Troubleshooting Weak Trailer Brakes After Converting from Hydraulic to Electric Drum Brakes

Question:

I converted my boat trailer from hydraulic to electric brakes and now have weak brakes even with the controller set as high as it will go. I am running the ground and the hot lead from both wheels back to the male plug. I checked the voltage at the female plug and I had 12 volts at that point. I also did a draw test at this point and it was about 5 amps. I cannot lock up the trailer brakes even with it empty. I have towed a travel trailer using this controller I have and it worked fine. Please advise. Thank You. This was a complete Dexter 10 changeover.

asked by: Norman H

Expert Reply:

There are several possible reasons why you have weak trailer brakes. Make sure the trailer is disconnected before testing the brakes. First, I recommend changing where the ground is located to a place closer to the brake assemblies. Make sure it is grounded to a clean and corrosion free location.

Next, visually inspect the brakes for any grease or oil on the magnets and brake linings. Since the assemblies are new, it is unlikely that the magnets are bad or the drums have accrued grooves. But, since the brake assemblies are new, they may need to be adjusted using the manual adjust wheel below the magnets.

After performing these tests and making sure the trailer and vehicle side connectors are free of corrosion, I recommend setting up the brake controller again as if it were the first time, according to the installation instructions.

expert reply by: Michael H