Any trailer over 1650 pounds needs brakes?

[dmeyer302]

This thread is like when my wife checks the outside temperature on her phone before putting on a jacket...rather than just sticking her head out the door and seeing how it feels. Why not try a load under controlled conditions and make an informed decision for yourself?

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[WingShot]

This is an interesting thread. I have surge brakes on my boat trailer. Not sure how well the boat dealership dialed them in. Sunday I had a truck load of firewood and the boat loaded down with camping gear, fishing gear, large coolers and lots of other random stuff plus 3 people. I would like to what my weight was. It towed fine though.

Since we’re talking brakes, it’s not about how it tows…but how it stops in an emergency situation. ?

 

[Fordup]

This thread is like when my wife checks the outside temperature on her phone before putting on a jacket...rather than just sticking her head out the door and seeing how it feels. Why not try a load under controlled conditions and make an informed decision for yourself?

You sound like your wife. So you don't kill anyone. Just sharing with others the limits of the low end trailer towing requirements without trailer brakes should they want a safe combo going down the road. Also the fact a Ranger will most likely need a tow controller for a single axle trailer with electric brakes. I've seen some pretty heavily loaded single axle trailer pics on here just using the 4 pin connector that are a safety problem.

 

[ControlNode]

and the threshold for cars that actually have tow ratings is even smaller. which is why I have 7 pin wiring and brake controller wiring installed in a Subaru Crosstrek. And my teardrop camper that weighs maybe 1400lbs loaded has trailer brakes, because the Crosstrek was the first vehicle I used to tow it.

It was really frustrating to me when seeking to install that wiring on the Crosstrek, because shops that "installed" the wiring would send me home telling me if I needed to tow something heavy enough to require trailer brakes, I shouldn't be towing it with the Crosstrek. They didn't seem to grasp that the sort of load that an F150 wouldn't even blink about without trailer brakes would require them according to Subaru's manual.

You absolutely can add brakes to a trailer that didn't come with them. And you can still order a trailer with them, even if you can't find one you want on a lot with brakes equipped.

Me, I'm not particularly bothered by the fact that the Ranger manual says I need brakes for loads over 1650lbs. I have brakes on my little camper, even though it's not quite heavy enough to need them (though I suppose I could hit that threshold if I've got a bunch of stuff in the bed when I'm towing). I have a brake controller in the Ranger. If I rent a trailer, it's probably going to be a uhaul that has surge brakes. If I borrow someone else's trailer, I guess I have to pay attention to what I'm doing, but I've only borrowed 1 trailer from someone I knew 1 time in my entire life. I'd eventually like to buy a little utility trailer so I can take my riding mower to be serviced, but the trailer + mower will be well under the weight where it would need to have brakes, so that case doesn't matter.

I suppose it's a little frustrating for your particular situation, but regardless of the truck's manual recommendations/requirements, I think I'd still want brakes on such a trailer (and the loads you intend to pull) if I was planning to pull it with a midsize pickup. I suppose you're just going to have to special order the trailer you need.

I added a 4 pin harness to my RS for light trailers, then added a 12 volt 2-pin plus a 4-pin+2-pin to 7-pin adapter that the Curt Echo inline bluetooth brake controller connects to. So I have trailer brakes on my RS as well. Not that the car didn't have enough brakes, but I can better stabilize the trailer if needed, and it reduces wear on the RS brakes.

This thread is like when my wife checks the outside temperature on her phone before putting on a jacket...rather than just sticking her head out the door and seeing how it feels. Why not try a load under controlled conditions and make an informed decision for yourself?

As stated somewhere on this forum, if towing 3,000lb w/o brakes and not with the bumper mount and you end up in an at fault wreck, it could make things worse. Say the victim sues, and they or their lawyer are actually educated on the written limits of the Ranger. Once they prove you operated outside the limits defined by law or manufacturer of the vehicle that would fall into negligence and it would be really hard to not end up paying out the butt on that. I think we all can agree that If the bumper tow limit to 3,500 w/o brakes is correct, than the same, or at a minimum, should logically apply to tow package towing, but the wording in the manual contradicts that logic and in court the limits as written would hold more weight (puns!) than logic.

 

[Burnt Money]

I added a 4 pin harness to my RS for light trailers, then added a 12 volt 2-pin plus a 4-pin+2-pin to 7-pin adapter that the Curt Echo inline bluetooth brake controller connects to. So I have trailer brakes on my RS as well. Not that the car didn't have enough brakes, but I can better stabilize the trailer if needed, and it reduces wear on the RS brakes.

As stated somewhere on this forum, if towing 3,000lb w/o brakes and not with the bumper mount and you end up in an at fault wreck, it could make things worse. Say the victim sues, and they or their lawyer are actually educated on the written limits of the Ranger. Once they prove you operated outside the limits defined by law or manufacturer of the vehicle that would fall into negligence and it would be really hard to not end up paying out the butt on that. I think we all can agree that If the bumper tow limit to 3,500 w/o brakes is correct, than the same, or at a minimum, should logically apply to tow package towing, but the wording in the manual contradicts that logic and in court the limits as written would hold more weight (puns!) than logic.

