P1000 Trailer Brakes?

[GoinForARip]

Hello to all!

Long time Lurker, first time poster.

I have put a deposit down on a 2021 Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe, and am playing the waiting game due to high demand for these beauties. It might be another month + before mine arrives, and I feel like a kid at Christmas all over again

In the mean time I am looking at utility trailers to haul my new toy. It seems like most photos I see hauling a Pioneer 1000-5 (or similar sized SXS) are on single axel 3000lb GVRW trailers, and likely no trailer brakes.

So my question is - how do you find hauling the Pioneer with a 3000lb GVRW trailer, with no trailer brakes? I have only ever towed trailers with brakes, but was usually hauling a significantly higher weight than 3000lb. I drive a 2012 F-150 Crew Cab, in the moderately mountainous interior of Vancouver Island BC.

Would I be wise to upgrade and spend the extra $ on a trailer with brakes? Or is the 3000lb GVRW trailer not an issue being towed behind a half ton truck?

And yes, pics will be shared when she is mine!!!

Thank you

 

[Russ989]

Hello to all!

Long time Lurker, first time poster.

I have put a deposit down on a 2021 Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe, and am playing the waiting game due to high demand for these beauties. It might be another month + before mine arrives, and I feel like a kid at Christmas all over again

In the mean time I am looking at utility trailers to haul my new toy. It seems like most photos I see hauling a Pioneer 1000-5 (or similar sized SXS) are on single axel 3000lb GVRW trailers, and likely no trailer brakes.

So my question is - how do you find hauling the Pioneer with a 3000lb GVRW trailer, with no trailer brakes? I have only ever towed trailers with brakes, but was usually hauling a significantly higher weight than 3000lb. I drive a 2012 F-150 Crew Cab, in the moderately mountainous interior of Vancouver Island BC.

Would I be wise to upgrade and spend the extra $ on a trailer with brakes? Or is the 3000lb GVRW trailer not an issue being towed behind a half ton truck?

And yes, pics will be shared when she is mine!!!

Thank you

Welcome to the club. There’s no doubt that trailer brakes are nice to have depending on the load but in this case, I don’t see it being necessary. I’ve towed my P1k5D back and forth to Tennessee several times without trailer brakes and not one time did I wish I had them. Congrats on the new ride.

 

[JenElio]

Hello to all!

Long time Lurker, first time poster.

I have put a deposit down on a 2021 Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe, and am playing the waiting game due to high demand for these beauties. It might be another month + before mine arrives, and I feel like a kid at Christmas all over again

In the mean time I am looking at utility trailers to haul my new toy. It seems like most photos I see hauling a Pioneer 1000-5 (or similar sized SXS) are on single axel 3000lb GVRW trailers, and likely no trailer brakes.

So my question is - how do you find hauling the Pioneer with a 3000lb GVRW trailer, with no trailer brakes? I have only ever towed trailers with brakes, but was usually hauling a significantly higher weight than 3000lb. I drive a 2012 F-150 Crew Cab, in the moderately mountainous interior of Vancouver Island BC.

Would I be wise to upgrade and spend the extra $ on a trailer with brakes? Or is the 3000lb GVRW trailer not an issue being towed behind a half ton truck?

And yes, pics will be shared when she is mine!!!

Thank you

Well.......welcome to the club from South FL!

I have a single axle 3,500# and it tows great!
Never had an issue with braking. P1K weighs in just under 2K# with accessories. You should be fine.

Now, a tandem with brakes would be ideal/awesome but not really needed. My 2 cents

Good luck and yes........ definitely pics when you get it.

#NTC

 

[DDDonkey]

Congrats on the new toy! I prefer a tandem axle with brakes but that is me, if it is a major concern to you you can alway pick up a conversion kit and add them to you trailer. The install is pretty easy for electric brakes, it is only 2 wires.

 

[CID]

When I bought my boat, it and the trailer weighed about 3,000 pounds. I called the state patrol and asked about brake requirements and was told 1,500 + needed brakes. None of the trailers leaving that shop had brakes. My Talon on the trailer weighs close to 2,500 pounds and it doesn't have brakes either.

I tow with a 1500 Chevy van in the foothills west of Denver, so very similar to your 1/2 ton, it works, but I'd feel better with trailer brakes. Current electronic brake controls are light years better than the surge brakes of our fathers'.

 

[Vikes79]

I’ve never heard of any requirements of any State to have a braking axel on a single axel trailer with gvwr of than 5000 lbs or less. It’s not even a DOT requirement.

I personally see zero benefits to a braked single axel, but I’ve been pulling trailers before legally being able to drive.

If you are worried about it, get your self a nice car trailer that already has brakes and be done with it. It will be less expensive overall and allow you to haul more than one machine.

Regardless of what you pull, take your time, slow down and add significant braking distance.

 

[Mopower58]

Welcome from Mississippi. We pull our P1K on a single axle with a Ram 1/2 ton and no trailer brakes. I second everything Vikes said.

 

[bluemountainbugler]

I prefer trailers with brakes. The pioneer 1000 on a trailer rated at 3000# puts you pretty close to gross weight when you add any gear. I went single axle 5200# trailer with brakes and it tows like a dream. I like the extra margin of safety. Being a truck driver of over 30 years might play into my decision. Heavier frame, larger tires and brakes are pluses in my book. Tandems are even better but the added weight and costs are things to consider. One added note is that many states require brakes above 3000 lbs and Idaho any trailer above 1500.

