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Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

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fdeloera

Joined: 02 Aug 2012
Posts: 4
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 4:40 pm Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

I am going to build a light-weight trailer for my Firestar II. It won't be enclosed, it will just be a small T-shaped, single axle trailer. Considering the total weight including the plane (I haven't done the math yet, but I'm sure that it would be well under 1000 lbs), I am undecided whether it should have its own brakes or not. Under normal conditions my pickup truck brakes would be adequate enough to stop it with no problems. My only concern is for that occational sudden freeway screeching halt. I'd sure hate for my Firestar to be passing me. Am I being paranoid? Any thoughts?

_________________
Fred
Phoenix

Richard Pike

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 1671
Location: Blountville, Tennessee

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

Years ago I built a trailer for my Maxair Hummer, which was Part 103 legal, so  probably lighter than a typical Firestar. It was a modified motorcycle trailer with a MUCH longer tongue. Towed it with a VW bus. No trailer brakes, no braking problems. Biggest problem is the turbulence when an 18 wheeler passes you.

_________________
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0

Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is amazing.

Herbgh(at)nctc.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:20 am Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

Towing ,nose forward, offers a more simple  method..but not on a windy 

day...Herb

On 10/16/2016 09:23 PM, Richard Pike wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Years ago I built a trailer for my Maxair Hummer, which was Part 103 legal, so  probably lighter than a typical Firestar. It was a modified motorcycle trailer with a MUCH longer tongue. Towed it with a VW bus. No trailer brakes, no braking problems. Biggest problem is the turbulence when an 18 wheeler passes you.



 --------

 Richard Pike

 Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)

 Kingsport, TN 3TN0



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racerjerry

Joined: 15 Dec 2009
Posts: 202
Location: Deer Park, NY

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 6:58 am Post subject: Re: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

DON' NEED NO STINKIN' BRAKES



Seriously, you have a lot better chance of the trailer passing you if the trailer brakes should unexpectedly lock up.

_________________
Jerry King

Radegast

Joined: 06 Aug 2016
Posts: 15

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:15 am Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

Check with your state department of transportation.  There is probably a 

gross weight at which brakes are required.

mojaveclimber

Joined: 06 Mar 2014
Posts: 19

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:32 am Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

You dont need no stinkin brakes. 

 Fly yourÂ  Kolb to the destination. 

  

On Oct 17, 2016 9:27 AM, "Wayne Schneider" <jwaynes(at)gmail.com (jwaynes(at)gmail.com)> wrote:[quote]--> Kolb-List message posted by: Wayne Schneider <jwaynes(at)gmail.com (jwaynes(at)gmail.com)>

 

 Check with your state department of transportation.Â  There is probably a gross weight at which brakes are required.

mojavjoe

Joined: 23 Dec 2013
Posts: 64

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:55 am Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

I built a large in-closed trailer with no brakes for my firestar ss, drove it from Brunswick, Ga. through the mountains to London, Ky. and back with no problems. 

From: "fdeloera" <fdeloera(at)att.net>

To: "kolb-list" <kolb-list(at)matronics.com>

Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:40:34 PM

Subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

--> Kolb-List message posted by: "fdeloera" <fdeloera(at)att.net>

I am going to build a light-weight trailer for my Firestar II. It won't be enclosed, it will just be a small T-shaped, single axle trailer. Considering the total weight including the plane (I haven't done the math yet, but I'm sure that it would be well under 1000 lbs), I am undecided whether it should have its own brakes or not. Under normal conditions my pickup truck brakes would be adequate enough to stop it with no problems. My only concern is for that occational sudden freeway screeching halt. I'd sure hate for my Firestar to be passing me. Am I being paranoid? Any thoughts?

--------

Fred

Phoenix

Read this topic online here:

http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=461360#461360

;                    -Mat===============

neilsenrm(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 11:46 am Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

I built a light weight single axle enclosed trailer made for a light boat with no brakes for my VW powered MKIIIC. I pulled it with my Toyota mini van. It has been to the Kolb flyin, It has been to the UP of Michigan, and it has been to Florida. The trailer is streamlined so it pulled very easy up to well over 70 MPH but passing or getting passed by a truck or worse a bus was a real nightmare. So I always kept the speed down to 55-60 MPH even on the express way. Made a bunch of friends out there. I never had a need for trailer brakes.