Since we’re talking brakes, it’s not about how it tows…but how it stops in an emergency situation. ?

To me towing is the combination of pulling capability and stopping capability. Not just the pulling part.

 

[JohnnyO]

Towing laws vary by state but generally speaking once you're over 2000 lb everyone requires brakes of some sort.
They don't have to be electric brakes, there are surge brake where the master cylinder is on the tongue and senses when the tow vehicle slows down and applies the trailer brakes. Surge brakes are commonly found on boat trailers (electric and water are a bad mix) and rental trailers.
I rented a U-Haul trailer with surge brakes once to move a fermenting tank for my bud's brewery. Tank weighed about 2000 lb and the trailer was 1600 lb. Not excessively heavy but I could feel them working.
Normally I just tow my jet ski, it's a 3-seater, and with a full tank of gas plus the trailer it's about 1000 lb. and I don't even know it's back there.

 

[Deleted User 61245811]

Yes, that's what I am saying, but if towing with a Ranger a trailer and load over 1650 pounds needs brakes. If you have 1000pounds of load and passengers in the Ranger a trailer over 650 pounds needs brakes. For some reason manufacturers have removed brakes and dropped the 3500 pound axle ratings to 2990 pounds to lower cost. But to be legal when towing with a Ranger you have to add brakes.

Ford: Just use trailer brakes on every trailer you tow.
Consumer: Where's the trailer brake controller?
Ford: We didn't think that was necessary.

 

[JohnnyO]

Ford: Just use trailer brakes on every trailer you tow.
Consumer: Where's the trailer brake controller?
Ford: We didn't think that was necessary.

Ford: We will be happy to sell you a brake controller for $350 and charge you about the same to install it.

 

[Racket]

Check out this guy trying to destroy his Ranger, himself and anyone near him (he says no brake controller I don't know if surge brakes) hauling 9000 freaking pounds.

 

[GoldenAtlas]

Check out this guy trying to destroy his Ranger, himself and anyone near him (he says no brake controller I don't know if surge brakes) hauling 9000 freaking pounds.

Ford’s unreliability must be based on the fact that a good portion of Ford owners just insane

 

[mtbikernate]

Check out this guy trying to destroy his Ranger, himself and anyone near him (he says no brake controller I don't know if surge brakes) hauling 9000 freaking pounds.

are you not aware of the "it's a f*ckin ford ranger!" memes? those things kinda got their start with ppl beating the ever living shit out of their old rangers, and those trucks just taking it.

 

[TheDo114]

You made me look up the Canadian guide for towing and it states that Ford recommends, but does not obligate you, to use trailer brakes on trailers that weight more than 1500lbs, cargo included. They only recommend it and do not state it's mandatory, Ford's towing guide later say's to refer to your provincial law and to follow those. Most of the provinces up here stipulate that trailer brakes are mandatory on trailer weighting more than 3500lbs, cargo included.

My personal trailer is rated for 3500lbs and I have towed it plenty of time at maximum capacity over long distances with ease. Saying that, I would still not want to tow more than that with no trailer brakes, as I can really feel the difference in stopping distance.

Fun fact, the 1500lbs trailer brake suggestion is even for the Super Duty's.

 

[Natelawson]

I regularly tow my 4k boat/trailer with my ranger without trailer brakes. Does well, except fuel economy. I am planning on adding brakes. Trailer wasnt original to boat but does have brake axles installed

 

[subquark]

Check out this guy trying to destroy his Ranger, himself and anyone near him (he says no brake controller I don't know if surge brakes) hauling 9000 freaking pounds.

LOL, with or w/o surge breaks, that thing will push him down the road in the right (wrong) conditions.

One morning around 5 AM, I was towing my John Deere 950 on an awfully over-built tandem axle trailer with it 6-foot Bush Hog, 6-foot grooming mower, 4-foot back blade and gobs of weed-eaters, chainsaws, tiller, axes, and lord knows what else.

I was tired and hadn't yet had my Arby's morning Jamocha shake and locked up the FJ40's drum brakes just as I passed my stop sign on a 4-way stop.

A bit of morning dew and, even with surge brakes, I slid completely through the intersection. I was only doing about 30, but clean through and thank God no one was around, that would have been horrible (extra horrible since I was a state-certified firefighter and paramedic!).

Well, I no longer needed that Jamocha shake to wake up!

That was 30 years ago and I'm still so thankful no one was hurt. Phew!

Shush, it'll steer!

 

[Nellieg]

Couple of factors to consider when towing. Towing without brakes can impact your insurance in event there is a problem, no mention on tongue weight in the discussion...but you are likely 10 to 15 percent of pulling weight... Local laws will govern if you'll get a ticket or not in an accident if you are involved without brakes and your insurance will or will not cover you. Carrying load is impacted by your tongue weight... The weight of the load you are pulling is something the bumper is rated to pull or the tow hitch basically the weight that is being pulled. Various configurations of the vehicle have different capabilities... Best to be properly configured for towing than assuming it should work in the event of mishaps you need to make sure you are safely setup

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