Well, I'll start with an example of what not to do when converting from drum brakes to disc brakes.
About 2 years ago I converted my trailer to discs - had to rebuild the entire drum set-up anyways - wasn't going to be much more $$ to go to discs. Everything was done correctly... higher pressure MC, shut-off solenoid, etc. And, everything functions as expected.
However, I recently had to use a tractor to back-up my boat into storage... Since the coupler was originally a "drum brake" coupler, there were no provisions to mechanically prevent the actuator from sliding and putting the brakes on (no pins/keys or a space to put a piece of 2x). :smt021
So, a car battery got strapped to the trailer frame and a couple of wire leads with alligator clips got used to power the solenoid. No big deal, but this is obviously not the ideal situation.
So... the options that I have thought of are (please comment or add to this list if you have any ideas):
1) Physically alter the coupler assembly - drill, cut, whatever - to accept some type of mechanical/physical lock-out procedure
2) Possibly use a 9V battery to power the reverse lock-out solenoid. There's a few trailers in the showroom so I can experiment with whether or not the solenoid would work under 9V. I can also find out how much current it draws and figure out how long the battery may last
3) Could I just install a simple, in-line shut-off valve? Myself, I can't think of why this wouldn't work??? Just an example: http://www.allstarperformance.com/product.htm?prod=364&part=ALL48010&add=no
#3 is favorite as it doesn't require anything extra - it's all self contained. I wouldn't need to worry about remembering to give someone a block of wood or the 9V battery if they were to move my trailer around. A "pin" lockout could be tied to the trailer, but it would involve a hole in the coupler assembly that could lead to rust (granted, I could hit the hole with a cold galvanizing spray). The pin would be my second choice.
About 2 years ago I converted my trailer to discs - had to rebuild the entire drum set-up anyways - wasn't going to be much more $$ to go to discs. Everything was done correctly... higher pressure MC, shut-off solenoid, etc. And, everything functions as expected.
However, I recently had to use a tractor to back-up my boat into storage... Since the coupler was originally a "drum brake" coupler, there were no provisions to mechanically prevent the actuator from sliding and putting the brakes on (no pins/keys or a space to put a piece of 2x). :smt021
So, a car battery got strapped to the trailer frame and a couple of wire leads with alligator clips got used to power the solenoid. No big deal, but this is obviously not the ideal situation.
So... the options that I have thought of are (please comment or add to this list if you have any ideas):
1) Physically alter the coupler assembly - drill, cut, whatever - to accept some type of mechanical/physical lock-out procedure
2) Possibly use a 9V battery to power the reverse lock-out solenoid. There's a few trailers in the showroom so I can experiment with whether or not the solenoid would work under 9V. I can also find out how much current it draws and figure out how long the battery may last
3) Could I just install a simple, in-line shut-off valve? Myself, I can't think of why this wouldn't work??? Just an example: http://www.allstarperformance.com/product.htm?prod=364&part=ALL48010&add=no
#3 is favorite as it doesn't require anything extra - it's all self contained. I wouldn't need to worry about remembering to give someone a block of wood or the 9V battery if they were to move my trailer around. A "pin" lockout could be tied to the trailer, but it would involve a hole in the coupler assembly that could lead to rust (granted, I could hit the hole with a cold galvanizing spray). The pin would be my second choice.
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