Dexter Adjustable-Channel Brake Actuator - Painted - Drum - 2-5/16" Ball - Bolt On - 12,500 lbs

Video Transcript for Review of Dexter Brake Actuator - Adjustable Channel Drum Brake Actuator - T4238300

Hi everybody. Andy here with etrailer.com. Let's take a look at this Dexter adjustable channel drum brake actuator. Now this adjustable channel surge type actuator is going to activate your trailer's drum brakes when your tow vehicle slows or stops. When you apply the brakes in your tow vehicle, deceleration occurs and momentum pushes your trailer toward the rear of your vehicle. So, with surge brake systems, the actuator is triggered as your trailer moves forward while your tow vehicle slows down.

This actuator actually telescopes, applying force to the master cylinder, which in turn supplies the necessary hydraulic pressure to engage your trailer's brakes. Now this is going to bolt over your 3" wide trailer tongue and give you an adjustable channel that has three different mounting positions for this standard heavy duty, 2 and 5/16" coupler. And this is a 3" wide channel with 4" of vertical range of adjustment. And I just wanna line my ruler up there on those mounting holes as best as I can there, just to show you that, the distance that we have between each of those holes on center is right at 2" center to center, in between each of these mounting holes on center. I also wanna point out that the hardware is included to secure your coupler to this channel.

So you just position that coupler where you want it in that channel and then tighten down the included hardware. And this is made of a sturdy steel construction with a primed finish and it has a gross towing weight capacity of 12,500 pounds and a maximum tongue weight of 1,250 pounds. And this actuator features a unique roller design, which reduces resistance during telescoping to create a straight line movement. A grease zerk is included here for easy maintenance. And also a breakaway chain is included.

Let me unravel this here for you real quick. And so this breakaway chain with a hook is going to ensure a secure connection to your breakaway lever on your actuator. So this is going to hook to your tow vehicle and prevent a trailer runaway situation. So if your trailer unhooks from your tow vehicle, it's going to pull this chain which will in turn pull this lever and the lever is going to activate the master cylinder to apply the brakes to keep it from a runaway situation. Lemme just grab, roll that back up there just to keep that all in place there.

I do wanna point out that because this actuator does not include a reverse lockout, it is recommended that you equip your trailer with free backing brakes so that you can drive in reverse without the actuator triggering your trailer's brakes. Well, that's gonna conclude our look today. I do hope that it was helpful for you. Again, my name is Andy. Thank you for joining me.