ACME EZE-Tow

[BigInSeattle]

So my first tow with my Honda Odyssey and my new dolly didn't go exactly as planned. My 1st problem was I almost burned up my brakes headed east down Snoqualmie Pass in WA. I'm pretty sure the brakes were engaged the whole time because when I stopped to perform a strap check I could smell the brakes as soon as I opened my door. Plus, the hubs and rotors were burning hot. I was NOT using the brakes at all. I was in tow/haul mode riding the lower gears down the mountain. I noticed this a lot actually, my brakes being very hot whenever I was near them.

The bigger issue is when I got to Pullman, WA. My right side strap completely broke and I had no idea it happened until I stopped. I don't know what happened. I don't know if it was too tight, was rubbing on something or what. I think they broke in a Wal-Mart parking lot during a tight maneuver. I drove from Pullman WA to Boyer Park, WA about 30 miles with around 5 miles of a VERY steep grade down to the snake river. I'm lucky the other side didn't break but as you can see in the pictures it almost did. I think once the right side broke, the left side started rubbing on something. They were VERY close to breaking.

I'm VERY lucky UHaul in Moscow, ID had 3 straps for me to purchase. They worked great on the drive home. Just a little stretching I took care of by driving around the RV park a few times before we left and they didn't stretch the whole way home.

My final problem was the safety chains popped out of their banjos on the way home.





Pic before heading out

[PeteandDeb]

I depend on the safety chains more than the straps because they don't abrade. My solution to making sure the chains stay secure is to use bungee. Once the chains are fastened and locked in the grooves, I use a bungee, on each side, to pull the end of the chain to the side. This keeps tension on the links so they cannot slip out of the groove. Has worked well for over a year.

[Waywards]

I bolted my chains to the dolly with some u-bolts.



Another thought I had for the banjos but never executed was to add a couple of self-closing cabinet hinges (the kind that snaps close). Attach them with screws so the door plate covers the large banjo hole. Flip them open to insert the chains, close and the chain can't pop out.

[Dougsee3]

It looks the same as mine did the straps are rubbing on the strut mount. You need possibly shorter basket straps, or have the inside strap higher on the tire and the outside strap lower on the wheel?

[BigInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Dougsee3

It looks the same as mine did the straps are rubbing on the strut mount. You need possibly shorter basket straps, or have the inside strap higher on the tire and the outside strap lower on the wheel?

I was thinking of that. The straps I bought from UHaul worked out much much better.

I think my bigger issue now is why my brakes seem to always be on when they shouldn't be. The manual for the actuator states a 6,000 pound maximum trailer weight. My van weighs in at 4,500 or so at the scales so weight of the trailer shouldn't be a problem. I had plenty of fluid in the reservoir. I'm going to check my brake pads this week to see how far they wore down on my first trip (600 miles or so...).

[Kluffinator]

Thanks for the post. I am picking up my first RV in a couple of weeks and researching tow dollys, so this was helpful.

Could it be the surge brakes on the dolly are applying on the downhill because the dolly and van have less rolling resistance than your RV? While your RV is resisting the pull of gravity via the engine braking, the dolly has less resistance and therefore trying to "push" the RV down the hill the hill. As a result, the surge mechanism actuates and applies the dolly brakes.

Just a guess of course but the implied force vectors point to that. It wouldn't take much braking force to create a lot of heat if the rotors are spinning at a high speed under a light pad pressure for a long distance.

Also check to make sure that the brake calipers release easily. A collapsed brake line or less than free movement in the calipers could be holding the pads against the rotor.

I wonder if the rotors can be swapped out with drilled rotors like on a motorcycle so the heat gets dumped more effectively?

[vettenuts]

UFP, manufacturer of the surge brakes, sent me an article about the brakes and using the engine and/or exhaust brake on downhill runs. When you have a lot of downhill driving they recommend electric brakes so you can control when they come on. I have had mine get very hot as well due to engine braking on a long downhill run. You might want to bleed the brakes as you may have overheated the fluid in the caliper.

The straps were definitely rubbing somewhere, as previously suggested the strut towers are the most likely culprit. I actually installed Cordura on my straps where I saw rubbing on my strut towers. This has worked well so far, but the straps need to be viewed as an expendable item, i.e., they eventually need replacement. If you found some that don't contact the strut towers that will likely take care of the issue.

As for the safety chains, I secure the last link of the chain around the banjo fitting to the main chain using an electrical cable clamp, the cheap orange ones at Home Depot. Never have had one come out yet and been securing them like this for three years.

