Conference vicki::boats

    
    	Mike
    
    	See note 55.2 address for surge brake parts. 
    
    	To my knowlege boat trailers do not come with electric brakes.
    	I checked into this while buy my boat this year. I have the
    	hookups on my truck for my camping trailer that has electric
    	brakes.  
    
    	For electric brakes parts or axle with electric brakes, get
    	in contact with a camping trailer dealership. 
    
    	Mike
    

      Mike,

      I just had surge breaks put on my trailer two weeks ago.  It is
      a one day job and cost $450.  It seems a tad high but if you
      tow with a forien vehicle requiring brakes over 1,000 pounds.

      The place I used was Spec Trailers in Boxboro.

      keith

    For the 1988 model year, Correct Craft has put surge brakes on their
    trailers as STANDARD equipment.  Of course, the trailers are now
    $500.00 more too.  I wonder if this is the start of a trend?  I've
    heard comments that CC trailers are overkill...capable of handling
    twice as much as the boat they're intended to carry (Ski Nautique
    trailers are rated above 4500#, the boat weighs 2600ish # ).  Better
    safe than sorry, I guess...
    
    					...Roger...

    re .3	The extra  ~1900 #  of spare capacity is probably there
    in case the owner doesn't have room in the car/truck for his/her....
    
    
    
    
    
    			E  G  O
    

    
    Re: .4
    
    		At least the extra 1900 lbs doesn't need to be
    	used for a......
    
    
    
    		SPARE MOTOR!

    
    	Here is some general information that was published in the May
    	issue of Trailer Boats. The information is on state by state
    	towing regulations.
    
    	State	Tow Speed	Width	Height		Brakes at lbs
    
    	NH	65		8'6"	13'6"		3000 lbs
    	Mass	55		8'6"	13'6"		10,000 lbs
    	Maine	65		8'6"	13'6"		3000 lbs
    	Conn.	65		8'6"	13'6"		3000 lbs
    	Rhode I	55		8'6"	13'6"		4000 lbs
    	Vermont	65		8'6"	13'6"		3000 lbs or
    							if trailer exceeds
    							40% of tow vehicle
    	NY	55		8'0"	13'6"		1000 lbs
    	Colorad	65		8'6"	13'0"		6000 lbs
    	Calf	65		8'6"	14'0"		3000 lbs
    	Oregon	65		8'0"	14'0"		3000 lbs
    	Wash	60		8'6"	14'0"		3000 lbs (see VT.)
    	FL	65		8'6"	13'6"		no weight listed
    
    	So if your weight is over # lbs your trailer by law requires
    	brakes. Note that Mass is the only state in the Union that has
    	the highest trailer weight (10,000). A good rule to follow is
    	the one that Vermont has, if the trailer is more than 40% of
    	the tow vehicle, then the trailer should have brakes.
    
    
    	Mike

    
    So, since NY has a 1,000lb limit,  if I want to go to Lake George,
    in New York for the weekend I have to get brakes put on my trailer
    before I go.   I think I might have to skip Lake George.
    
    Mike

    Do these limits apply to the state in which the trailer is registered?
    ie. my trailer weight is close to 5000lbs and is registered in mass,
    can I legally trailer in NH or RI without brakes since I am registered
    in Mass?
    
    
    Bruce

    
    	I did some double checking, your trailer falls under the state
    	regulations that it is registered in. So if your trailer is
    	registered in NH and the trailer weight is over 3000 lbs, you
    	must have brakes on the trailer. If your trailer is registered
    	in Mass. then your trailer falls under the Mass. laws. Currently
    	Mass. will allow you to have 10,000 lbs before requiring brakes.
    	So you can take your Mass. registered trailer with 4500 lbs
    	with no brakes into other New England States. 
    
    	As with everything a little common sense goes along way. It
    	easy to pull a trailer, but how easy is it to stop.
    
