Boat trailer locking up

[erandt26]

IGNORANT QUESTION WARNING!!!
Alright please be kind….just purchased a 21 Night Edition, has everything but trailer brake control. We also have a new boat, this is the first boat I’ve owned with hydronic brakes, every other boat has had surge brakes. I often need to drive the trailer back from the launch without the boat on it, when I do that the trailer brakes lock up. How do I solve this? Add trailer brake control? Thanks in advance!

 

[Oldphart]

7 pin or 4 pin trailer wiring? If 7 pin I would think a controller would be necessary.

 

[erandt26]

7 pin

 

[cj7]

“Hydraulic“ brakes (not “hydraulic over electric”) are a form of surge brake. My guess is that’s how the brakes are working without a brake controller.

With an empty boat trailer, folks often release the brakes. Sometimes the release is a pin you insert, some have a half-turn dial, some have a valve, some, that require you use a five pin or 7 pin connector, have a switch (so the trailer gets the reverse light signal to disable braking), etc, etc.

Find our how to release the brakes on your specific trailer, and do that.
But whenever you do, put a post-it note on the truck mirror, or flag on the trailer hitch, so you don’t forget to reactivate the brakes (would be bad to tow the boat with no trailer brakes).

 

[Dragonmaster13]

“Hydraulic“ brakes (not “hydraulic over electric”) are a form of surge brake. My guess is that’s how the brakes are working without a brake controller.

With an empty boat trailer, folks often release the brakes. Sometimes the release is a pin you insert, some have a half-turn dial, some have a valve, some, that require you use a five pin or 7 pin connector, have a switch (so the trailer gets the reverse light signal to disable braking), etc, etc.

Find our how to release the brakes on your specific trailer, and do that.
But whenever you do, put a post-it note on the truck mirror, or flag on the trailer hitch, so you don’t forget to reactivate the brakes (would be bad to tow the boat with no trailer brakes).

This...

 

[erandt26]

important update, went back to the boat dealer. They never gave me the lockout pin for the boat trailer. Dropped the boat in the water last night, drove the trailer home with zero issues.