I have had a few issues with my ACME, but overall am happy with it and it works well.

[BigInSeattle]

I went with the surge brake model because I didn't want the hassle of installing a brake controller and the associated wiring of electric brakes. I only have a 4 wire connector on my RV and I assumed the expense of converting to a 7 pin plus a controller would end up being more than the cost of the surge brake dolly.

I think I made a mistake. Living in the Seattle area I should have thought about how much mountain driving I am doing.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the dolly itself. I think it's on me for not buying the electric brake model and I think it's on me for not thinking about the straps running somewhere I wasn't aware of until it was too late.

It was just a lot of problems to deal with on my FIRST trip with this dolly. It was overwhelming.

[DryCreek]

We flat-tow our two Jeep Wranglers, but I really hate having to rent a U-Haul tow dolly every time we need to rescue either one of our sons FWD cars. Luckily they each live only about 40 miles away so I can get a "half-day" rental in.

[vettenuts]

You could contact UFP, they are very helpful. They may have a higher rate spring for the surge brake but this would degrade braking the rest of the time. The other option is to use the lockout key provided with the dolly on the very large hills and then remove if there are known areas where the overheating will occur. Puts more on your coach to hold it back but it is an option and you already have the parts to try it. Just make sure you use something to hold the key in place so it isn't lost when going over bumps in the road.

Here is the document I received from UFP, hopefully it has some useful information for you. They recommend an electric/hydraulic setup for more control of the brakes you have installed but if I recall the cost is as much as the dolly so likely not an option. This is a last resort if the recommended driving methods don't help.

Please update with what works our for you. Your solutions will help me and others since I plan to drive out in your area in the coming years and don't encounter a lot of big hills on the east coast.

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Boat Trailer Brake Operation and Potential Effects of Long/Steep Downgrades


Every time you brake, you create friction between the disc brake pads and rotor. This friction is by design intentionally transferred into heat and can't be avoided. The better the braking, the more heat generated. The ventilating action of the rotors and aluminum wheels on many trailers absorbs and transfers heat very efficiently which helps dissipate heat away from the hub and bearings. However, when brakes are continuously applied, as such can occur on long downgrades, how much heat generation is acceptable (on a long downgrade) is a common question. Idler (non-brake) hubs run at about 180 degrees F during normal towing. Disc brake rotor hubs will run hotter depending on the amount of braking. Temperatures of up to 250 degrees F on the nose of brake rotors are not uncommon on long downgrades. These temperatures, even on the nose of the hub, are certainly too hot for the touch in many conditions. Normal braking temperatures on the rotor surface can be so high as to be only measurable with a hand held infrared thermometer. If you are concerned that the temperature of your hubs may be running too hot, a good rule of thumb is to compare it to the temperature of the front brakes of the tow vehicle.

The first absolute answer is that if your normal towing area includes any hilly areas with anything over a short 5% down grade, your trailer should have brakes installed on all axles. It is unfortunately common for tandem or triple axle trailers to be built with one or more idler (non-braked) axles. Having a combination of brake and idler axles on a trailer may be acceptable for light duty/level ground use, but it is UFP’s strong recommendation that all trailers requiring brakes to have brakes on all axles. Incidentally, trailer brakes on all axles may not be required by your state’s laws but are required in a number of states, and many foreign countries.

Second, most boat trailers are equipped with “Surge” operated brakes. The standard “Surge” brakes apply when the brakes are applied on the tow vehicle and the trailer then tries to outrun the tow vehicle, compressing the master cylinder in the tongue and applying the trailer brakes. In 95% of customer situations, they work extremely well, are simple, and require little input from the tow vehicle driver. The issue arises when a customer travels in a location with long downgrades of several miles, and say a 5% or greater grade. In that case, if the tow vehicle is downshifted at the top of the summit to use engine braking down the grade, and the trailer brakes are automatically and continually applied by the surge actuator on the trailer tongue, the effect is the same as riding your vehicle brakes all the way down the hill. Eventually the brakes will overheat.

This issue can be handled in most cases by the tow vehicle driver using the following procedure.

1. Decelerate to a slower speed before cresting the hill.

2. If using engine braking when coming down the hill, every half mile or so, accelerate the tow vehicle slightly away from the trailer so the trailer brakes are released.

3. The ventilated disk brakes will cool right down and the brakes can then be reapplied.

4. Continue down the hill a half mile with the trailer brakes applied, and then repeat the trailer brake release procedure.