    	Mike

    Somehow, "Trailer Boats" got the wrong info. NY has a 3500# limit
    before brakes are required. Its is also the limit of a "Class-2"
    hitch. In any event, you are governed by the state in which your
    registration is valid. (surge brakes are allowed in NY)
    
    Don

    I just registered my trailer in MA yesterday.  The guy said that
    before I trailer out of the state, I should have the trailer inspected
    at a regular inspection station.  He did not mention anything about
    special brakes.
    
    Larry

    
    Larry,
    The Mass state inspection sticker is required whether you leave
    the state or not. It is supposed to be inspected yearly just
    like a car, but I think very few people ever actually do so
    because the sticker is supposed to be carried with your registration
    and not displayed on the trailer.
    
    Rick W.

    
    
    re: .12
    
    >> Very few people ever actually do so (get a trailer inspection)
    
    	I'll say.... Here's my ignorance again... I've lived in
    Mass most of my life and didn't realize a trailer had to be
    inspected! Oh well...
    
    Rick

    Add me to the ingnorance is bliss list...what inspection?????
    
    
    Bruce

    I've been told that the 'so-called' surge brakes , because they
    don't operate like the brakes on the tow vehicle, have a somewhat
    erratic behavior when in operation. i.e. they're not hydralic in
    nature and when they sense a slowing of the tow vehicle they engage...
    but since the 'braking action' is different they don't afford the
    best ease of handling as compared to electric brakes or hydralic
    trailer brakes tied into the tow vehicles system. Anyone care to
    comment here.? 
    I need a trailer to haul my great big beautiful boat to and from
    the mooring area twice (2) a year...about a 5 mile trip over back
    roads. Something tells me that brakes are cheap insurance in order
    to protect my expensive toy...but do they work well (surge brakes)
    and are they suggested for the load of ~3000 lbs. for 5 miles, 2
    times a year. 
                   
    /MArk

    re .15	On a new trailer you might find that surge brakes are
    a relatively (to everything else you're spending, for the boat, etc.)
    inexpensive option.  For two 5 mile trips a year you may find that
    even having a trailer at all is a very expensive option, i.e. you
    could probably have a marina haul it to and from the lake for you
    pretty cheap, or have them package two years worth of hauling into
    your purchase deal, or some other arrangement.  {Yes, boats CAN
    live through the winter without trailers under them.}
    
    	In a moment of weakness last summer I said,  "Sure"  when someone
    asked me to tow a Tailor Rental fork lift truck on a tandem axle trailer
    with surge brakes, for him.  The fork lift was a little over 3 tons,
    the trailer another ton, so we had over 4 tons on the hook.  I didn't
    have any problems with it at all, it was MUCH easier to stop than
    my ~1 ton boat and single axle trailer without brakes.  I didn't
    detect any of the "hunting" that you alluded to, I believe that
    this was because they were properly dampened.  I'm still considering
    (procrastinating) surge brakes for my single axle trailer, mainly
    because I do a couple of trips through Franconia Notch to some very
    hilly parts of Vermont every year, I just don't seem to be able
    to overcome the cost obstacle {I know, its less than the deductable
    on my insurance, how can I NOT do it ?}.

    	Anyway, as I understand it, surge brakes are a dynamic solution,
    i.e. they are applied with a force that is some function of how
    hard the trailer is pushing on the tow vehicle.  This seems to
    automatically compensate for load variations in trailer and tow
    vehicle as well as braking force applied to the pedal and the gradient
    that the rig is on at the time.  Electric brakes seem to need setting
    up and testing for every load change and its  ANOTHER  set of wiring
    that gets exposed to the risk of becoming entangled and ripped lose when
    backing around corners where one has to jack-knife the trailer.
    Hydraulics tied into the tow vehicle sounds great, but it too is
    probably not self compensating for load and other conditions. 
    
    	I'll go for surge brakes next time for sure, NO tow vehicle
    mods, nothing to hook-up/un-couple or adjust/balance.
    
