HORSE FLOAT ELECTRIC BRAKES - ARE YOUR BRAKES WORKING?

ARE YOUR HORSE FLOAT ELECTRIC BRAKES WORKING? DID YOU KNOW YOU NEED A BRAKE CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC BRAKES?












I have noticed a few posts going around on Facebook about terrible accidents that have happened involving horse floats, usually leading to the tragic loss of a beloved pet.

I recently had a customer come in that did not know how the trailer brakes worked on their float and were inadvertently travelling to shows with brakes that were not working at all. This prompted me to write this post and hopefully get horse float owners to ask themselves when it was that they last had their horse float brakes checked. Horse owners spend a great deal of money looking after their horses and float maintenance is just as important.

Unfortunately most owners assume that since the horse float doesn’t do all that many kilometres, that the brakes will not wear and do not need to be checked. Like anything mechanical, brakes need regular checking/servicing to ensure they are working efficiently and unfortunately we don’t realise how important those brakes really are until it’s too late.

So here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you know if you have mechanical brakes or electric brakes? If you have electric brakes then you should have an electric brake controller situated in the tow vehicle.

• Do you know how this controller works? Most electric brake controllers work the same way, but do you know how to set the gain correctly? Or do you just leave the gain in the same position and hook up and go?

• Do you know if your brakes have a break-away system with a back up battery? Some trailers over a certain weight will have what is called a ‘Break-away’ system. This system has a 12v battery pack that applies the electric brakes if the trailer breaks away from the vehicle. Do you know how to test this system? Did you know that the back-up battery should be replaced every two years?

• Can you apply the brakes manually to check if they are being applied? Do you know how? This is a really simple test that can give a quick indication that part of the brake system is working.

If you have hydraulic mechanical brakes, do you know the last time the hydraulic system was bled?

Like cars, the brake system should be flushed every two years to ensure that moisture does not build up in the brake components which will lead to corrosion and poor braking performance.

When was the last time the brakes were adjusted?

Just like a car, trailers should be serviced on a regular basis to check for wheel bearing play and ensure that the brakes are properly adjusted. Not all types of brakes need adjusting but it doesn’t hurt to check.

If you don't know the answer to these questions then perhaps give us a call on (08) 9452 7972

Gavin Craske
Current Tech Automotive
www.currenttech.com.au

Posted 17/11/2016