Assuming your trailer has brakes on all axles/wheels, and the above operating procedures are being followed, in the majority of cases, downgrades will not be a problem. However, if the terrain in your area still creates a concern about heat buildup in the brake system, then the question becomes whether to use the standard “Surge” applied hydraulic disk brakes, or to upgrade to an electric over hydraulic brake application system to allow total control of the trailer brakes from the tow vehicle cab. We generally do not recommend the use of fully electric drum brakes (like a camping trailer) for the marine (boat) trailer application, as the electric components in the drums may work ok in fresh water, but are subject to rust during storage after marine use. Fully electric brakes do allow independent control of the trailer brakes from the cab, but are not the best solution.

Thus, if steep grades in your area are common, or are such length and level of descent that the above apply/release method is neither desired or adequate, an electric over hydraulic system is suggested. Electric over hydraulic is typically used in the Rocky Mountains in the western US, for example, or on heavier trailers (over 12000 pounds gross weight) in less hilly areas. With these setups, a fixed non-braking coupler is installed on the trailer tongue. The electric over hydraulic pump unit is a very high speed hydraulic pump that can generate 1000 psi of hydraulic pressure in a fraction of a second. It is turned on and off by the electric brake
controller in the tow vehicle. The system includes the pump, a set of backup batteries, and a “breakaway kit” if your trailer was to come uncoupled from the tow vehicle.

There are several Electric over Hydraulic pump units available in the marketplace. UFP is most familiar with the Titan EHB unit. In addition to the components above, the Titan unit uses a signal converter box on the trailer to work with Ford/Chevy in cab controllers. The Titan pump unit is “water resistant” but is usually installed by the trailer manufacturer on the trailer tongue, sometimes on a small pedestal to keep it out of the water when launching. The installed system then gives you the benefits of ventilated hydraulically operated disk brakes, but total control of the trailer brakes from the truck cab. The brakes are either directly applied by the electric brake controller when you press the foot brake in the truck, or sometimes can be applied alone with a lever on the brake controller (in the unusual case of needing to straighten out a skidding truck/trailer on snow or ice).

After addressing brakes on all axles, and the operating procedures above, if there is some continued concern about brake heating on downgrades, please feel free to contact your trailer manufacturer, UFP at warrantytn@ufpnet.com, or one of our distributors about converting to Electric over Hydraulic brake operation.

[Gidyupgo]

Nylon Sling Protectors
We had the same problem with a strut rubbing the strap. 8k miles with no problems after putting these over the area that rubs.
Gary

[EZE Tow]

We sell a lot of dollies. Most people have an easy trouble free use of our dolly. A few do not. YTD we have had maybe 5 people ( out of hundreds of new dollies sold in the same time ) that have been experiencing strap problems of various kinds. Some are very obvious abrasion damage and cuts. Some are not so obvious. It is those that have peaked our curiosity.

We are working with our supplier to get their opinion on this issue. Looking for cause and solutions to possibly eliminate and potential for strap damage. As soon as we figure it out we will post the results.

In addition, the dolly is rated to tow a car up 5,000 pounds, not 6000. The actuator is rated for 6k, not the dolly.

[Dougsee3]

I wore out the pads, rotors, and callipers and one hub seal, going all the way across Washington Hwy. 20 from Seattle. UFP and Acme sent me all new parts to replace.

Hubs lost there Vault seal again after the first 1000 miles. I am using just grease now. This summer I have to take apart replace seals and inspect after 11,000 miles this past winter. The seals leak grease when warm and smoke on long down hill runs. Grease probably leaks as I did not take them apart on the long trip just over filled hubs with grease with a grease nipple at the end of axels. At least I made the whole trip by monitoring hub temps every stop and pumping more grease in every two or three thousand miles.

There almost needs to be a electric Valve that only lets the surge brake work when the brakes applied on the tow vehicle for hills.

I probably made it so far as it is pretty flat across Canada and down to Florida and across to Arizona.

[EZE Tow]

There is a key one can use to lock out the brake function.

It is best to use the lube that is designed for the system. It is a hybrid lube that turns to an oil bath when it gets hot. If you need anymore replacement parts let us know.

Most dollies need very frequent lubing. The sealed system shouldn't need it. The seal can start leaking after getting too hot, not always, just sometimes.

Be sure to drive for a while to give everything time to cool off after a long descent. Stopping while the rotors are white hot is not advisable.