    	R
    

    For 5 miles twice a year, why not drive slow and forget the brakes???
    Surge are NOT safe. Many states have outlawed them. They work like
    you said, they sense a slow down in the tow vehicle and apply braking.
    However, ther react the same way when you try to back up uphill
    or over a bump. Its impossible to back a surge brake rig over a
    curb (or similar bump)!!! If you absolutly have to have breaks,
    surge are the cheapest, but you have NO control and they are mor
    pain than they are worth.
    
    Don

    Hummmmmmm....... 2 conflicting opinions
    
    50/50
               Lets hear more out there

    I trailer 5k lbs with a full size blazer and no brakes. Yes I admit
    my stopping distance is increased but everything i read says salt
    water and brake pads don't mix. For five miles and twice a year
    I could not justify the cost of a trailer.
    Some palces like tailer rental rent trailers for boats on the order
    or 100 bucks a day, put it on blocks for the winter and you are
    all set.   Put the bucks into a toy you will enjoy...plus if you
    live in mass the insurance and registration on the trailer is
    also gonna cost you.
    
    Bruce

    re .17	See title of .16, I had forgotten to add it in the main
		message.
    
    	The lock out solenoid is wired to the tow vehicle's back-up
    lights (the trailer's back up lights should be too).  When the tow
    vehicle is put in reverse the solenoid blocks the hydraulic line
    between the surge actuator (the trailer's master cylinder) and the
    lines to the wheel cylinders, hence one CAN back up over curbs.

    	I don't know why we didn't have a problem with that Taylor Rental
    rig, we backed up a very steep gravel driveway with it, it WAS over
    4 tons and we certainly didn't have my back-up lights connected
    to anything, maybe it just had very hard dampening ?  dunno.

    	My TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE impression is still that they work well
    (sample size of one; they CAN work well, they don't necessarily
    hunt or oscillate) and that I will almost certainly have them on
    any future trailer, maybe my current one.
    
	Reg
    

    I have surge brakes on my boat trailer and I like them.  The trailer is
    a 5000 pound gross wight, tandem axle unit.  I pull with a Dodge
    Ramcharger and find the trailer to be very well behaved in all braking
    situations.  I have trailered the boat in the mountains of the West,
    throughout New England, and cross country.  The surge brakes do work
    and work well!  They require no vehicle mods and won't short when
    dunked in water.  Yes, they have their quirks when backing and on long,
    steep mountain downgrades; but, the alternative of no brakes is NOT an
    option as far as I am concerned. 

    In this discussion I think I detect a need for making a distinction
    between sorts of surge brakes.  My trailer has [nonfunctional] surge
    brakes that are actuated by a hydraulic brake cylinder located in
    the tongue feeding slave cylinders in the two rear wheels.
    
    I think that there also exist electrically operated brakes that
    sense when the taillights come on.  
    
    Which type is each of you discussing?
    
    In looking for repair parts for my brakes, I found that you can
    get two sorts of brake arrangements for the wheels.  One is
    mechanically arranged so the shoes don't work when the wheels turn
    backwards, eliminating difficulty in backing the trailer.  I guess
    that the solenoid mentioned in a reply above addresses the same
    function, or was that part of an electric system?
    							J

    Why put brakes on a trailer used 2 times a year for a total of 10
    miles? Save yoyr money.  Drive slowly and cautiously.
    
    Nelson
    

    But as a friend of mine said...
    
       Wanted to take that SINGLE trip up north trailering the boat
    WOULD warrant the brakes.
    
    MArk

    Trailers I have towed with surge brakes have defintely performed
    better under braking etc than non fitted trailers. The ones that
    I have uesed have been actuated by a hydraulic cylinder fitted to
    the tongue. They have a lever fitted so that the brakes can be put
    on when disconnecting the trailer and for reversing the is a bar
    that is swung across to stop the tongue activating the brakes. I
    would recommend then to any one who tows on hilly county, tows long
    distance, or has a heavy rig.
    
