Sunspot Axel

small camper · 03-05-2012, 05:59 AM

Would it be safe to simply take out the break padds and run my sunspot w/o them. I mean really. this little thing simply doe'snt need breaks. They dont work now and was thinking of putting new axel on it , but thinking I may not need to and simply remove all break parts inside of hub. Any insite on this would really help. Thank's

suebobby · 03-05-2012, 04:58 PM

Keep in mind that most states require brakes on any trailer weighing 2000 lbs. or more. Not sure if sunspots exceed this weight but could be subject to a stiff fine when pulled over by a trooper, and they do check.

small camper · 03-05-2012, 06:09 PM

Thank's for the info, on the registration card it says 'unladen weight is 900', and 'gross weight is 3000'. I can assure you this does'nt weigh 3000 lbs. though. if pulled over would they go by unladen or gross weight I wonder. I think I'll take it to junk yard and put it on their scale to get a true weight just for my own peice of mind though. Would be surprised if it actually even weighs 900 lbs.

Jim-Bev-2363 · 03-05-2012, 06:10 PM

Why would the engineer designers of the camper have brakes on them if not necessary? As long as you tow with a big vehicle you may never find out. Tow with a smaller vehicle and find the tail waggin the dog and you will know why. Maybe even towing on wet roads would be a reason for them.

**JohnB** · 03-05-2012, 07:31 PM

Hi Small Camper,

The 3,000# GVWR could be the trigger in an inspection for brakes. They do not go by what you have in the camper they go by the sticker GVWR.

If they do not ticket you for no brakes due to the 3,000# limit they may ticket you for not having a working emergency break away switch system. From what I have learned only the small trailers designed to not have brakes have an exception from the emergency break away system.

Hope this helps

John

PS: I see you are from PA. I thought PA had a TT state inspection requirement. These state inspections may require they pull 1 wheel to check the brakes and to activate the emergency break away system. Getting a valid inspection sticker may force you to getting the brakes working.

small camper · 03-06-2012, 05:56 AM

Thank's John B., so the gross weight is the GVWR right ?? No PA doesnt have inspection on trailers. at least I never needed inspection for the 5 diff. boat trailers I've hade over the years, nor my firewood trailer that I haul camping gear all over the east coast. Now I can't speak for a full sized camper as I've never owned one. I do know in NY. one needs inspection for all trailers. Not sure what a break away system is. Thank's for your time and Happy camping.

Poppy & Nana · 03-06-2012, 10:46 AM

067 Pa. Code §*175.130.*Inspection procedure.

here is a link to PA trailer inspections

1979Sunline · 03-06-2012, 11:57 AM

ok well heres my opinion, if you got in an accident with it would would be in deep, sure.....if your tow rig is big enough to handle it, then i wouldnt worry about it, especially short distances, if you got a 1500 level truck or more, i wouldnt stress, if i was towing with a honda pilot or the the like, i would keep the brakes..... ive been towing a HEAVY 1969 holiday rambler 15.5 footer which probably doubles your sunspot and then some, all over ny, through the mountains, with no brakes for 3 years.....i keep crossdrilled slotted rotors on my ram, with ceramic pads, and i use my head when on declines through the mountains, i use my tranny to maintain speed, is it the right thing to do? no, am i doing it, as well as thousands of others, yes, also i own have owned over 12 trailers in NY, NONE of them ever get inspected by anyone other than me, its never really been an enforced issue around here, with that being said the risk is up to you......my sunline is the first trailer ive owned that has brakes that work....ive towed a 25 footer through route 8, graphite mountain etc in ny with no brakes when the harness got sheared on a tight jacknife in a parking lot, if you use your head, and your truck, it can be done.....

hiller64 · 03-06-2012, 04:45 PM

In my opinion having brakes on trailers is generally a good thing.They just give a little extra saftey margin. You never know you need things like brakes until you really need them.

