# Trailer Surge Brakes Issue!



## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

I noticed that the surge brakes on my boat trailer were not working. Checked the brake fluid & it was really low (empty?). I topped it up but since the wheel bearings were about due for greasing did that and took the opportunity to check brake drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, etc. for any issues or leaks. No leaks or issues at the wheels or the brake lines at and between the wheels (on the axle).

So on to bleed the brakes. Instructions for bleeding were to first prime and bleed the master cylinder. Well after about an hour and 1/2 bottle of brake fluid I cannot get the master cylinder reservoir to stay full. But there is no fluid leaking anywhere. Least that I can see. 

Now the brake lines run from the actuator (master cylinder is in the actuator) inside the square steel tubing of the trailer and exit just before the axle. So my theory is that somewhere between the actuator and the axle the brake line has broken and is leaking. It is leaking inside the square steel tubing & that is why I cannot find any fluid leak (tubing is pretty well sealed front to back of trailer so it would take a lot of fluid for the leak to show).

Love the boat but man I have had no stop issues like this since I bought it new - and it is only 3 years old! 

Anyone have any bright ideas on this latest issue?


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

plug the line at the actuator see if it,ll hold pressure, could be leaking inside the actuator ,checks ok? plug the line where it comes out of the tubing and splits off. .did have a bad actuator on time leaked inside the unit.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

Thanks! I will check. 


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## Ranger6 (Dec 27, 2015)

Start at the source, like bountyhunter said. Actuators can, and do, fail. Seems like I can get 6 or 7 years out of one. Once you get the actuator plugged and filled up keep pumping it and see if it builds pressure. My first guess if your reservoir was dry and it’s been operating dry, it may need replaced. If you find that it stays full and builds pressure move on to the lines. You mentioned you have used a half of a bottle, I think you’d be surprised how much the reservoir, lines and brake cylinders will hold. When I bleed out my tandem trailer, with disc brakes, it will take an entire bottle to get all 4 calipers to start pumping out clean fluid. 
Most actuators have parts available to rebuild them but in my opinion it’s better for me if I just replace the whole assembly. Eastern trailer, online, is a good resource for most brands of actuators. I ordered a new one last fall and it was at my house two days later with regular shipping.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

Yeah - found the leak, it is in the steel brake line from the actuator to the axle. Thanks Bountyhunter!

Pretty stupid setup! There is a 4" piece of steel brake line from the master cylinder connected to a 12" flex hose so the fold-away tongue can fold which is then connected to a 15' steel brake line that runs inside the square steel tubing of the trailer frame all the way down to the axle. 

There is not one support for the whole length of the run. The steel brake line is just laying inside the the trailer frame vibrating away until it rubbed a hole in the line on a corner on the inside of the trailer frame.

I have ordered a 20 foot Kodiak flexible brake hose from etrailer that is specifically made for this application. That should fix it.

This is not my first issue with this Trailmaster trailer. 

Axle was replaced because it was bent and eating tires. Under warranty but I had to find someone local to do it. 
Then the brackets holding the side bunks broke off where they are welded to the frame. They offered to fix and reinforce the brackets under warranty but I had to bring the trailer to South Bend, Indiana & leave it there! 
I had to re position the rollers supposed to stop the keel of the boat from hitting the trailer frame cross-members. The trailer came with the rollers welded below the cross-members! So first thing the keel hit when retrieving the boat was the steel cross-members. 
And now while I am under the trailer looking at the brakes I see that the welds are cracked where the frame cross-members meet the fore & aft members. So that means more welding. 
Needless to say I am not happy! Be warned!


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## Lady J (Sep 21, 2014)

Meerkat said:


> Yeah - found the leak, it is in the steel brake line from the actuator to the axle. Thanks Bountyhunter!
> 
> Pretty stupid setup! There is a 4" piece of steel brake line from the master cylinder connected to a 12" flex hose so the fold-away tongue can fold which is then connected to a 15' steel brake line that runs inside the square steel tubing of the trailer frame all the way down to the axle.
> 
> ...


I quit fighting surge brakes and switched to electric.


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

welds broke?? I,d be talking to them about replacing this trailer, going down the road at 65mph and the frame lets go,your boat could be in bug trouble. even worse cause a very bad wreck.get all your ducks in a row and fight for a new trailer.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

bountyhunter said:


> welds broke?? I,d be talking to them about replacing this trailer, going down the road at 65mph and the frame lets go,your boat could be in bug trouble. even worse cause a very bad wreck.get all your ducks in a row and fight for a new trailer.


