Rangerdave
Austin Texas
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Joined: 07/04/2008
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We are looking to get a dolly to tow the camry. We are really not wanting to spend a fortune but want it to be quick and easy. We have found a dolly we are thinking on at PPL. It has the surge brake system.
Now without all the price calculations and all that stuff, I would like to know how many of you have a dolly with surge brakes--and do you like it?
Does it buck and jerk?
Did you have to make any adjustements to the surge brake?
How many of you have HAD and surge brake system and found it to be crap?
And what did you do? Did you go to another system?
What system did you go to and how does it feel now?
Thanks
RD
2002 Gulf Stream Ultra Supreme-Demco Kaddy SS Toader Camry
2 peeps 2 poops and lots bbq!
No Fuss Flush
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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Joined: 07/22/2007
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We have researched the surge brakes for tow dollies but not purchased. My experience with surge brakes was with grossly over loaded fertlizer trailers except for one rental of a U-Haul tow dolly.
They are simple and needed little upkeep like your car. Until you think to drive like you are pulling a trailer with surge brakes you will experience some surging as the name implies but once you start braking in a more sane way it should all be smooth plus this will not be an issue in a MH like pulling the dolly with a light PU truck vs a MH.
Surge is a requirement for anyone who wants to use the dolly with some TV other than the MH. Electric requires the control unit in the TV.
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ronfisherman
SE Michigan
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Joined: 06/05/2006
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We have a Demco Kar Kaddy SS. It has surge brakes. We are happy with it. Except, while towing on AZ 87 had to stomp on brakes to stop for a traffic light. Brakes locked up on tow dolly. Causing flat spots on both tow dolly tires. Pulled to side of road. Found no other problems. Continued rest of trip home with no other problems.
Called Demco. They sent me a spring upgrade to fix problem. Have towed about 1000 miles with this upgrade. All seems to be OK. Did have to replace tires. Vibrations from flat spots caused taillights mounts to crack. Demco sent me new mounts under warranty also.
If you buy a Demco Kar Kaddy SS make sure it has the spring upgrade for brakes. Here is a link to the manual (big file 2.8mb). Page 24 has item 76 shown. Looked at the standard Kar Kaddy. Did not see spring assembly on the pars list.
Still like the Kar Kaddy SS and would recommend it to others.
2004 Gulf Stream Endura 6340 D/A
TST tire pressure monitor system
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franky14
Maryland
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Joined: 07/30/2003
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I just replaced a whole surge brake system (used dolly sitting for years rust in the lines) and took it out for its maiden voyage a week ago. It preformed great I could fell it stopping behind my class C. I used to tow four flat and used the Brake Buddy Classic. I was a little concerned after towing four flat for so long with the excellant stopping power of the brake buddy and then switching over to a dolly. The surge brakes and brake buddy stop the car in different ways but both do a good job. I am very pleased with my surge brake system.
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Caddywhompus
Southeast WI
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Joined: 06/27/2001
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Surge brakes are fine as long as you remember one things;
Inherently by design, they can never work as well as electric brakes activated by a quality brake controller because you can't manually activate OR adjust the braking while moving.
'04 Ford Freestar (Primary tow vehicle)
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Looking for a tow vehicle
Minivan towing
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SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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Joined: 12/14/2003
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Caddywhompus wrote:Surge brakes are fine as long as you remember one things;
Inherently by design, they can never work as well as electric brakes activated by a quality brake controller because you can't manually activate OR adjust the braking while moving. I'll add that in my experience with them, they sometimes try to engage when backing up a steep hill. Can be very annoying. Some can be disconnected to eliminate the problem, but that is inconvenient in traffic.
Other than that, I have found surge brakes to work fine on the trailers and dollies I have pulled with them. Most dollies have surge brakes so it might take some searching to find one with electric brakes.
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2Sooners
Oklahoma
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Joined: 02/16/2004
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We also have the Demco Kar Kaddy SS with surge brakes. We have never had a problem with them and they have worked very smoothly. Going into Branson we thought they might engage and cause a problem, but did not even notice it. We had to lock up the wheels once (jerk pulled in front of me!), and they worked great.
I have had travel trailers with brake controllers and they had to occasionally be adjusted. Not so with these surge brakes. I don't ever plan to go back to a controller.
Foy & Lois Ann
2004 Monaco Safari Simba 30PDD
Demco KarKaddy SS Dolly
2006 Chevy Equinox toad
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vic46
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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Joined: 09/13/2007
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SoCalDesertRider wrote:Caddywhompus wrote:Surge brakes are fine as long as you remember one things;
Inherently by design, they can never work as well as electric brakes activated by a quality brake controller because you can't manually activate OR adjust the braking while moving. I'll add that in my experience with them, they sometimes try to engage when backing up a steep hill. Can be very annoying. Some can be disconnected to eliminate the problem, but that is inconvenient in traffic.
Other than that, I have found surge brakes to work fine on the trailers and dollies I have pulled with them. Most dollies have surge brakes so it might take some searching to find one with electric brakes.
HHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM backing a tow dolly with a vehicle on it is a pretty good trick! I would be avoiding being a situation where I had to back a dolly. Unload and go from there! I had a boat trailer with surge brakes and backing was never an issue whether level or up or down hill. The surge brakes are inertia activated I believe, not out of level activated. If level activated, down a steep grade would likely be a true white knuckle adventure.
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Caddywhompus
Southeast WI
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vic46 wrote:SoCalDesertRider wrote:Caddywhompus wrote:Surge brakes are fine as long as you remember one things;
Inherently by design, they can never work as well as electric brakes activated by a quality brake controller because you can't manually activate OR adjust the braking while moving. I'll add that in my experience with them, they sometimes try to engage when backing up a steep hill. Can be very annoying. Some can be disconnected to eliminate the problem, but that is inconvenient in traffic.
Other than that, I have found surge brakes to work fine on the trailers and dollies I have pulled with them. Most dollies have surge brakes so it might take some searching to find one with electric brakes.
HHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM backing a tow dolly with a vehicle on it is a pretty good trick! I would be avoiding being a situation where I had to back a dolly. Unload and go from there! I had a boat trailer with surge brakes and backing was never an issue whether level or up or down hill. The surge brakes are inertia activated I believe, not out of level activated. If level activated, down a steep grade would likely be a true white knuckle adventure. No, surge brakes are pressure activated, and inertia while moving is the main way to put pressure on the coupler which activates the surge brakes. Any other force that puts pressure on the coupler will ALSO activate the brakes, such as backing up a hill or engine braking down a mountain. Some surge brake actuators have a reverse-lockout feature that automatically locks out the actuator when the reverse lights come on, which helps that problem. I've also known people who burned out their trailer brakes driving through the mountains because engine braking will cause the trailer to press against the tow vehicle and drag the brakes all the way down the mountain.
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BarneyS
S.E. Lower Michigan
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Moved to Dinghy Towing forum from Towing.
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