Rick Neilsen

Redrive VW Powered MKIIICÂ 

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 12:51 PM,  <mojavjoe(at)comcast.net (mojavjoe(at)comcast.net)> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  I built a large in-closed trailer with no brakesÂ for my firestar ss, drove it from Brunswick, Ga. through the mountains to London, Ky. and back with no problems.Â 



From: "fdeloera" <fdeloera(at)att.net (fdeloera(at)att.net)>

To: "kolb-list" <kolb-list(at)matronics.com (kolb-list(at)matronics.com)>

Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:40:34 PM

Subject: Kolb-List: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

--> Kolb-List message posted by: "fdeloera" <fdeloera(at)att.net (fdeloera(at)att.net)>

I am going to build a light-weight trailer for my Firestar II. It won't be enclosed, it will just be a small T-shaped, single axle trailer. Considering the total weight including the plane (I haven't done the math yet, but I'm sure that it would be well under 1000 lbs), I am undecided whether it should have its own brakes or not. Under normal conditions my pickup truck brakes would be adequate enough to stop it with no problems. My only concern is for that occational sudden freeway screeching halt. I'd sure hate for my Firestar to be passing me. Am I being paranoid? Any thoughts?

--------

Fred

Phoenix

Read this topic online here:

http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=461360#461360



; Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â -Mat===============

Richard Pike

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 1671
Location: Blountville, Tennessee

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 2:26 pm Post subject: Re: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

[quote="Herbgh(at)nctc.com"]Towing ,nose forward, offers a more simple  method..but not on a windy 

day...Herb

On 10/16/2016 09:23 PM, Richard Pike wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Years ago I built a trailer for my Maxair Hummer, which was Part 103 legal, so  probably lighter than a typical Firestar. It was a modified motorcycle trailer with a MUCH longer tongue. Towed it with a VW bus. No trailer brakes, no braking problems. Biggest problem is the turbulence when an 18 wheeler passes you.



 --------

 Richard Pike



	




You are not seriously suggesting I was towing it backwards are you?

_________________
Richard Pike
Kolb MKIII N420P (420ldPoops)
Kingsport, TN 3TN0

Forgiving is tough, being forgiven is wonderful, and God's grace really is amazing.

wrk2win4u

Joined: 12 Nov 2011
Posts: 30

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 2:44 pm Post subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

I modified my old motorcycle trailer to be able to haul my Kolb Firestar II. I pulled it with my 1983 Mercedes 300SD to different airports around Utah without any difficulty. I later modified my trailer to haul my Mark III. I pulled that from North Carolina  back to Utah, and then around to different airports in Utah. I had no trouble using my Mercedes to pull it. I am now using my Subaru Outback to haul the Mark III back-and-forth between Salt Lake and Brigham city, (80 miles each way). So far, all is working  well. I wouldn't think your pick-up should have any trouble at all pulling or stopping.

 

 

 Kurt 

 Mark III 912UL

 

 

 Sent from my iPhone

 

 On Oct 17, 2016, at 11:02, "mojavjoe(at)comcast.net (mojavjoe(at)comcast.net)" <mojavjoe(at)comcast.net (mojavjoe(at)comcast.net)> wrote:

 

 

  	  Quote: 	
		     I built a large in-closed trailer with no brakes for my firestar ss, drove it from Brunswick, Ga. through the mountains to London, Ky. and back with no problems. 

 

 

 

   From: "fdeloera" <fdeloera(at)att.net (fdeloera(at)att.net)>

 To: "kolb-list" <kolb-list(at)matronics.com (kolb-list(at)matronics.com)>

 Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:40:34 PM

 Subject: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

 

 

 --> Kolb-List message posted by: "fdeloera" <fdeloera(at)att.net (fdeloera(at)att.net)>

 

 

 I am going to build a light-weight trailer for my Firestar II. It won't be enclosed, it will just be a small T-shaped, single axle trailer. Considering the total weight including the plane (I haven't done the math yet, but I'm sure that it would be well under  1000 lbs), I am undecided whether it should have its own brakes or not. Under normal conditions my pickup truck brakes would be adequate enough to stop it with no problems. My only concern is for that occational sudden freeway screeching halt. I'd sure hate  for my Firestar to be passing me. Am I being paranoid? Any thoughts?

 

 

 --------

 Fred

 Phoenix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Read this topic online here:

 

 

 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=461360#461360

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ;                    -Mat===============

fdeloera

Joined: 02 Aug 2012
Posts: 4
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:31 pm Post subject: Re: Need some opinions on trailer brakes.

Thank you all for your responses and comments. The consensus is "no brakes" and that's what I'm going with. To tell the truth, I didn't want the additional cost and complexity and maintenance of electric brakes anyways. It's just more over-kill.

_________________
Fred
Phoenix

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