    .jim.

    Through a lot of camping in my younger days, and a move where Roger
    towed my belongings in a rather large u-haul with surge brakes,
    I agree that they are fine. As far as I know, all surge brakes work
    by using the forward force on the tongue to generate hydraulic pressure
    (they basically put the master cylinder in the coupler). 
    
    Electric brakes take a fair amount of work to set up properly, but
    are useful for larger trailers that do a lot of highway travel (the
    manual activation lever can be used to damp "sway"). Surge brakes
    are about as simple as you can get.
    
    Any surge brake worth buying will have a reverse lockout;
    unfortunately, I didn't know that the time we had the u-haul.. roger
    darn near burned his clutch out backing that thing up the driveway...
    then I called my dad and he said "Oh, did you engage the lockout?"
    
    Live and learn. As Reg mentioned, some/many surge brakes have an
    electric lockout wired to the backup light circuit. 

    ...tek

Reminds me of a li'l trip a friend and I did towing a horse float fitted
    with surge brakes. Silly us left the manual parke brake on a little
    bit. After a few miles of this we had a set of smoking brakes, red
    hot wheels, and a horse that wanted to be somewhere else. Lesson
    number II with surge brakes is to make sure the parke brake lever
    isn't in hte way (lesson I is trying to reverse without the brakes
    locked out).
    
    .jim.

    We have a trailer w/ surge brakes that we've had for 4 seasons now.  We
    use it to haul our 235 BAJA all over the place.  We mostly go in fresh
    water - but about 3 - 4 times a year we go in the ocean.  This past
    weekend after we put the boat in the ocean  - when my husband went to
    get the trailer to pull the boat out (backing out of parking space) the
    brakes on the trailer decided to lock up on one side (going in forward).
    Once we backed up, drove, backed up, drove, etc... we got them to
    unlock temporarily - then hauled the boat back to our lake, backed the
    boat up into the lake - drove 2 miles home, let the trailer sit for a
    day, put WD40 on the brakes (they seemed fine).  Then we had the same
    locking problem as described above - till the boat was back on the
    trailer to drive back to NH.  It was fine on the 3 hr ride home w/ the
    boat on the trailer.  It seems the weight of the trailer stops the
    brake from locking up.
    
    Questions:  has anyone ever had this happen?  Should we be doing more
    than just lake rinces after going into the ocean?  Is there yearly
    maintenance that should be done to maintain these surge brakes?  Or, is
    this a fault in the brake line not caused by weather/water?
    
    Thanks in advance,
    Sonia (who isn't too technical when it comes to brakes).
    
    Haven't had any problems w/ the brakes on the trailer - in fact they
    were stopping our van (92 Chevy Astro) when applied - they're very good
    brakes!  

re                      <<< Note 56.29 by AIMHI::SJOHNSON >>>
>                    -< Surge brake problems????  help.... >-

>    day, put WD40 on the brakes (they seemed fine).  Then we had the same

	where did you put WD40 ?  "on the brakes"  linings, shoes, 
drums, cylinder rods, springs, etc. ???
 
>   locking problem as described above - till the boat was back on the
>    trailer to drive back to NH.  It was fine on the 3 hr ride home w/ the
>    boat on the trailer.  It seems the weight of the trailer stops the
>    brake from locking up.

	I think you mean the weight of the boat - on the trailer, etc. 
 In any case it might be related or the inertia (mass) of the boat 
might just mask a slight locking.

>    Questions:  has anyone ever had this happen?  Should we be doing more
>    than just lake rinces after going into the ocean?  Is there yearly
>    maintenance that should be done to maintain these surge brakes?  Or, is
>    this a fault in the brake line not caused by weather/water?
    