Don’t think I want a new trailer from these people. Friend of mine has the same trailer with many of the same issues. I have a son-in-law with a welding shop & will fix the trailer myself. But share your concerns. 

My wife bought a new car about the time I bought my new boat/trailer. She has had absolutely no problems with her car while my boat/trailer which cost twice as much has been a never ending litany of issues.


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

Break Out Another Thousand.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

I sent a nice polite letter to the president of the company. Bountyhunter will be proud of me. 


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

well lets see how there customer service is. they should have a chance to make it right, if not post there name so we don,t buy there junk .


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

cincinnati said:


> Break Out Another Thousand.


Or: "a hole in the water into which you pour money?"


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## G.lock (Apr 1, 2014)

bountyhunter said:


> well lets see how there customer service is. they should have a chance to make it right, if not post there name so we don,t buy there junk .


States that it's a Trailmaster in post #5


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

bountyhunter said:


> well lets see how there customer service is. they should have a chance to make it right, if not post there name so we don,t buy there junk .


The President of the company called me. Said he wanted to make it right. He offered to take the trailer back to Indiana and build me a new one. Asked if I could take it to Vic's and they would pick it up from there. When I told him Vic's was 60 miles away he said they would pick it up from my house. Which was pretty decent of him. 

I told him that I was not asking him to fix the trailer because I have already fixed most of the problems myself. My problem with them building me a new trailer is that I think I now have a good trailer so I do not want to start all over again.

He said he understood but that if I changed my mind, to give him a call and they would pick up the boat & trailer and build me a new one.

Maybe I am naive but hopefully they will take my input and build better trailers from here on in.

_PS_ Interesting thing when I pulled the whole 18' of brake line out was that the line was completely eaten through in places. I have never towed the boat on salted roads & it has only ever been in fresh water but there must have been some sort of galvanic reaction between the metal of the trailer frame and the metal in the brake lines.


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

just my .02cts , you should call him back take the deal. every company out there builds some junk now and then. I,m glad he stood up for his company. p/s your trailer after all the work you did. is still a piece of junk.get a new one free.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

bountyhunter said:


> just my .02cts , you should call him back take the deal. every company out there builds some junk now and then. I,m glad he stood up for his company. p/s your trailer after all the work you did. is still a piece of junk.get a new one free.


Appreciate your comments but I subscribe to the adage: "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!"


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

your call. just curious how meny guys would turn down the offer? shame the company had some bad workers that produced some junk. I know you fish alot be same out there.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Meerkat said:


> The President of the company called me.  Said he wanted to make it right. He offered to take the trailer back to Indiana and build me a new one. Asked if I could take it to Vic's and they would pick it up from there. When I told him Vic's was 60 miles away he said they would pick it up from my house. Which was pretty decent of him.
> 
> I told him that I was not asking him to fix the trailer because I have already fixed most of the problems myself. My problem with them building me a new trailer is that I think I now have a good trailer so I do not want to start all over again.
> 
> ...


Having a tire issue on one side. Brand new trailmaster 
..I think it's a axle issue..nonbrakes on mine


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

Saugeye Tom said:


> Having a tire issue on one side. Brand new trailmaster
> ..I think it's a axle issue..nonbrakes on mine


Bent axle will normally only wear one of the tires. One tire will be dominant and run straight, the other will be the slave and drag. That is what mine did. Wear was all on the one tire.

Boat & trailer under warranty so I took it back to Vics who told me the problem was a broken band on the tire. Changed the tire, same problem.

Long story, but after 240 total miles back and forth to Vics I gave up on them and called Trailmaster directly. Turns out the axles are made by Dexter. So they put me in touch with Dexter.

I found a Cleveland company https://www.jtiinc.com/ who would change out the axle, Dexter shipped them the axle and Dexter agreed to cover the cost if it turned out that the axle was bent. Dexter never would tell me if the axle was bent or not but they did cover the cost, including a new set of tires.

I trailer the boat a lot and after 2 1/2 years I am still on the same set of tires. Problem solved!

Hope this helps.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

I also would opt for the new trailer. Lots of these boats and trailers on the road, and I could be mistaken, but not a problem I’ve read too often about.

I’d give them the opportunity to make it right. If that fails, THEN...

