trailer brakes locking during backup

Mine is fixed. It was the blue wire that activates the solenoid on the trailer that shuts down the trailer brakes. Venture decided it was a good idea to pinch the wire between the fender washer and frame rail on the safety chain through bolt.
It's always an adventure with a Venture :)

Glad you got it sorted out, though!
 
I wish. Mine has no provision for that. I have even looked for a way to drill a hole and insert a pin to keep the surge from activating, but I am hesitant to weaken the tongue on an 8100 lb boat and trailer.
 
I wish. Mine has no provision for that. I have even looked for a way to drill a hole and insert a pin to keep the surge from activating, but I am hesitant to weaken the tongue on an 8100 lb boat and trailer.
I had an issue when the solenoid went bad on our trailer. Now I keep a block, made of 2-2x4s screwed together, in my tool box along with a couple of long, heavy zip ties. If the solenoid goes out I can zip tie the block behind the surge tongue and it keeps it from sliding back and locking up the brakes.
 
I wish. Mine has no provision for that. I have even looked for a way to drill a hole and insert a pin to keep the surge from activating, but I am hesitant to weaken the tongue on an 8100 lb boat and trailer.
What brand trailer do you have? Can you post a pic of the coupler? Just on the off chance that you're overlooking something...
 
It's a Shoreland'r.
I'll go find a picture. It works fantastic with the tow vehicle hooked up and the blue wire connected. It's just when I am stuffing it back into the storage corner with my Kubota that I have to use some finesse. I end up picking the tongue up with the skid steer bucket rather than using the coupler as a lift point.
 
It's a Shoreland'r.
I'll go find a picture. It works fantastic with the tow vehicle hooked up and the blue wire connected. It's just when I am stuffing it back into the storage corner with my Kubota that I have to use some finesse. I end up picking the tongue up with the skid steer bucket rather than using the coupler as a lift point.
I think your trailer already has some version of this....
 
If your trailer has surge brakes, meaning momentum of braking or accelerating engages or disengages the trailer brakes, then your problem is NOT an electrical function it is a mechanical function. On my surge brake equipped dual axel trailer there is a 4 inch pin that you need to remove from the trailer neck hole and reinsert in a more proximal (different) hole in order to disengage trailer brakes for backing up. Doing so will prevent the surge mechanism from sliding back and engaging your brakes when you back your rig up.
Newbie here on trailers and hauling boats. I also have a 2015 Venture tandem axle. Are you saying that if the trailer has surge brakes, that the electric brake controller inside the truck does nothing? That all the braking is done thru the surge? The first time i towed mine, in reverse for just 30' or so, the brakes were smoking. Both front wheels were completely saturated with brake dust as well when i got the trailer. So, I bought 4 nice new wheels for the trailer and the first time I towed the boat the hubs were extremely hot and covered in dust after 30 miles. Are my brakes sticking?
 
Mine had both systems, the blue wire electrical but also the manual way to insert the pin into the hitch assembly to keep the brakes unlocked. I used the pin for about two months until I finally got around to wiring the blue electrical up.
 
Newbie here on trailers and hauling boats. I also have a 2015 Venture tandem axle. Are you saying that if the trailer has surge brakes, that the electric brake controller inside the truck does nothing? That all the braking is done thru the surge? The first time i towed mine, in reverse for just 30' or so, the brakes were smoking. Both front wheels were completely saturated with brake dust as well when i got the trailer. So, I bought 4 nice new wheels for the trailer and the first time I towed the boat the hubs were extremely hot and covered in dust after 30 miles. Are my brakes sticking?
Yes, with pure surge brakes the brake controller does nothing. It sounds like your brakes are sticking on unless you were going downhill for long distances.
 
Newbie here on trailers and hauling boats. I also have a 2015 Venture tandem axle. Are you saying that if the trailer has surge brakes, that the electric brake controller inside the truck does nothing? That all the braking is done thru the surge? The first time i towed mine, in reverse for just 30' or so, the brakes were smoking. Both front wheels were completely saturated with brake dust as well when i got the trailer. So, I bought 4 nice new wheels for the trailer and the first time I towed the boat the hubs were extremely hot and covered in dust after 30 miles. Are my brakes sticking?
That's correct - having a "blue" wire has nothing to do with braking. A blue wire means you have disc brakes (flat 5 connector). Drum brakes don't need the 5th wire for backing up. But regardless, that has nothing to do with the actual braking/surge part of the trailer.

Venture? There's a saying... "It's always an adventure with a Venture" :)

It sounds like the trailer has been sitting around and not used much. You should get the brakes checked out AND the surge actuator/master cylinder.

You do have brakes on all axles, right?
 
That's correct - having a "blue" wire has nothing to do with braking. A blue wire means you have disc brakes (flat 5 connector). Drum brakes don't need the 5th wire for backing up. But regardless, that has nothing to do with the actual braking/surge part of the trailer.

Venture? There's a saying... "It's always an adventure with a Venture" :)

It sounds like the trailer has been sitting around and not used much. You should get the brakes checked out AND the surge actuator/master cylinder.

You do have brakes on all axles, right?
No, just the front axle
 
No, just the front axle
I thought so - that would explain the high amount of brake dust on only one set of wheels. It seems like whoever had that boat before bought the cheapest trailer they could. Maybe it was just for storage and was never really on the road - which is fine. But if you're going to be trailering, that is way too heavy of a boat to only have brakes on one axle - you really need to add a second set of brakes. In many states, it's actually a law - I don't know about VA - but regardless, it's not good to be trailering with only one set. Trailering is NOT about power to get going... it's about stopping.
 

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