Hello everyone! Been the proud new owner of a '05 V8 Dakota (automatic transmission) for about 2 months now and loving it so far. One of the reasons I bought the V8 was so I could eventually tow a boat, and that time has come sooner than expected.

When reading the manual, I noticed that it says you must have electric brakes on any recreational trailer (that plug into the blue plug under the steering wheel). The boat trailer I'm getting doesn't have electric brakes and I'm wondering if this is something I should take very seriously and find a trailer with electric brakes.

-Dave

 

Hi Dave, how many pounds is your new toy,did you get the tow pakage with your truck if so you should have the quick "easy adapter" for the blue plug.I would recomend you getting electric brakes.I tow a 4,300lb (dry weight) towbehind trailer & additional brakes are a must.

 

Not sure of the truck's weight, but it came with the tow hitch & electric brake adapter. The boat plus trailer is probably about 4K lbs. and the trailer has surge brakes. Someone just told me that electric brakes on a boat trailer isn't the best idea because of the salt water.

 

Dave the "Toy part"I was refering to your boatYour truck weigh's about 4,300,as for the salt water & electric brakes,I could be wrong but isn't it a current supplied to a series of discs that apply the pressure.
I dunno.

 

Hey!How about hydrolic brakes?I'll bet they'll work in salt water.

 

If you have surge brakes you shouldn't need electrics too. IIRC surge brakes are the system where the brakes are activated by the trailer trying to push the tow vehicle as the tow vehicle's brakes are used, and they're almost always hydraulic.

 

Surge brakes work ok. I'm not a fan at all after towing a kubota bucket on an equipment trailer with them - I had to really goose the gas to get the trailer brakes to release at stop lights. Electric brakes are much better, but since the trailer has surge I'd just leave it for now. When it's time to replace the trailer you should certainly look into alternatives at that point.

 

and having electric brakes will make for an altogether better ride. we use a motor home to tow the mirada, and a nearly 4000lb car on a 2000 lb solid trailer, behind a 28 foot motor home, was pretty tough to get stopped coming down hills the one time that we had a brake problem with the trailer.