Electric Trailer brakes in the UK, not Yeti Specific, just UK. Question

[Joel SHOEMARK]

Hey guys, I've been searching around about trailer brakes.

Here is Australia we have a few different types of trailer brakes for trailers over 750kg. 750kg is the legal limit here for unbraked trailer on any vehicle.

For most vehicles you have to fit a Electric Brake controller. There are 2 types, one works from time delay slowly applies the trailer brakes after the brake is pressed, the second has a pedulim attached to a variable resister which applies the brakes depending on the rate of deceleration.

I haven't been able to find anything on UK sites. I have red about there being electric trailer brakes in the UK but nothing about a controller. I'm wondering how you control them. Is the controller part of the trailer itself? Or do cars have a controller as part of the wiring harness?

Happy Days.

[Llanigraham]

I didn't think that electronic trailer brakes for cars was legal over here. I think they have to be the mechanical overrun type.

The only electronic "thing" I can find reference to is an additional safety "anti-sway" device.

[ejstubbs]

I believe they can be legal. A pal who is planning to buy a camper van has been looking at braking systems for towing a small car as a "tender". He's researched online, and spoken to the camper van manufacturers about it, and electronic systems do seem to be one possible option. I believe one approach uses a strain gauge in the tow hitch.

This document from the DfT indicates that some electronic trailer braking system are legal - and you'd hope that they'd know! (According to that document the time delay systems triggered by the brake lights are probably not legal.)

Edited 11 December, 2012 by ejstubbs

[IainM1970]

I didn't think that electronic trailer brakes for cars was legal over here. I think they have to be the mechanical overrun type.

The only electronic "thing" I can find reference to is an additional safety "anti-sway" device.

Agreed, the only electronic braking device we have in the UK is Alko ATC stability system ... I've had that on my last three caravans and wouldn't be without it now.

[Millstone]

I believe they can be legal. A pal who is planning to buy a camper van has been looking at braking systems for towing a small car as a "tender". He's researched online, and spoken to the camper van manufacturers about it, and electronic systems do seem to be one possible option. I believe one approach uses a strain gauge in the tow hitch.

This document from the DfT indicates that some electronic trailer braking system are legal - and you'd hope that they'd know! (According to that document the time delay systems triggered by the brake lights are probably not legal.)

The 'A' frames that operate by switching on a vacum pump to then operate the brakes (on the towed car) are legal (these are triggered by the brake lights) the ones that rely on an overrun brake operating a cable attached to the brake pedal are not legal - the braking efficiency is not good enough - and the law is getting tighter.- all types are banned in some European countries.

There are some imported American 5th Wheeler caravans that have electric brakes, and these all have to be converted to comply with the UK regulations, usually with the addition of a manual handbrake (for when the unit is detached)

Edited 11 December, 2012 by Millstone

[Joel SHOEMARK]

Thanks Guys.

I've done some more searching as well. It seems electric trailer brakes have only recently become legal in the UK and they aren't popular (Yet).

I dont know numbers but I'm sure they far more common then any other type of trailer brake these days in Australia. They have been around for at least 10 years that I know of. I have only seen and used the time delay style which is fine in normal braking situations but I think the motion sensing type has got to be the safest.

In the time delay system I drove, the time delay was set pretty short. You could just touch the brake pedal enough to activate the brake lights but not enough to activate the vehicle brakes. Within the very short time (under 1 sec) the trailer brakes would come on and really slow the vehicle. It didn't take long to get used to it and I worked out roughly the braking distance and then just used the vehicle brakes to adjust the distance slightly. Ended up with the trailer doing most of the braking, leaving the car brakes for an emergency.

These controllers are pretty simple electronic units that either have a motion sensor to deceleration of the vehicle and apply current to the trailer brakes to match or progressivly apply current after the brake lights come on. Both systems usually have a dial of some sort to tune the system to how effectly the trailer brakes are or how heavy the trailer is loaded.

I was just thinking with all the vehicle smarts we have these days, like haldex controllers, ESC, brake assist etc, why dont manufactures include a trailer brake control. If you order a Yeti with tow prep (Std in Australia) you get all this extra wiring, extra thermo fans and I have read the ESC program is modified to take into account a trailer. I supose electric trailer brakes not being common around the world explains why it's not included in the vehicle stablilty control.

Before I found that you dont have Electric brakes in the UK, I actually thought electric brake control WAS included in the trailer prep. You guys use the blue wire in your trailer plug for trailer fog lights, we use it for the electric brakes.

Happy Days.

Edited 11 December, 2012 by Joel SHOEMARK

[marcusthehat]

see link

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121003162152/http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_200827.pdf

But as usual, limited to 3500Kg trailer mass

[Llanigraham]

Epic!!
Did you realise this thread is 6 years old?

[marcusthehat]

yes

[gumdrop]

The nice man who writes caravan chronicles makes a mention of these brakes, there may be more but

here is the bit I can find.

https://caravanchronicles.com/2019/01/03/never-admit-to-being-a-caravan-designer-well-not-to-caravaners/