbs |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| New Jersey | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| New Mexico | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| New York | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| North Carolina | Yes | Over 1,000 lbs |
| North Dakota | Yes | No specific weight |
| Ohio | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Oregon | No | |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | No specific weight |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Over 4,000 lbs |
| South Carolina | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| South Dakota | Yes | All |
| Tennessee | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Texas | Yes | Over 4,500 lbs |
| Utah | Yes | No specific weight |
| Vermont | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Virginia | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Washington | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| West Virginia | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Over 3,000 lbs |
| Wyoming | Yes | No specific weight |
The laws dictating boat trailer brakes may differ from state to state, but the majority of the states are in agreement and require you to have brakes on your trailer. As you can see in the table above, the magic formula for most states to require breaks on the trailer is about 3,000 lbs of combined weight. Others demand that all boat trailers have brakes, and some states have virtually no laws with regards to boat trailer brakes.
As states that require having brakes seem to be in the majority, it is safe to assume that most boat trailers should be equipped with an Independent braking system.
Do All Boat Trailers Have Brakes?
Not all boat trailers have brakes, it depends greatly on the size of the trailer and the manufacturer. Usually, single axle trailers don’t come equipped with brakes from the factory. For the most part trailers with two axles or more, come equipped with brakes.
Can I Add Brakes To My Boat Trailer?
If you purchased your trailer and it did not come equipped with brakes, relax you might still be able to add brakes to your trailer. This can be done if the trailer has flanges welded to the axle. Flanges are metal bases with four slots for 10″ brakes and five slots for 12″ brakes. These flanges must be straight and perpendicular to the spindle and DIY welding them to the axle is not recommended. It is important to note that if the flanges are not perfectly aligned in a 90° to the spindle, then the brakes will not be well centered in the brake hub, which will cause issues down the line.
Types Of Boat Trailer Brakes
There are basically three types of boat trailer brakes, and they are, hydraulic surge brakes, hydraulic disc brakes and electric over hydraulic brakes. The three types differ in suitability in accordance with your boat’s size, usage, and conditions.
Types Of Boat Trailer Brakes
There are basically three types of boat trailer brakes, and they are, hydraulic surge brakes, hydraulic disc brakes and electric over hydraulic brakes. These three types work differently, here is a basic explanation of how they work to help you determine which will work best for you.
Hydraulic surge brakes- this is the most common form of boat trailer brakes. The technology behind this kind of brakes is straightforward and works excellent. Basically, they use the trailer’s momentum to apply hydraulic pressure to the brakes and slow down the trailer. When you step on the brake pedal on your vehicle, the boat trailers push to the hitch. This pushing force applies pressure to a hydraulic cylinder that engages the trailer’s brake mechanism. In other words, the more you push on that brake pedal, the more pressure is applied to the hydraulic cylinder making the trailer slow down more.
Surge brakes work great and are very reliable. Still, the major downside to them is that you don’t have the ability to apply the brakes manually.
Disc Trailer Brakes– The biggest characteristic of hydraulic disk brakes is power. With disk brakes, your trailer will be able to stop faster, allowing you to pull your trailer through various terrains. Disc brakes are made with a variety of materials, including E-coating, stainless steel, standard automotive, and cadmium. Stainless steel disc brakes may be more preferable to the other materials because it is more durable. However, that property does not make it completely corrosion resistant.
Disc brakes self adjust and have only one moving part, which is the caliper. In contrast, drum brakes have to be manually adjusted on occasion or a more accurate appraisal of every 3000 to 5000 miles. They may have nine to twelve moving parts. Often more moving parts equals more elements that can break down and generally a shorter lifespan overall.
Disc brakes being are also self-adjusting. This translates in less maintenance while still providing a steady and even braking on each axle, making for smooth manipulation. Their main disadvantage, however, is how expensive they are. The installation cost of a disc brake can be double the cost to install a drum brake.
Electric Over Hydraulic Brakes- These brakes work by combining both hydraulic and electric. Hydraulic pressure is applied to the disk or drums by an electric pump. The electric pump usually sits in the tongue of the trailer away from the water and can be adjusted easily. Although this type of brake mechanism is relatively new, a lot of hi-end boat trailers are choosing them over the other options. Still, a lot of people do not prefer electric brakes because water and electricity usually do not work well together, but they still a solid option.