 

[thashane]

When I was younger I worked for a guy that owned rentals. We were cleaning up after an evicted tweaker, and would regularly haul an overloaded dump trailer home through bay area Ca traffic every day w.o a brake controller-so no trailer brakes, on a 3/4t truck. I still don't think he ever got a brake controller until he bought a truck that came with one.
It was nerve racking, since southern CA (true northern ca denounces the bay) drivers think they're in a Nascar race. Just left plenty of space between me and the car ahead. Still had plenty of white knuckle stops.
Would I tow a trailer without brakes that weighs more than the tow vehicle now? Not if I could help it. Would I tow a pioneer behind my 8k 3/4t pu? Ya, all day long, np. I only run like 3 volts through my car hauler with a sxs on it.

I added brakes to the second axle of my 10k car hauler, I think it was around $200-300, including bearings/seals. So if you're not happy without brakes, most axles already have the tabs to mount them.

And another note, it's always nice to be able to override through the brake controller if the trailer starts to get out of line.

 

[sporttrac4x4]

No need for trailer brakes my Honda ridgeline does just fine. Welcome from Illinois.

 

[Vikes79]

The OP isn’t hauling the trailer with a Ford Fiesta for crying out loud.

The total trailer and rig mostly likely would fall within the payload capacity of the truck depending on configuration and be less than 1/3 of the towing capacity of the truck.

If there will be any issues for this tiny load it will be China bomb tires and maybe sway due to the light hitch weight.

It is not necessary to drive around in a Class A truck and have brakes on each tire to be safe.

 

[turdbrownLE]

Trailer laws vary vastly by state. I run a 12ft tandem axle utility with brakes on both axles. I use the trailer for quite a few things so the 7000 lb limit is much for flexible and I drive a 3/4 ton, so the extra weight/mpg hit are negligible vs a lighter trailer. Kansas seems to be a bit stricter than other states. Pick what works for you and go with it.

AAA Exchange – Advocacy. Communication. Education.

drivinglaws.aaa.com

 

[Dirtstiffs-1000]

That said,
If you have the ability to get brake axle-axles, they save a bunch on your tow rig's breaks and in an emergency, they will help stop you more quickly.
JMO

 

[oldfortyfive]

I tow my P500 with a 2016 F150. Been all over out in Montana and South Dakota without any issues. Total trailer loaded is about 2000lbs. With the truck in tow/haul mode I hardly know it's there.

 

[IvanGirderboot]

I haul mine on a tandem axle trailer with electric brakes on both axles.....the trailer is overkill (7,000 GVWR), but I wanted room for extra cargo and uses besides just hauling the toy around. Brakes are absolutely necessary here in the Colorado mountains. Tandem axles add a good degree of safety as well, as a tire blowout likely won't be catastrophic and you have more control. Not that a small single axle no brakes trailer couldn't work, but it's all about what you're comfortable with and the terrain/conditions you're driving in.

Enjoy the new toy!

 

[rickoshea]

i've pulled my boat and carried my camper up and down the island w/o brakes on the boat trailer ( it's over 3k lbs,not including the camper) no problem,and do the coquihalla all the time so the malahat shouldn't be an issue.i make sure to leave myself a lot of space.my sxs trailer is a single axle 7'x10' w/o brakes.it has surge brakes but they stopped working a long time ago.don't need them so haven't bothered to fix them.

 

[GoinForARip]

Thank you to everyone who has replied, I really appreciate your advice and time. It is pretty cool to see such community spirt for Honda side by sides! Can’t wait for mine to arrive

 

[BVerhulst]

In Colorado, trailer brakes are required on any trailer that weighs more than ~3000# (I say ~ because I don't recall exactly, don't quote me, might be 3500# or so). When I was building my trailer, I did the research, added up the weight of my trailer + UTV + cargo (assume fully loaded UTV bed) and decided that I'd invest in an axle with brakes.

My opinion, and just my opinion, is get the trailer with brakes. You won't regret having brakes... but someday, you might regret NOT having brakes! Trailer brakes don't make much difference in normal driving conditions when all is well, but when the SHTF, trailer brakes will make the difference between jack-knifing the rig in the ditch and saying "fwew, that was close". When the pavement is clean and dry, all is well, even during emergency braking. Introduce snow, ice, mud, sand, washboard, or any other variable that could cause the rear wheels of your tow-vehicle to loose traction and get pushed by the trailer, and truck-trailer combo's scissor faster than you may be able to react. Ask me how I know... (great memories of black ice in the Yukon Territory).

I especially like trailer brakes when I'm towing on rough trails or in mud and deep snow; a manual brake controller will allow you to tap those trailer brakes and help keep the unit in a straight line, or use them to hold the trailer back while making transitions through steep washes, ravines, or cresting big boulders. That said, the places I tow my rig are a bit, ahem, extraordinary, on occasion. I'll also make a plug (no affiliation, to be clear) for RedArc brake controllers; I use 'em in all my tow rigs and I really like the inertia driven system on rugged trails, when using engine braking, in curves, etc.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Smitty335]

I’ve never heard of any requirements of any State to have a braking axel on a single axel trailer with gvwr of than 5000 lbs or less. It’s not even a DOT requirement.

I personally see zero benefits to a braked single axel, but I’ve been pulling trailers before legally being able to drive.

If you are worried about it, get your self a nice car trailer that already has brakes and be done with it. It will be less expensive overall and allow you to haul more than one machine.

Regardless of what you pull, take your time, slow down and add significant braking distance.

I think the terrain has a lot to do the brake question. In NW Arkansas I love them.

 

[Marcel]

last year someone cut me off while I was towing mine. It was pouring rain and when I hit the brakes, my truck just slid and kept going right into buddies vehicle. Now, I have clear new headlights and a fresh coat of paint that his insurance paid for, but I strongly feel like if I had trailer brakes I would have stoped in time.
At the end of the day, just be mindful that your towing a trailer and give yourself lots of extra room. I recommend testing your emergency braking in the rain to get a feel of things, and if your not happy, maybe get a trailer with brakes.