Hi, I'm thinking of renting a tent trailer ; 1500 pounds; soon and I was wondering if I need to purchase anything else to enable its electronic brakes?
My truck is SCrew 01 with the towing package, so I think I got everything I need?
A friend told me I need to buy a device that gets attached under the dash board in order to activate the electric brakes?
Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

 

A S'crew with a towing package should be able to yank that thing around without even breathing hard!

And as far as the brakes are concerned, I wouldn't worry about it. A friend of mine has a 19' bass boat and he needs the electric brakes, but your trailer at 1500 shouldn't be nearly as problematic. You might want to give yourself some additional room, but nothing you'd need the additional braking power for.

 

You can actually get away without using trailer brakes with such a small load, but if you want the maximum in safety... Yes, you will need a brake controller that mounts under the dash. There's a plug already there that will fit into the controller. I've never used one, so don't know the particulars.

 

I have never seen a tent trailer with any kind of brakes, surge or electric. Does this thing actually have brakes?

 

Your Screw is already set up for it with the towing package. As mentioned, there is a plug under the dash near the steering column for it. The braking controller device is a little bigger than a deck of cards. Depending upon the device, just find a convenient mounting location. Mine has an adjustment lever so I have it mounted where I can easily get to it while driving. I need the adjustment as I tow a horse trailer and the amount of braking varies depending upon empty, one horse or two.

I would check to see what Ford recommends but I would think you don't need trailer brakes for a 1500 pound load unless you are using it often or on a long trip.

 

Rapier,

Not sure why you think your friend with the bass boat needs electric brakes. I pull a 19 footer that weighs in around 3000 lbs without electric or surge brakes. Certainly whether or not trailer brakes are needed is a question of safety, and surge brakes are a nice safety addition, but I think electric brakes on a bass boat would be overkill.

As for the tent trailer, 1500lbs is a piece of cake, but the real question would be is that the weight empty or loaded? How much it weighs loaded will determine if you need the electric brakes.

John

 

If you bought your truck with the OEM Class III towing package, it should have come with a plastic bag. in the bag are the 7 pin adapter for the connector (at the hitch), a few relays (that must be changed under the hood), and a cable harness for hooking up trailer brakes. Also included is instructions with a comprehensive wiring diagram and illustrations to show where the connector (inside the dash) for the brake harness is located. You will have to spend a few minutes sorting through the instructions to figure out which instructions apply to your vehicle (all F-series trucks are included in the instructions).

 

He used to be on the Pro Bass Fishing tour, so he had the boat given to him by a sponsor. To say this boat has everything a bass fisherman needs is an understatement! And they weren't skimpy when it came to the trailer either, thus the electric brakes.

 

1500 pounds is nothing these SCrews can't handle without electric brakes. I have pulled a four horse trailer with four horses without electric brakes (approx. 7500 - 8000 pounds); this is only for short distances though. I would not recommend it for long hauls.

 

Thank you guys for your replys!

 

With a light load like that, you will be fine with out the brakes.
The most important thing is to pay attention to the road and conditions. I personally tow a 26' Twin Engine Saltwater boat with NO trailer brakes. My only problem is that I have to allow myself atleast double the normal responce time for braking and corrections.
It would be overkill to have the electric brakes with that trailer, but some people feel safer that way. If you would be more comfortable with it, make sure you have a high quality brake controler-- that you could install your self.

 

BTW, I'd have to say that the biggest problem with towing such a light load is towing it too fast and having it bounce around to the point that something breaks. Keep an eye on it while towing to see how it reacts when you drive over joints and bumps in the road at speed.

 

Get a brake controller and be safe. Even though your trailer is light you do not want to tax your brakes. The best brake controller out there is the Prodigy made by Tekonsha. It is the only self adjusting brake controller. It has a built in accelerometer that sense the incline of your truck and adjusts brake power to the trailer brakes. You can get one from here http://www.southwestwheel.com/

I have one and I love it. I will not tow without a brake controller even though my trailer with raice car weighs 3700 lbs.

 

Don't overlook your state laws concerning trailer brake requirements. For instance, Oklahoma requires brakes on all trailers over 3000 lbs. Even if you're confident your truck can handle the trailer, if you're involved in an accident and don't have trailer brakes when they're required by state law, you could be found neglagent. Here's a link I found that lists requirements state by state:

http://www.rvadvice.com/rvtowlaw.html#Equipment

Although we're all in agreement that an F150 can handle 1500 lbs easily without trailer brakes, If it was against state law, I'd hate to have to try and prove it in court.

 

Check your state's laws for trailer brake requirements and follow them! My first RV was a 16' (closed) Starcraft tent trailer that came with factory installed electric surge brakes so they do have them. And even though the trailer was easy to pull I never once doubted hooking up the brakes.