Brake Maintenance
It is necessary to keep your brakes clean no matter what kind you have installed. Rinsing off brakes with water after each use is a good practice. If, like me, you do most of your boating in saltwater, then rinsing them with fresh water becomes even more critical. Keep in mind that all metal parts are prompt to corrosion just from regular water and even more so if submerged in saltwater.
If your marina provides washing down stations, then try as much as possible to hose down the trailer and the brakes as soon as you can, but if those facilities are not available, rinse it really well with fresh water as soon as you get home. If you have access to a lake, another option will be to dump it in the lake on your way home, I like doing this because it allows me to rinse the trailer and flush the engine at the same time.
Periodic examination of the brakes should be a part of your maintenance routine, look for excessive rust, leaks in the cylinders and hoses connections, and excessive wear. The caliper pins, as well as any moving parts on the brakes, should also be inspected and greased as necessary.
Advantages of Disc Brakes Over Drum Brakes
Disc trailer brakes are an improvement over drum brakes. Here’s why:
- Disc brakes are easier to maintain and clean.
- They have a lesser number of moving parts which means it lasts longer and is not as susceptible to wear and deterioration
- Disc brakes do not have to be manually adjusted as they do that automatically on their own.
- They have a higher braking power as opposed to drum brakes.
- Disc brakes can be examined for faults without removing their components.
Do All Trailers Have Brakes?
Not all boat trailers come equipped with brakes. As we discussed above, not all states require brakes, and for most boats under 16 feet, the total weight is not enough to need brakes. Therefore most boat trailer manufacturers won’t even bother installing brakes on smaller brakes. A good example is a personal watercraft, most jet ski boat trailers (single or double) don’t have brakes.
Adding Brakes to Your Trailer
If you purchased your trailer and it did not come with brakes, don’t worry, you don’t have to buy another trailer. You can add aftermarket brakes to your trailer.
Brakes can be added to an axle that does not have brakes if the axle has brake flanges welded to the axle. These flanges are metal plates with four holes for 10″ brakes and five holes for 12″ brakes. According to Tie Down Engineering, it is not advisable to try to weld these on. The brake flanges must be straight and 90° to the spindle. If they are not “square” to the spindle, the brakes will not center properly in the brake hub or rotor, and this will create wear problems.
West Marine
Can You Use Electric Brakes On a Boat Trailer?
Because of the danger of mixing electricity with water poses, many people aren’t fans of electric brakes. Still, due to the now available option of electric over hydraulic brakes on boat trailers, it is safe to say that more people are choosing electric brakes.
These brake types come to life when the towing vehicle’s brakes are used, and the trailer moves forward like the standard hydraulic brakes with a marked difference of almost no lagging time because of the electricity powering the brakes.
There are electric over hydraulic brakes available for both disc and drum brakes, but it is important to note that 1000 psi is used on drum brakes for electric over hydraulic brake systems while disc brakes have 1500 psi.
Electric Brakes Vs. Water
Although more trailers are going the electrical way for their brakes, the electric over hydraulic actuator mustn’t become wet. This, however, does not mean it should be indoors when it rains as it is built sturdily enough to withstand harsh climates. However, manufacturers advise against submerging them at boat ramps.
When power hosing down your boat to prevent organisms from attaching themselves to the vessel, completely clear is the best way to avoid any unpleasant incidents.
Electric over hydraulic brakes are suggested as being most suitable for boats that weigh over 3500 pounds because of the exertion it places on the brakes not powered by electricity.
Even though electrical brakes have a lot of advantages over their non-electrical counterparts, their one disadvantage is how expensive they are. They can cost $2000 or even more to install, depending on the brake, truck, or trailer type, and this is even after the prices have been significantly lowered. You can cut down costs if you have it installed as part of a package.
Related Questions
Are there emergency breakaway systems for trailer brakes? Federal laws require that all trailers that have brakes must have a breakaway system that is activated should the trailer detach from its tow vehicle. These systems should be equipped with batteries, a charger, a battery case, and an emergency switch in a single package.
Can you tow a trailer with electric brakes without a brake controller? Electric brakes do not work without a brake controller, so if your trailer has electric brakes, then you will need the brake controller to manipulate the trailer.