In Virgina its any trailer over 2,000 pounds.

small camper · 03-06-2012, 05:21 PM

Hi all, thank's for all the info. I had this thing weighed and it only weighs 700 lbs. this thing is lighter then a pop up, I truly feel the engineers of this thing went over board designing it with a break system. Now I surely don't want to be towing something around that is unsafe but really, breaks on a 700 lb. trailer. Been towing diff.trailers for years and I just have to shak my head at the overkill of this. Been a fabricator all my life and built 3 diff. trailers from scratch, so do know a little about how things work here. I'm not simply trying to save $$ here but truely feel breaks are overkill on this thing. I can put a brend new axel on it for 200 $ or less and nix the break system. Most likely that's what I'll do so as not to have a disabled system on the thing. Happy camping all.

**Sunline Fan** · 03-06-2012, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by small camper

Hi all, thank's for all the info. I had this thing weighed and it only weighs 700 lbs. this thing is lighter then a pop up, I truly feel the engineers of this thing went over board designing it with a break system. Now I surely don't want to be towing something around that is unsafe but really, breaks on a 700 lb. trailer. Been towing diff.trailers for years and I just have to shak my head at the overkill of this. Been a fabricator all my life and built 3 diff. trailers from scratch, so do know a little about how things work here. I'm not simply trying to save $$ here but truely feel breaks are overkill on this thing. I can put a brend new axel on it for 200 $ or less and nix the break system. Most likely that's what I'll do so as not to have a disabled system on the thing. Happy camping all.

You have to remember, they were originally designed to be towed by little Rabbits and the like, which were very small vehicles anyway with small everything. If I were towing a Sunspot with a Rabbit, I'd definitely want brakes on it. If I were towing it like with an Explorer now, I wouldn't have to have them to be somewhat comfortable.

But if they're already there, why take them off? Just leave them there and don't use them. Not going to save that much weight with them off.

small camper · 03-23-2012, 05:49 PM

Guess I jumped the gun here, just assumed braks did'nt work ,as they were un hooked and rusted fast, So I pulled hub & broke padds free and hooked wires up to a battery after putting hub back on ofcourse. Hec.. they work fine. Very Cool. NOW, do I need to have a brake controller for these to work w/o locking up or do I simply run blue wire from braks to what wire on my 4 wire flat plug. if I recall right there was a blue wire stub on old trailer light plug befor I rewired it last year. and wondered at the time what it might of been for. Hope I dont need a brake controller . Any info on this would be much help. thank's,, By the way, this is a 1980 SunSpot 600 lb mini camper.

**JohnB** · 03-23-2012, 07:27 PM

Hi small camper,

Yes, you need a brake controller in the truck and then the 7 wire plug on the back of the truck. The brake hot wire gets a proportional amount of current/voltage to the stopping need. If you pump a full 12 to 13 volts to them at full 6 amps they will lock almost instantly on that little trailer. Good deal you have them working.

Brake controllers can run around $110 for a good one, the Prodigy down to around $70 for a time based controller. If you ever plan on a larger TT, and it does not take much from the Sun Spot to get larger... pay the extra now and get the proportional Prodigy verses the time based controller. On a light trailer the time based work OK by the larger camper it drive you nuts on too strong or not strong enough.

They go on sale at many places

Tekonsha PRODIGY Brake Controller - Proportional Tekonsha Brake Controller 90185

Hope this helps

John

frank_a · 04-19-2012, 03:54 AM

If I had seen this post earlier, I would have told you your registration is way off. Sunspots weighed 655#s from the factory, and you for sure don't want to load another ton on! Nevertheless, glad you got the brakes working. Whether the law requires them or not, it's you and your loved ones lives we're concerned about!

Happy trails,

Frank

**Tweety** · 04-19-2012, 05:42 AM

Our new truck has an integral brake controller so we no longer need our Prodigy brake controller. I think Steve was going to put it on Craigslist for half retail price. If you're near Sinking Spring and are interested let me know. It's the 90185.

small camper · 04-21-2012, 12:26 PM

redoing back compartment now, back was gutted & repaneled so I'm putting in a cubbyhole system back there for everything under the sun needed for cooking and such. Decided I will get a brake controler for truck down the rd. sense braks do all wk., for this yr. tho I'll tow it as is, as my truck will be fine with it.

**Tweety** · 04-21-2012, 03:57 PM

Agreed. A break controller really isn't necessary with something so tiny.

frank_a · 05-11-2012, 12:30 PM

When we got our Sunspot, any brakes it once had were long gone. While I hoped to install brakes sometime, the trailer may be for sale before that happens.

Frank