Single-Axle Enclosed: To brake or not to brake?

[Nick568]

Hey guys... So in 2015 I purchased a new Alcom/SnoPro 8x12' enclosed 2-place sled hauler. Have used it less than 10x since due to a variety of unfortunate circumstances that befell myself and my riding buddies between then and now, BUT this coming winter it should get a good work-out due to things turning around.

Last winter I noticed the trailer tends to push my truck a bit on ice (2014 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x4 w/ Nokian Hakkapeliita LT studded tires). I drive quite conservatively on the highways since I don't have a big diesel, and so far I've mostly noticed this when rolling through neighborhoods at low speed that have had their roads maintained by a city with a severe budget deficit for winter road maintenance.

Being that this trailer does NOT have brakes, I was thinking about adding them... Wondering what your guys' thoughts are? Good idea? Bad idea?

Trailer is all aluminum, around 3k lbs loaded. Typical trips are day-trips with a 1-3 hour drive each way.

I've had a few open-deck trailers, but this is my first enclosed, and have never had a trailer with brakes either, so I don't have much prior experience to go off of.

My main concern with putting brakes on this trailer is that there will not be an unbraked axle to help the trailer track straight. Don't want to have the trailer sliding around on me if I hit the brakes on ice. So I guess I'd have to ensure my brake controller is always set to not lock up the wheels on ice when loaded, huh? With the brakes being set that 'weak', am I even really gaining anything??

 

[94fordguy]

Yes! Brakes can definitely save you if you do things right. My interstate has brakes on both axles and it's literally saved me my rig from going in the ditch or over the side of the hill backwards on more than one occasion. With that being said, I also run studded tires on the trailer so that those brakes actually have the ability to bite into something when I need them the most. They have never sent the trailer sideways and have actually saved the truck from a potential jacknife situation on extreme slick conditions (water on top of ice) by 'riding the trailer brakes' while keeping my foot off the truck's brake pedal. I actually owe Snowest credit for that trick, I read about that some years back shortly before finding myself in that situation and IT WORKED! Nothing will save you from driving too fast for the conditions, but I feel perfectly safe pulling my trailer on days most non-sledders wouldn't even leave their driveways.

 

[Nick568]

Yeah, it's a no-brainer on a tandem axle because you've got a whole axle to dedicate to tracking of the trailer.

Anyone had a single axle trailer on snow/ice that had brakes? Was it fishtail-city or not very different from a tandem?

 

[MT boondocker]

Have had two covered single axle two place trailers and electric brakes on both. I figured the brakes were worth to me considering that with the trailer, sleds, and extras in the trailer you are going to be over 1500 lbs if not closer to 2000 lbs. My thinking was that with that amount of weight behind you, depending on your tow vehicle, it would be nice to have the trailer help slow/stop you instead of just pushing you. Not sorry I did on the single axle trailers and on my enclosed tandem axle brakes on both axles.