	Maybe not an annual maintenance, but you're probably about due 
for a brake fluid change around now.  Its hygroscopic (or some such 
word) which means it picks up moisture (humidity) from the air, its 
the dissolved moisture in brake fluid that leads to a lot of brake 
component failures (corrosion).

>    Thanks in advance,
>    Sonia (who isn't too technical when it comes to brakes).
    
>    Haven't had any problems w/ the brakes on the trailer - in fact they
>    were stopping our van (92 Chevy Astro) when applied - they're very good
>    brakes!  

	Ooops, this sounds EXACTLY like a problem to me (-:

	If the trailer brakes stay on long enough and hard enough to
slow the tow vehicle something is almost certainly very wrong !
I would start looking around for a broken or collapsed spring or surge
damper (whatever your particular design uses) in the surge actuator.  
This may be another symptom of the lock-up while backing problem. 

	Reg

    re. .29
    
    It's the salt water!!  I had it happen going down the freeway where
    both wheels were smoking and fried the brake shoes before I could get
    to an off ramp.  After talking with a mechanic he said to disconnect
    the line at the surge piston which allowed me to get home, but is not a
    long term fix. i.e., you're using only the auto brakes which may not be
    enough in certain circumstances.  
    
    The solution is: (1) to not put it in salt water. (2) Use a sling
    instead of the ramp if there is one. (3) Repair brakes every 3-4 years.
    Or, if your trailer is not a bunk type and your boat sits just right,
    you can roll it off the back without burying the wheels.  
    
     

    They sell a flushing attachment for the brakes so you can use a garden
    hose when you get home.  

    Wow!  Thanks for all the replies.  We had just bled the break lines as
    Reg suggested - but we thought it went further than that as it sounds
    like it is.
    
    Thanks again,
    Sonia

    
    	This looks like an interesting subject. I have a some info to share
    and I need some advice.

    Here's the info...

    	I currently tow a 1.2tonne (2600lbs?) caravan (=trailer) which has
    "surge" breaks. If I hit the auto breaks hard, the 'van breaks lock
    up and I leave plenty of rubber (from the 'van tyres!). These breaks
    do a great job AS LONG AS THE AUTO BREAKS WORK and as long as the
    trailer doesn't weigh considerably more than the truck. In a situation
    where the car starts to slide (eg. towing on snow) these breaks are not
    so good - not enough force is exerted on the "tongue" to pull the
    breaks on. Towing up a steep snow-covered pass it not too difficult as
    the 'van tends to hold you back and keeps you on the road (although you
    mustn't take the hairpins to quickly!). Coming down the other side,
    however, it a nightmare as the 'van is always pushing you on and its
    breaks are not helping to hold you back. I appreciate that towing in
    slippery conditions is not too big an issue for you boating guys!
    	In the UK, they recommend their (surge brakes) use for trailers up to
    85% the weight of the car. I think they're legal up to 100%. Here in
    Switzerland the situation is similar. Currently our Nissan Terrano is
    allowed to trail up to its kerb weight (1.8 tonnes) with surge breaks.
    Completely unbreaked trailers up to 0.5 tonnes are allowed.

    Here's my questions....

    	We're looking to buy (in the next 12 months) our first boat. I had
    a look around the London boat show and among things like Sea-Rays,
    Bayliners, etc a Sealine 240 caught my eye. This is a 24'8" weekend
    sports cruiser which weighs in at 2.1 tonnes (according to the makers
    catalogue). Allowing +10% for error / "little extras", 10 or 20% to
    load it with gear / fuel / water etc, +X for a trailer, I'm assuming
    that it comes out somewhere around 3 tonnes (around 6600lbs).
    	We've decided to lease (company car) a new 3.0L Mitsubishi Pajero
    (Shogun) to handle towing to/from the nearest lake (2 or 3 miles) and
    maybe down to the Med' every couple of years or so for an extended
    holiday.
    	Anyway, my point is that the regulations here in Switzerland
    require that the trailer be fitted with air brakes (I presume similar
    to a normal tractor/trailer rig). We have no choice in the matter so
    we're having the Pajero fitted out with the required compressor
    equipment etc. at the moment (we pick it up in 2 weeks). So, here are
    my questions:
    
    1) Does anyone have any experience of towing with air-brakes?
    
