Trailer brake problem

Birker2020

Birker2020

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This probably isn't the ideal place to put this post but can't think of another section more suited.

I'm having real problems at present with my trailer which is an old Rice Richardson (about 17 years old). It started off the other day towing back from my local riding club where I'd taken my horse for a jump around. All of a sudden the car started struggling to tow the trailer. I pulled over and checked my horse was okay (paranoid about his foot going through the floor board even though dads had the floor up and checked it about ten times and assures me its okay). When we got to the yard (about a mile after we'd stopped) the handbrake had half come on (I never touch the hand brake and when I park don't go near it so it hadn't been put on by me or my partner) and the hubs on the wheels of the trailer were very hot to touch so we unloaded the horse and put the hose on the hubs and brake discs to cool them down.

Dad and his friend came to the yard and checked that the discs weren't worn and the brakes were working okay by moving the trailer with the car still hitched and braking sharply and reversing and going forwards again.

The next time I took the trailer out the hubs got hot again so Dad and his friend came and stripped the wheel off and took the brake discs and drums off and checked them and greased them. The adjusted the brakes and checked the cable although the cable wasn't greased at that point.

The next time I took the trailer out the exact same thing happened again. Anyone any idea how to proceed. Dad is certain that everything is safe and I have no reason to doubt what he says but the heat that made the hubs got hot made me worry in case the trailer catches fire with the horse in and I don't know if such a thing could happen.

I'm going to join the OHTO breakdown service this weekend just in case as Dad nor my partner have a vehicle with a tow bar. I want to go on some fun rides and compete further afield before the summer ends but feel a bit worried that I may be forced to call the breakdown if it over heats again.

Anyone offer any remedies other than take it to a garage (who will probably do all the things already done and charge an arm and a leg for the priviledge)?



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Forgot to add that the break away cable was touching the floor and had been dragging on the floor as it is very long although it was fastened around the tow bracket. Dad said that we would have had to have scooped the weight of a dead cow with the breakaway cable to have forced the handbrake on, and we had clearly not had anything like that in the road on our journey home!

He says the blocks are not sticking to the drums (foreign launguage to me if you ask me)

So for some reason the handbrake had just been forced on through some other reason. Anyone help with this?
 
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It is probably to do with the trailer overrun mechanism, is it hilly where you are? If your dad and his friend don't know how to deal with it then I'd suggest you get it to a trailer specialist pronto. And you need to get that breakaway cable off the floor.
 
Not an expert by any means but here are a few more ideas, ie things that have happened to mine! Could the brake cables be stiff? This happens usually if the trailer has been disused for a while, like over winter. The symptom is the hubs getting hot on a run through the brakes not releasing properly. If not that, it might be worth getting the coupling damper checked. These is a gas strut in the coupling, similar to the ones on ramps, and can fail after time. The symptom is a feeling that the trailer is pushing you when you slow down or the brakes coming on very aggressively with a clunk when you brake. The damper is easily replaced if that is the case. Good luck.
 
I'll be interested to see the replies you get. One time when I was towing I had to stop half way home as something didn't feel right, found the handbrake was half on the trailer! I was sure I hadn't put it on as I never touch it but I couldn't see any other way it would've come on so I just convinced myself that I had put it on in a moment of madness and forgotten to take it off...but now Ive read this im sure I didn't put it on!
I wonder if it's happened to anybody else and if anybody knows the reason for it?
 
I left the handbrake on my trailer and drove it 30miles to pick up our new youngster. Thought there was strange smell when I got there but couldn't work out why. 15 mins later on the motorway looked into my rear view mirror to see smoke billowing behind me. Thought the turbo had gone on the car and phoned the RAC. Chap came out quickly to hysterical female (me), realised that the wheels were hot and that I'd left the handbrake on. New youngster stood there quietly in the trailer munching hay while lorries thundered past rocking the whole thing. RAC man drove behind me to the nearest service station and checked everything was OK and then followed me all the way home, bless him!

Brakes had to be replaced as I'd burnt them out. Never normally put handbrake on but that time had put it on as trailer had rolled when unhitching. Lesson learnt and it is now part of my pre-check.
 
Check your handbrake isn't bouncing on. They're usually a ratchet type and can click up if the spring is worn. Whilst empty, stick a cable tie around the handbrake to hold it down and disengaged then take it for a spin to see if you still get the overheating brakes.
 
HI thanks for your replies and suggestions. The handbrake definetely wasn't put on. I asked my OH and he said he'd not touched it, nor had I and anyway it was clearly off when we set off from the riding club as I noticed the sudden heavy pulling feeling on my car half way home, my first thought was that my alternator on my car had gone and I had lost power as I have experienced this previously.

Kinny Girl 1 -Its not the coupling as this has been free and easy since replaced some two years previously and I've not experienced any problems with this, and anyway this would have no influence over the handbrake being applied through a journey. I have replied to someone on this subject yesterday in this same section of the forum about the coupling funny enough.

