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Veteran
Posts: 100
Location: Arkansas | I have seen and heard of alot of people disconnecting the brakes on a 2 horse trailer. So this might be a stupid question....but is this safe to do?Or is the trailer light enough to where the truck can stop it while it's fully loaded?I can see if it's empty, that it wouldn't be such a big deal.But why do people disconnect the brakes, if they plan on loading it up with whatever?I don't think my '87 WW's brakes are working, they'll probably have to be redone but I haven't pulled it yet while it's loaded either. |
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Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain... | If you have brakes, use them. They are there for a reason. In an emergency, it would be like locking up the front tire on a motorcycle. |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
 
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | (quote).... I have seen and heard of alot of people disconnecting the brakes on a 2 horse trailer. Must be a whole different breed of folks there in Arkansas.... Kinda livin' on the edge are you? Here in eastern North Carolina, I can't say I've ever heard of anyone "disconnecting the brakes" on a two horse trailer.... Or any trailer for that matter. "I don't think my '87 WW's brakes are working." Check your brakes, make sure they are working properly, or don't leave the yard!!!
Edited by retento 2009-02-09 11:18 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 100
Location: Arkansas | I don't plan on pulling it (loaded) until it has brakes. Empty I don't see much of a problem but the only places it will be going (empty) is to get the welding done on it.Yeah, most Arkansan's (at least the area I live) are a little scary when it comes to some of the things I've seen being pulled down the road and as a matter of fact on my way home this morning I seen a truck bed (made into a) trailer in the ditch (just the trailer), the whole hitch failed . I was just wondering why I've heard of, seen and even looked at (trailers for sale) that the brakes were disconnected on it. |
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Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain... | I see the same here in OK. I remember looking at a used two horse one time and asked about he brakes. He told me they were new...then added that he had never hooked them up on the truck. I have seen people with a 4 way plug on two horses (no brakes at all) and some of it goes back to 6 way plugs. Some trailers had the brakes on the center and some had the hot wire on the center. Some people would disconnect them and leave them that way. Many people do it. Many people drive drunk too. Either way, it is an accident waiting to happen. Sooner or later, an accident will happen. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368
Location: Georgia | They disconnect here in Georgia too. I bought a 1996 2h bp Ponderosa this summer from the people who bought originally. They disconnected the brakes as soon as they bought it and the brakes had NEVER been used. They were using a 4 pin plug to hook it to their truck for lights. I took it straight to my local trailer folks, had the wiring redone and a 7 pin plug put on it. They pulled the wheels and checked the brakes and agreed that they had never been used. So I bought a 1996 trailer with brand new brakes!! Good for me. Had everything serviced and I should be good to go for a while.
Edited by lesliemal 2009-02-09 6:44 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1416
Location: sc | There are quite a few older horse trailers with 4 pin wiring down here too. There are no trailer inspections, so I guess they can get away with it. Yes Ive pulled a few like that, no you dont want to make it a habit. |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | Originally written by Tresvolte on 2009-02-09 12:42 PM Some people would disconnect them and leave them that way. Many people do it. Many people drive drunk too. Either way, it is an accident waiting to happen. Sooner or later, an accident will happen. You would think that people with some semblance of intelligence, would realize the danger in which they are placing themselves and everyone around them. Driving without brakes is like drunk driving, and yes, Sooner or later, an accident will happen. The results will be worse than they had to be, if they had to happen at all. The driver should be held legally responsible for all damages. He is willfully negligent, and contributes a majority of the responsibility for the incurred damages. Gard |
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Member
Posts: 11
Location: Minnesota | Well, if you want to get technical - here are the state laws regarding trailer brakes | State | Max Towing
Speed (MPH) | Max Trailer
Length | Max Trailer
Width | Max Trailer
Height | Max Overall
Length | Weight Requiring
Trailer Brake(lbs) |
| | Alabama | 65 | 40' | 8' | 13'6" | N/S | 3000 | | Alaska | 45 | 40' | 8'6" | 14' | 75' | 5000 | | Arizona | 55 | 40' | 8' | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Arkansas | 70 | 53'6" | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | California | 55 | 40' | 8'6" | 14' | 65' | 1500 | | Colorado | 65 | N/S | 8'6" | 14'6" | 70' | 3000 | | Connecticut | 65 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | 60' | 3000 | | Delaware | 55 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | N/S | | Wash. D.C. | 55 | 60' | 8' | 13'6" | 85' | 3000 | | Flordia | 65 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Georgia | 55 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | 60' | 3000 | | Hawaii | 50 | 40' | 9' | 14' | 65' | 3000 | | Idaho | 75 | 48' | 8'6" | 14' | 75' | 1500 | | Illinois | 55 | 60' | 8' | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Indiana | 55 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Iowa | 65 | N/S | 8' | 14' | 70' | 3000 | | Kansas | 55 | N/S | 8'6" | 14' | 65' | N/S | | Kentucky | 65 | N/S | 8' | 13'6" | 63' | N/S | | Louisiana | 70 | 40' | 8' | 13'6" | 70' | 3000 | | Maine | 65 | 48' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Maryland | 65 | 40' | 8' | 13'6" | 55' | 3000 | | Massachusetts | 65 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | N/S | | Michigan | 55 | 45' | 8'6" | 12'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Minnesota | 65 | 45' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 60' | 3000 | | Mississippi | 55 