    2) Will I be able to launch off the trailer - ie. will it matter if the
    brakes get submerged?
    
      a) in Salt water?
      b) in Freshwater?
    
    Thanks    Jon B Goode   

    
    Ownibg a boat/Trailer that has a similar weight to what you are looking
    at-I would urge you to check into towing a 6000#+ vehicle with a 3.0L
    engine. My previuous two vehicle was 3.7L full size van and It was not
    adequate. I cuurently use a 5.1L engine and that is not a strain, but
    extra oil and transmission coolers  are a must.
    
     Dop not even think aboyut getting the axle(s) that have brakes on
    them in salt water!
    
    

    
    	I hope 3.0L will do the job - at least the couple of miles to the
    lake an back twice a year! There are bigger engined 4WDs available out
    here (ie Grand Cherokee, Range Rover etc) but as only a very small per-
    centage of our annual mileage will be towing, we wanted a smaller
    engine - going above 3.0L would have put us in the top road-tax grade.
    	I have no illusions of the truck being able to handle it with ease,
    I'll be happy just so long as I don't have to get out and push!
    Besides, its all down hill from here to the med!
    
    	Your answer means I can't launch from the trailer into the sea, but
    I assume from other notes that this is precisely what most people do.
    Am I correct in thinking that noboby is using air brakes?
    
    	You don't mention freshwater? Does that mean it would be ok to
    submerge the trailer in my local lake?
    
    	I saw the truck yesterday with the tow-hitch / air-brake
    connections fitted. Hope the wife doesn't mind how it looks (she
    wouldn't let me have running-boards, let alone a winch!) as its gonna
    be hers! 
    
    	Thanks very much for the response.
    
    Jon B Goode

    I would assume that any boat trailer equipped with brakes could be
    submerged (kinda defeats the purpose if ya can't 8^)
    
    In the US it's the law for trailers over a certain size to have brakes,
    I would assume that most large offshore boats that are trailered have
    brakes, and therefore they should be salt proof. (again just my
    assumption)
    
    I have a painted tandem axle trailer with surge brakes, I wouldn't dare 
    put it in the salt since it's not galvanized and it has 5 chrome mags,
    I don't want to do anything to speed up the corrosion process.  I'd
    also be concerned about dunking the brakes in saltwater, but would HOPE
    that they were designed to be subjected to it.
    
    -don mac

    
    depending on the slope of the ramp= you can ge a baot into the water
    easil without getting the brakes we. My trailer has dual axles- brkaes
    arte on the front axles only.
    
     I roll the boat down the ramp until the water is almost at the edge of
    the rim;i.e: the tire is submerged, but not the wheel. The brake drums
    are high and dry. at this point on most ramps. the bottom of the hull
    is jsut touching or slightly in the water.
    
    I have an all roller trailer and I have the bait all ready to roll- I
    simply unlock the winch and giv th boat a slight push- she rolls down
    the trailer- as the stern enters and reaches the water line, the stern
    levels off and the boat slides right in. Unhook the winch line ,move
    the trailer out of the way, beach the baot and we're ready to go.
    
     The hard part is getting the baot nack on- you drive the booat up to
    the trailer and winch the boat onto the trailer. When you ubmerge the
    trailer you can drive it on- but goodbye brakes.
    
     The brakes are pretty simple hydarulic drum brakes- cast iron drum
    steel backing plate, cast iron cyliner and steel backed shoes and steel
    retirn springs etc.
    
