The Steamboating Forum

Those appear to be cable brakes, not hydraulic.

Might I ask, since when did you see a "T" connection in a cable? I'd love to know how that could be done, it could be extremely useful!

The parking brake is indeed cable, but not the running brake.

Hi

Yes, you have rightly spotted a cable, but as Mike has pointed out, it is for the parking brake caliper. (The disc rotors are not at all obvious in the two pictures) The Loadrite trailer was supplied to US specification, and only had hydraulic disc brakes which is not legal here in the UK/EU. So I had a lot of trouble finding a supplier of after market cable operated disc brake calipers for parking brake use.

Eventually I discovered IPSCO in Colorado (http://www.ipsco.org/) whose kit (IPS080) has done the job. However it did require the cutting of new rotor mounting brackets as the original ones from TieDown did not have any spare metal on which to fit the calipers. It also needed the addition of a handbrake and the cabling system you can see. All that was way beyond my capabilities, but I was recommended Tony Sanders of Torver, near Coniston, who is billed as a 'blacksmith'. He is actually a maestro in metal and did a grand job.

Regards

Pete

Good on ya! Getting the boat to run is just one of many parts of building and operating a hobby steamboat. I'm sure you can now appreciate the labor, etc. which goes into building a steamboat (or any boat) that involves lofting the hull, setting up the frame, planking, etc. And we call this "fun"

Wow! Parking brakes on a trailer. What's next? Flares and a bilge pump? Have they never heard of wheel chocks?

In the state of Oregon they don't even require license plates on smaller boat trailers. Or even lights if you have a light bar hanging on the boat.

I didn't know that I lived in the wild west!

This side (of the pond) the regulations for trailers are quite complex. Trailers under 5cwt (laden) don't need any brakes, but must have lighting if the tow-vehicle lights are not visible past it. There are lower speed limits, and weight limits (per vehicle type) and width restrictions, etc. etc.

Oooh yes! You gotta have parking brakes on your trailer! (or at least I have)

On the day I was to tow the loaded trailer up to Coniston, I hitched up my caravan mover (2 wheels, a motor, leisure battery, controls and a longish handle) to the trailer, stowed the jockey wheel, pulled out the chocks and then put a little power into the Mover to swing the draw bar to our drive entrance. Gravity took hold of the trailer (the drive is on a small slope), it rolled over the Mover and began rushing towards my wife's new car with the skeg spraying sparks. Fortunately, instinct replaced rational thought and I jumped on the draw bar and heaved on the brake lever. We stopped within inches of the car.

I then had to chock the wheels, jack up the draw bar, put down the jockey wheel, right the Mover, wash down the lost battery acid, etc. before moving the car back a bit. I was then able to use the mover to push the trailer back a little, then with the brake partially applied manoeuvre it towards the road and get it hitched to the camper.

Exciting, this steamboating thing...

Regards

Pete

PeteThePen1 wrote:We stopped within inches of the car.


Pete

Yikes!

I'm sure glad I live in the colonies! Life is so simple here!! LOL Den

farmerden wrote:I'm sure glad I live in the colonies! Life is so simple here!! LOL Den

But are you any safer?
The thought of a loaded trailer that has broken away from the tow vehicle charging along a road where there are children doesn't bear thinking about.
Gudmund