I have lived with a very similar issue, mine hasn’t played out completely, but I’d take my chances not having the same issue twice. To me, better than keeping something you know has failed.

I also understand the thought process that when you do something yourself, it’s most likely more thorough than any factory could. Tough call...

Just my thoughts Joe! Good luck buddy! Thanks for posting. Always very helpful.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Meerkat said:


> Bent axle will normally only wear one of the tires. One tire will be dominant and run straight, the other will be the slave and drag. That is what mine did. Wear was all on the one tire.
> 
> Boat & trailer under warranty so I took it back to Vics who told me the problem was a broken band on the tire. Changed the tire, same problem.
> 
> ...


dexter is shipping the axle and tires in a week!!


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

So I decided to take up Trailmaster on their offer to build me a new trailer. They said the turnaround would be about a week. They are picking it up on Monday. Many thanks to Rodbender who lent me his cribs.








There is a wide crib holding the transom that you can’t see. 

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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

post a pic of that back of that setup. i need to work on my trailer and would like to see how yours is blocked up.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

privateer said:


> post a pic of that back of that setup. i need to work on my trailer and would like to see how yours is blocked up.


Here you go:









Here is a pic of the cribs:








Purple arrow is one that goes under transom. (yellowish cross piece is just a handle).
Green arrow goes under keel at front of boat. 
Yellow arrow shows crib that is used for jacking to lift the boat so you can put the other cribbing in place. It has a recessed hole for a floor jack.









Use it like this:









Hope this helps.


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

I,m glad your going with the new trailer.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

So here is the process:

In order to get the transom crib under the transom you have to move the boat forward on the trailer about 6 inches.
So, lower the tongue of the boat with the trailer tongue jack.
Place the jacking crib (installed on the floor jack) between the 2 inside bunks & about 8 inches ahead of the rear cross member & jack the rear of the boat up off the bunks.
Lift the tongue of the boat with the trailer tongue jack.

Place the keel crib under the keel at the front of the boat with enough clearance of the trailer cross members to be able to move the trailer forward about 6 or 8 inches.
Lower the tongue jack so that the boat is off the bunks and supported by the jacking crib and keel crib.

Move the trailer forward 6 or 8 inches so that you can get the transom crib under the transom.
Place the transom crib under the transom and block it so that it is snug under the transom.
Slowly lower the jacking crib on the floor jack so that the transom settles on the transom crib (and is off the bunks at the back of the boat). You may have to fiddle here a bit.
Now move the jacking crib to the front of the boat & position it just behind (to the rear of) the foremost trailer cross member but with enough room to get the keel crib between the foremost cross member and the jacking crib.
Jack the front of the boat up off the bunks & place the keel crib under the bow of the boat.
Lower the jacking crib. The boat should now be sitting on (supported by) the transom crib and the keel crib.
Move the trailer forward under the boat as far you can before the next in line cross member touches the keel crib.
Repeat steps 10 through 13 to clear the remaining cross members & until the trailer is clear of the boat.
We had a gantry (beam) to lift the front of the boat from the top so that made the process simpler in that we did not have to repeat steps 10 through 13 a couple of times but it is the same basic process.

Hope this helps!


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

Meerkat said:


> So here is the process:
> 
> In order to get the transom crib under the transom you have to move the boat forward on the trailer about 6 inches.
> So, lower the tongue of the boat with the trailer tongue jack.
> ...


thanks for the detailed instructions.
I have seen them do this with my 30' Baha and i sweat it from a good distance away...
I need to do for my Alumacraft Trophy's trailer.


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## Meerkat (Aug 10, 2008)

They picked up my trailer from my house on Mon Dec 9th & had it back to me on Fri Dec 13th. Turn around time was great & Trailer looks fine. Frame is new & they used good parts off my old trailer. I agreed to that since I had rebuilt the actuator, axle was fine, etc. Hopefully no more cracking!


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

great hope everything is a go from now on.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Meerkat said:


> Bent axle will normally only wear one of the tires. One tire will be dominant and run straight, the other will be the slave and drag. That is what mine did. Wear was all on the one tire.
> 
> Boat & trailer under warranty so I took it back to Vics who told me the problem was a broken band on the tire. Changed the tire, same problem.
> 
> ...


Well after some TIME I took it back to my dealer. The weld was not quite straight from the spindle to the axle. kudos to dexter axle.. and country classics marina also trailmaster. Replaced the axle and 1 tire at no charge. I bought a second tire so both had the same amount of wear


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