     Fresh water is not as bad a s salt- but starting out with wet brkes
    (read no stopping action) and a 6000# boat will make for some
    intersting stops. The one time I had the brakes fail on my trailer was
    interesting- oulled up to a stop light,hit the brakes- NADA-- the
    wheels on the van locked and that 6000# monster rushed me right through
    the intersection with all 4 wheels locked.
     Air brakes work just like hydraulics (same kinds of shoes, they just
    use a pneuwmatic piston to operate a cam that actuates the brake shoes).
    
     A little care and you can easily launch/retreive without getting your
    brakes (or your feet) wet.
    
     A couple of miles towing with 3.0L and a big boat could probably be
    done in low range- if you dont mind some of the gestures and new words
    you will learn from other drivers. An auxiliary Oil coller is something
    I would highly recommend. I would really be concerned about towing moer
    than a couple of miles or over any hill terrain.
    
    Reminds me of the time years ago when I was toodling along on the Coast
    in Norfolk,England along the NorthSea. WE got behind this sail boat
    (propbably about 20' or so that was going at a fast walk. The boat was
    loaded with gear up to the gunwales. When I finally braved it and went
    to pass- I was shocked!
    
     The boat was being pulled by a Mororcycle
    
    
    With a Sidecar
    
    With wife and baby in the sidecar!
    
    that was in 1960- I guess the laws have changed some!
    
    
    

    You can order brakes with galvanized parts and then install a brake
    flushing system that connects to your garden hose.  It would flush the
    salt out from the inside and make them last somewhat longer.  
    Lightly dragging the brakes once you leave the water should dry them
    out in a reasonable period of time.  I wonder why nobody has thought of
    putting disk brakes on trailers.  They would initially be more
    expensive but they make stainless steel calipers, etc., that should
    last forever and wet brakes would never be a problem.  Nor would brake
    fade when used alot.
    Wayne

    	The slope of the launch ramp has a lot to do with it but I don't
    imagine there are many that will allow you to launch and retrieve a
    large boat easily without getting the trailer wheels wet. I've been in 
    a few situations where I've spent considerable time winching my 22 footer 
    up on the trailer in order to keep my truck wheels out of the water. 
    	By the way, I intend to replace the entire brake system this year. 
    Seven years of this sort of abuse has resulted in the break lines being
    totally rotted. I can only imagine what I'm going to find when I pull
    the wheels off. I'm going to replace the parts with the galvanized and SS 
    units advertised in the mail order catalogs.        
    

    re: why nobody has thought of disk brakes
    
    Ranger did.
    
    My tandem axle ranger trail has disc brakes.  
    
    It's also a drive-on trailer. I float it off and drive it on at least 
    once a week in freshwater, submerging them most of the time.  No
    problems at all. 
    
    -donmac

I can understand the part about salt water being bad for electric brakes
because electricity and the residual salt wouldn't mix well, but from a
corrosion perspective on the non-electric parts like shoes and drums, I
would think all brakes would have equal problems with salt water.

For fresh water only use, I can't see how electric should have any worse
problems than other kinds (you disconnect trailer lights / electric brakes
before submersion right?).  How is backing into a lake for a few minutes
any worse for electric brakes than towing several hours in heavy rain?  Or
having it in the east coast humidity all the time?

Not yet owning a boat and only having towed one on the flat in Nebraska,
I'm really curious because here in the Colorado mountains driving down the
various passes results in surge brakes being on all the time and
overheating unecessarily due to engine compression keeping speed down
rather than using brakes.  It seems, from what I understand so far, that
electrics can be manually (or automatically - with the proper controller)
adjusted to compensate for the weight shift to the tongue due to negative
incline.

Any insight or good pointers to other notes or references?

thanks and regards,
Rick

    My trailer (disc) brakes are hydraulic surge brakes.  I've towed
    thru/up/down the NH/VT mountains without any trouble.  
    
    -donmac
    
    ps: I never disconnect my trailer lights and never have any trouble
    with them either 8^)