Travel Trailer Parking Brake

[AndyBond]

New to RV'ing in the US, we bought a KZ RV e18rbt at the weekend. That's one of those 'hybrid' travel trailers, with the fold-down bunks at the ends.

I grew up vacationing in caravans (the British term for a travel trailer), so my references are a little different to USA RV's, one thing surprised me though when putting the TT on the driveway so the family could explore it, at the weekend. There's no parking brake! All the UK 'vans have a big hand lever on the tongue that locks the wheels. Then you can unhitch without any concern of it rolling into the car, sliding on the chocks or whatever.

Is it permissible to engage the brake pull cord when unhitching on a slope, or is that like a one use thing? Otherwise do you just rely on chocks?

/Andy

[Arch Hoagland]

Never heard of parking brakes on a trailer. I always used chocks.

I don't know about pulling the emergency brake cord, I suspect it would eventually run the battery down.

[AndyBond]

Sure, it looks exactly as you'd expect (see attached). Reading the manual for my KZ it warns against using the electric brake, so I guess chocks it is.

[RustyJC]

Nope, no parking brake. The current draw of the electric brake magnets is (IIRC) ~ 1.5 amps per brake, so you can figure out that the trailer battery will discharge pretty quickly if the breakaway switch cord is pulled. Just chock the wheels and be done with it.

Rusty

[SmokeyWren]

There are wheel chocks, and then are the really good wheel chocks that work like a champ. I have the really-good wheel chocks. Here's a link to them:
Ultra-Fab Chock and Lock Wheel Stabilizers for Tandem-Axle Trailers and RVs - Qty 2 - UF21-001070

If your KZ Spree Escape has only one axle, then those won't work. The KZ website doesn't show me a photo of the E18RBT, and the specs don't indicate whether one or two axles, but with a GVWR of 3,500 pounds it might have only one axle. If the tires are Goodyear Marathon in size ST205/75R14, they have a weight rating of 1760 pounds each, so two of them on one axle would be enough for your 3,500 pound GVWR.
http://www.kz-rv.com/spree-escape/E18RBT.html

But if yours has tandem axles, then adjust and install those wheel chocks between the tandem tires on both sides of the trailer before you disconnect the hitch, and that's more effective than any parking brake. Those come in two sizes: one size is for tires a few inches apart, and the bigger size is for tires several inches apart. There are some tandem-axle RV trailers that have the axles a coupla feet apart, and I don't know what you'd use for those.

[AndyBond]

Ah - I had seen that contraption on Amazon and wondered what it did. Now I understand it expands between two tires, locking them into place. Nice idea, and I wish I could do something like that on my single axle to give me confidence when unhitching on a slope.

Would you recommend a certain chock or a single axle then?

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by AndyBond

Ah -

Would you recommend a certain chock or a single axle then?

If your regularly parking on a sloped pavement drive, get the hard rubber chocks, the cheap plastic are ok on dirt but will slide on pavement.

[Skip426]

[QUOTE=AndyBond;1557787]Sure, it looks exactly as you'd expect (see attached). Reading the manual for my KZ it warns against using the electric brake, so I guess chocks it is.[/QUOTE

The lever shown is for manual activation of hydraulic trailer brakes, (surge brakes ) in North America, surge brakes are only common on rental ; U Haul; and boat trailers.
U Haul , so no trailer brake controller is required, and boat , because of water problems with wiring and magnets.

[336muffin]

All Military trailers in the US have lever to cable parking brakes similar to emergency brakes on vehicles. Some of the 1ton's have a lever for each side.

[Jim_HiTek]

You can find rubber chocks in various sizes at most truck supply businesses. I'd recommend them over the typical plastic chocks that most RV dealers and RV supply houses have. Some come with a pull rope.

Chocks: Your One Source For Wheel Chocks, Chock Blocks, And Wheel Stops

[Miljet]

I had a Playmor 32 ft 5th wheel about twenty years ago that did have a hand operated parking brake. It actuated dual cables that set the wheel brakes. I thought it was pretty handy. Only travel trailer I ever saw with it.

[Michigander]

I had a friend just pulled the e-brake cord to use as a parking brake. As long as the trailer is plugged in you won't run the battery down. BUT, the constant surge through the system melted the plastic housing mounted to the front of the a-frame for the "clip" that he pulled out!!. We also found that he melted parts of his brake system in the drum. We asked the dealer and found that the electric brake system is not designed for constant duty and will overheat if left on too long.

[AndyBond]

Originally Posted by Michigander

We asked the dealer and found that the electric brake system is not designed for constant duty and will overheat if left on too long.

Yeah, I think we'll give that a miss. Big rubber chocks it is.