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Topic: American Trailer

RobertP

via mobile 01/6/2021 at 10:35am
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Hi,
We are thinking of buying an American trailer. We have been informed by the seller that in order to tow it we either need an American jeep or an electric box that will activate the braking system. Can anyone advise on this? At the moment, I can’t find an American jeep for hire anywhere and am not sure about the electric boxes. I have been looking at Government website and am not sure whether it is even legal for UK roads ( it is about 28 ft long). Any advice or contacts much appreciated!

iank01

01/6/2021 at 12:06pm
Location: Worcestershire
Outfit: Buccaneer Cruiser

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I doubt if the electric brake is legal in the UK, but may be wrong?

dk168

01/6/2021 at 12:40pm
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
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Welcome to UKCS.

What is meant by an American Trailer please?

DK

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Monty15

01/6/2021 at 12:43pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524

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A quick Google (and it was a VERY quick Google!!!! - you didn't use correct key words!) brought up this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/american-caravans-and-trailers-brakes-a........

So yes it does look as if it is possible to make a inherently illegally braked US trailer UK/EU legal by conversion units.

Don't think I'd be too keen on trying to convince 'officialdom' in whatever form it takes on a roadside about the legalities of it though should that situation occur. Got to be rare enough outfit that very few would be familiar with the conversion and it's legal status. Trying to deal with French or Spanish police doesn't bear thinking about!

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/weight-and-width-limits

Max length of a trailer on a tow vehicle weighing up to 3500Kg is 7m (<23ft) (not including the A frame). The maximum trailer width for ANY towing vehicle is 2.55 metres (<8.4ft), which may be a consideration too.

I tow a ordinary 4 berth UK caravan with a car, and there are plenty of roads and camp sites where that is a challenge size wise, there will be a host of places you will never get a US sized trailer outfit along/into. Just saying, in case you are new to game and lure of the US spec is overshadowing the practicalities of UK/EU use.

Colin21

01/6/2021 at 1:33pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail

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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 01/6/2021
A quick Google (and it was a VERY quick Google!!!! - you didn't use correct key words!) brought up this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/american-caravans-and-trailers-brakes-a........

So yes it does look as if it is possible to make a inherently illegally braked US trailer UK/EU legal by conversion units.

Interesting! I just read that link and I noticed that they say that a braking system on the trailer which is operated by the brake lights may not meet the requirements due to a time delay. In my experience with many of the cars I have driven, the brake lights come on before the car's brakes if you just lightly touch the pedal. I'm not sure about the car I have now, but I know with the Volvo I had for years I could just touch the brake pedal and the brake lights came on. The brakes were barely rubbing with that little pressure. With that kind of set-up it should be possible to put the caravan brakes on before the car's.

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Colin

Monty15

01/6/2021 at 2:30pm
Location: London
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Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 01/6/2021

Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 01/6/2021
A quick Google (and it was a VERY quick Google!!!! - you didn't use correct key words!) brought up this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/american-caravans-and-trailers-brakes-a........

So yes it does look as if it is possible to make a inherently illegally braked US trailer UK/EU legal by conversion units.

Interesting! I just read that link and I noticed that they say that a braking system on the trailer which is operated by the brake lights may not meet the requirements due to a time delay. In my experience with many of the cars I have driven, the brake lights come on before the car's brakes if you just lightly touch the pedal. I'm not sure about the car I have now, but I know with the Volvo I had for years I could just touch the brake pedal and the brake lights came on. The brakes were barely rubbing with that little pressure. With that kind of set-up it should be possible to put the caravan brakes on before the car's.

Speed of brake light activation will depend on where the switch is in the system, if in the pedal footpad it'll be near instantaneous as you merely touch pedal and before brakes activated, if on the mechanical pedal linkage it'll be a bit slower as requiring movement of the linkage but probably still before brakes significantly operating, if a hydraulic pressure switch (do they still do that?) then possibly activating after brakes are starting to work.
Think the whole speed of trailer brake operation is a bit of an an academic argument as mechanical overrun brakes won't necessarily operate at all on gentle tow vehicle braking, but brake lights directly electrically connected to tow vehicle (as with UK/EU set up) will obviously alert following drivers ASAP to braking without any interface delays, and as you point out Colin, may actually operate trailer brakes triggered by brake lights before car is effectively braking. Think the powers that be have written regs around the worst case scenario with all the lags taking into account.

chatterdog

01/6/2021 at 5:16pm
Location: cheshire
Outfit: Coachmen Mirada 300qb. American RV

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electric brake control units are used on 5thwheel units as well, what it is is a little box in your vehicle that regulates the electric braking system on the trailer in conjuction with the towing vehicle brakes. Most of us set them up so that they start to come on and brake fractionally before the towing vehicles brakes because the units are heavy and can push you
this is the sort of thing needed available on ebay

American Motorhome RV 5th Wheel/trailer 12v Electric Brake Controller 83504

I think the seller is saying american jeep because maybe thats what he has and because of the weight of the trailer, but any pickup american or uk/euro should handle it. I used an Isuzu Denver Max for towing all three of my 5th wheel units over the years last unit was 30' long and had slideouts, the units are heavy so you would need to check the noseweight (sometimes called pin weight) of the trailer your interested in

kenvb

13/6/2021 at 3:31pm
Location: Whitecourt Alberta Canada
Outfit: Sprite Alpine S

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you will need a under dash electic brake controller like this. depending on what type of tow vehicle you end up with.some have a direct plug in feature. and some are universal you have to wire yourself. i have installed dozens for myself and customers when i had my business.

trying to show u a link. on Amazon for Brake controller.https://www.amazon.ca/Tekonsha-90160-Primus-Electronic-Control

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