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The Difference Between an Air Brake Controller and Electric Brake Controller

When hauling a trailer one of the most important things to think about is safety. Trailer sway can cause damage to whatever is being hauled and cause accidents. There is also significantly more weight for your car or truck to be hauling, which can lead to its own difficulties. Because of all this, there is a need to take precautions, like making sure your trailer has the best trailer brake controller possible.

There are essentially two types of brakes. The first is an air brake controller and the other is an electric brake controller. With either one of these types of brakes, you’ll need special wiring for trailer brakes. This wiring for trailer brakes is vital to using a turn signal and having working brake lights. That’s obviously more than a safety issue, but a legal one that is needed and comes from the wiring system for trailer brakes.

To understand which brake system would best fit your needs, here is a breakdown of the two systems:

What are Air Brake Controllers?

Air brake controllers are a braking system that uses compressed air to stop the vehicle. They’re used on commercial vehicles all time and are some of the most important parts of a vehicle. The reason that they have become the preferred method for commercial vehicles, like semi-trailers, is because the way the system works can couple multiple vehicle units. This works great for a trailer being hauled, as it will help brake the trailer as well.

What are Electric Brake Controllers?

Electric braking systems are based on magnets and wiring for trailer brakes that send signals to the magnets. Basically, the brake and tailer wiring are tapped together, and when the electricity pulses through, it magnetizes the brake magnet, causing the trailer to brake. This system is, like the air brake system, commonly used when hauling a trailer or RV.

Considering that there are over 50,000 accidents every year related to towing, it’s massively important to have the right brake system in place to avoid that kind of incident. So, if you’re going to be towing anything it is important to know which brake system is right for you and your trailer. It’s also worth understanding the wiring for trailer brakes that is involved with your trailer, to make sure that everything is operating as it should. This will keep you, and those around you, as safe as possible on the road.

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How Multi Axle Brake Controllers Help You Haul Trailers

There are two different styles of RVs. The first is a towable RV, which is hauled behind a car or truck. The second is a motorized RV, which is one you would drive yourself. When towing your RV, you will need to account for several safety precautions, as it is not easy to drive while hauling something of that size behind you. This includes using a multi axle brake controller to prevent trailer sway. Trailer brakes can be used as an air brake controller or an electric brake controller, and whichever is best for you is what you should go with, but whichever you go with it’s important to know why a multi axle brake controller is so important.

They Prevent Trailer Sway

Trailer sway occurs when hauling a towable RV, or any kind of trailer behind your vehicle, and the trailer drifts into another lane. This can happen on turns, in windy conditions, or if there’s an issue with the trailer brake controller. Of course, sway is incredibly dangerous, as it can cause accidents and damage vehicles. Furthermore, if there is no sway control it can even cause the trailer to flip over entirely. Once the trailer flips then the car or truck hauling it will flip too. Clearly, having a good working multi axle brake controller is important for trailer sway prevention.

They Help Drive in Bad Weather Conditions

When there’s bad weather, roads can become difficult to drive on. A little bit of rain not only makes roads more reflective, but it can decrease tire traction too. In winter weather where black ice, dark roads, and snow are common, driving can be a downright hazard. However, a multi axle brake controller will give you and your trailer more grip on the roads when driving in bad weather, making it safer for you to drive on the road.

They Help You Handle Hills

Going downhill can be difficult if you’re not careful. Even without hauling a trailer, you build up speed and if a curve, another car, pothole, or slick road surprises you then it can lead to a big safety issue. It’s not realistic to always avoid large downhill drives, which means a multi axle brake might be necessary if you’re towing a trailer. This technology will help you control your speed going downhill, making for a more controlled and safe drive.

With more than 11% of households headed by someone living in their mid-thirties to mid-fifties owning a RV, up from 9.3% of those over the age of 55, it’s clear that a significant portion of the country needs to have multi axle brake controllers for numerous reasons. So, it’s important that RV owners consider their options, and make the right choice to fit their needs.