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 53' | 2000 | | Missouri | 60 | N/S | 8' | 13'6" | 55' | N/S | | Montana | 65 | N/S | 8'6" | 14' | 65' | 3000 | | Nebraska | 65 | 40' | 8'6" | 14'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Nevada | 65 | N/S | 8' | 14' | 70' | 3000 | | New Hampshire | 65 | 48' | 8'6" | 13'6" | N/S | N/S | | New Jersey | 55 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 50' | N/S | | New Mexico | 75 | 40' | 8'6" | 14' | 75' | 3000 | | New York | 65 | 48' | 8' | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | N. Carolina | 55 | 35' | 8' | 13'6" | 60' | 4000 | | N. Dakota | 70 | 53' | 8'6" | 14' | 75' | N/S | | Ohio | 55 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 2000 | | Oklahoma | 70 | 40' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Oregon | 55 | 45' | 8'6" | 14' | 65' | N/S | | Pennsylvania | 55 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | 60' | 3000 | | Rhode Island | 55 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | 60' | 4000 | | S. Carolina | 55 | 48' | 8'6" | 13'6" | N/S | 3000 | | S. Dakota | 75 | N/S | N/S | 14'" | N/S | 3000 | | Tennessee | 70 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | N/S | 3000 | | Texas | 65 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 4500 | | Utah | 65 | 40' | 8'6" | 14' | 65' | N/S | | Vermont | 55 | 45' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Virginia | 65 | 45' | 8'6" | 13'6" | 65' | 3000 | | Washington | 60 | N/S | 8'6" | 14' | 60' | 3000 | | W. Virginia | 55 | 40' | 8' | 13'6" | 75' | 3000 | | Wisconsin | 65 | N/S | 8'6" | 13'6" | 60' | 3000 | | Wyoming | 60 | 45' | 8'6" | 14' | 65' | N/S |
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Veteran
Posts: 241
| Why would anyone want to not use the brakes? This makes no sense at all.... I can see in a pinch but for everyday use? Crazy. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 954
Location: Hagerstown, MD | I live in an area where we have some small hills, less than 2000 feet as a rule. Last week, was coming home on I-70 west bound and coming down the back side of South Mountain and a Chevy Avalanche passed me pulling a BP enclosed, dual axle trailer. No sooner than he got past me, the trailer started fish tailing and I saw the brake lights come on and it getting worse. Finally lost control of the rig, jack-knifed in the middle of I-70, slid down an grassy slope into the median area. When he was leaving the pavement, the tires on the Avalanche were smokin', but not the trailer brakes. Slid to a stop upright and stopped before sliding into a deep wooded area. Stopped to make sure he was o.k. and a trooper pulled up right behind me. I asked the driver if he had his trailer brakes working and he said, "I don't know, never looked at them." That accident was just waiting to happen and he made it all the way to the scene of the crash. (Ron White) deranger
Edited by deranger 2009-02-13 7:38 AM
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | A couple of years ago I was involved in an incident, where the trailer brakes saved me from a serious accident. Without them working as well as they did, there would have been major damage to our rig and certain personal injury. The weight of a trailer adversely effects the handling of the tow vehicle. Even with a basic 2H BP trailer and a couple of horses, you can be pulling an additional two or three tons of weight. If this is added to your vehicle's weight, the brakes that were originally engineered for the tow vehicle and a normal load, now have to provide braking capabilities, for almost twice the tow vehicle's original weight. Without any trailer brakes, the tow vehicle's braking distances will now be extended by anywhere from 25% - 60%. What you were able to stop for originally, is now impossible. If any hard braking is performed while turning, the possibility of a jackknifing is a distinct possibility. On a slippery road, this becomes a probability. On long down hill stretches, it is very easy to over tax the braking system and end up with brake fade. This can result in the total loss of any braking effect. The trailer's brakes were design to stop it and its load. For your safety, it is critical that every component is working as well as it's designed to do. For the cost of a $100 controller and a $12 plug, some people are playing Russian Roulette with theirs and your lives. This is unconscionable. Gard |
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 Expert
Posts: 1877
Location: NY | this may be crazy but why would anybody wont to put that kind of stress on the car or truck brakes you will have to replace the more often and the danger of it all ??? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 954
Location: Hagerstown, MD | Originally written by loveduffy on 2009-02-13 10:56 AM
this may be crazy but why would anybody wont to put that kind of stress on the car or truck brakes you will have to replace the more often and the danger of it all ??? Some people are so smart they think they know it all, but lack the common sense to understand what they don't know can kill them and others. That's why we have laws to protect us from poeple that don't have any common sense. People with common sense don't usually have a bad driving record, spend time in jail and/or stand before a judge too often. deranger
Edited by deranger 2009-02-14 7:22 PM
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Member
Posts: 28
Location: Illinois | Interesting table of trailer laws. So in half the country an 8.5 ft wide horse trailer is illegal, as are triples and 60 ft semi trailers! I'm in Illinois and I've seen all of these...maybe they're licensed out of state? Drexler Horse Transportation is based here though, I can't imagine they don't have trailers at least 8.5 ft wide (needed for 3 horses in a row.) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 954
Location: Hagerstown, MD | Originally written by cupid on 2009-02-15 1:47 PM
Interesting table of trailer laws. So in half the country an 8.5 ft wide horse trailer is illegal, as are triples and 60 ft semi trailers! I'm in Illinois and I've seen all of these...maybe they're licensed out of state? Drexler Horse Transportation is based here though, I can't imagine they don't have trailers at least 8.5 ft wide (needed for 3 horses in a row.) Three Arabs will fit side/side in an 8' wide horse trailer. Three Percherons won't. deranger
Edited by deranger 2009-02-15 8:03 PM
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Trailer brakes?