Jemina Askin -The trailer overrun mechanism - not sure what that means - but just googled it and its known as a 'surge brake' but this is the same as the damper in teh coupling aparently. The breakaway cable is never normally dragging on the floor, I assume this was as a result of my partner putting the cable around the ball of the towbar instead of the towbar bracket which he should have obvoiously done. When its round the bracket which it ALWAYS is when I do it, the cable is taught. My fault for not checking, but it really wouldn't have had any influence on the handbrake coming on. He asked me to check the trailer as he hitched it up for me but I only bothered to check he'd shut the back doors to the trailer and the lights/indicators were working properly. Never thought to look at the breakaway cable - just assumed (will know better next time bless him) that he would have known to put the cable around the bracket and NOT the ball!

Its a nightmare, I don't feel confident about taking it any long distance and although I've just joined the OHTO again I am worried about the hubs getting hot and possibly igniting the trailer - no doubt Dad would say I was silly for such a stupid suggestion. Just worry about my poor horse who has no choice but to ride it out! Lots of fun rides coming up that I'm not going to be able to get to. :(

Not sure about the brake cable, absolutely positive Dad's mechanic friend went checked this whilst underneath the trailer.
Dad is reluctant to pay for a mechanic to service the trailer as he has always serviced it every year and its been running fine for the last 18 years apart from the damper coupling problem - they tend to go after a few years. Looks like he's going to have to get it done now.

9 Tails will check your suggestion thanks. I would be interested to know if it could be this.

Thanks to all of you much appreciated. Will email Dad this link now. God bless you all x
 
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The hubs getting warm is certainly not ok and tells you there's definitely a problem.

It could be as simple as the handbrake activating - which would need to be stopped.

I had this problem with the stock trailer and it will wreck the brakes if you don't get it fixed. In the interim I tied the handbrake down so it couldn't do it. That would potentially tell you if that was the cause.
 
9tails said:
Check your handbrake isn't bouncing on. They're usually a ratchet type and can click up if the spring is worn. Whilst empty, stick a cable tie around the handbrake to hold it down and disengaged then take it for a spin to see if you still get the overheating brakes.
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I would do this first just to tell you a bit more but I wouldn't be driving it round if the hubs continue to heat up as at the very least you will have to replace your brakes anyway!
 
Procrastination said:
I'll be interested to see the replies you get. One time when I was towing I had to stop half way home as something didn't feel right, found the handbrake was half on the trailer! I was sure I hadn't put it on as I never touch it but I couldn't see any other way it would've come on so I just convinced myself that I had put it on in a moment of madness and forgotten to take it off...but now Ive read this im sure I didn't put it on!
I wonder if it's happened to anybody else and if anybody knows the reason for it?
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Did it ever happen again to you on your future journey's?
 
OWLIE185 said:
You need to have the wheel bearings replaced immediately otherwise it could seize and cause a serious accident.
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The wheel bearings were checked as its the first thing Dad did and they are all fine. Sorry I ommited to say this on my OP as I'm not technically minded and have to ask Dad upon every suggestion made as I don't really know what him and his mechanic friend did.

I think we've managed to narrow it down to the gas cylinder/damper thing in the tow hitch as Dad thinks it may have gone weak again. Looks like those who suggested this may have been right! I assumed it would be okay as it was replaced two years ago and has been fine since. The damper is full of compressed gas. Its easy to check as when you take it apart it should have plenty of resistance if you push it. If it doesn't have much resistance then it means it needs attention or replacing. Dad says he will do this as the next step.
 
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I didn't see anybody mentioning the damper, though the bouncy trailer on the other thread is more than likely this. I've towed one with a dodgy damper and it was hell, though the brakes didn't get hot.
 
The brakes from your trailer are mechanically operated via the dampener. If the dampener is faulty it will cause the brakes to activate while you are driving along thus causing them to overheat as you will still be towing.
 
9tails said:
I didn't see anybody mentioning the damper, though the bouncy trailer on the other thread is more than likely this. I've towed one with a dodgy damper and it was hell, though the brakes didn't get hot.
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KinnyGirl did. The dampener is in the coupling.
Owlie185 many thanks, if the gas is low then there will be no resistance and the brakes will come on as you have stated. I am hoping it is this although it will be a nightmare again to redo for Dad, its so under pressure that its really hard to fit and from what I remember last time we both struggled with it. Normally when it played up before it was hard to reverse as it would 'stick' and 'clonk' and the car would reverse but the trailer wouldn't but it hasn't done this since Dad replaced it so I am suprised.
 
Dampers are simple things and I would have thought that the problem would be there from the start, unless the brakes are only dragging slightly and binding once the drums have heated up. Seems more likely your handbrake mechanism needs looking at.

As it's brakes and therefore a safety issue, I would have a competent mechanic look at it, they aren't complicated, but it helps to have someone who has seen the same sort of problems before and fully understands how the braking system is supposed to work.
 
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