Adding Brakes to 2012 Freedom 1950

[mlarma]

Will be picking up 2012 Freedom 1950 for daughter and son-in-law this coming week and need to add electric brakes to it. Does anyone know which parts are good to use and if not, at least what is the bolt pattern, etc. It has 13" wheels. That I do know. I didn't think to get the rest of the info from it nor look to make sure it has mounting points. It should have those, right?

TY in advance!

[WanderMore]

That thing weighs in at 1732 pounds and has a fully loaded GVW under 3K; brakes, really?

[mlarma]

Being towed by small SUV and driver inexperienced with towing. Kia states that max weight without trailer brakes for his 2017 Sportage with AWD is just under 1700. So what do you suggest? Sway control? Brakes? Something else?

[WanderMore]

This is a whole new problem.

With trailer brakes that KIA is rated to tow up to 2000 pounds. The popup is 1732 pounds. With no additional camping gear, water or food they would be pushing a safety margin with only 268 pounds to spare.

While the drivers are inexperienced at towing I’m not considering that as we all had to start someplace but they need a fighting chance at the beginning.

Popups can be a lot of fun and are great for an entry level camper. I’ve owned a couple myself. But they need a tow vehicle they can have confidence in.

[pgandw]

I would contact etrailer and/or Dexter. You should be able to get the entire hub assembly with brakes. Chances are there is only one size using 13" tires. You will also need the emergency breakaway switch and cable - I know Fastway and etrailer sell them on-line. If you don't already have it, you will need a 7 pin connection to your tow vehicle, electric brake controller (I strongly recommend Tekonsha), and associated wiring. Again, etrailer has tow-vehicle specific wiring harnesses, as well as generic.

There will be negative comments and warnings from the weight police in this forum. But believe me, as one who tows just fine with "inadequate" vehicles, you are doing a wise thing by adding trailer brakes. If you need one to restore handling of your Kia when towing, don't hesitate to get a weight-distributing hitch (WDH) - they are made in the small sizes to fit your pop-up and Kia. Having towed extensively with mid-size SUVs and minivans, trailer brakes set up to stop just like you weren't towing are an essential safety feature. As is a WDH if the tongue weight is affecting tow vehicle handling.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[mlarma]

This is helpful. I know overseas that the thing with a diesel is rated higher in terms of towing. Have also kept Sumo springs in the back of my mind. Tongue weight is low and I’ve drilled into their heads about payload capacity vs tow capacity. Already have a spare Tekonsha Primus IQ new in box. Had as a backup in case the redarc (for 2020 Ford Ranger) didn’t show up in time. That install wasn’t fun as it tied into the third brake light. Also have watched etrailer’s video for the 2017 Sportage on installing the wiring harnesses, including the 7 pin. Anyway, feel like I have a handle on the wiring, including the breakaway part. Will also get TPMS for it in my order.

Any thoughts on sumo springs to minimize sag? Also, tell me more about WDS with smaller unibody vehicles. For instance, wife has a 2020 sorento and that is a no go per Kia. 2016 was ok BUT that had an additional mounting point for a bolt on the hitch receiver.

Thank you!

[D W]

Originally Posted by mlarma

Will be picking up 2012 Freedom 1950 for daughter and son-in-law this coming week and need to add electric brakes to it. Does anyone know which parts are good to use and if not, at least what is the bolt pattern, etc. It has 13" wheels. That I do know. I didn't think to get the rest of the info from it nor look to make sure it has mounting points. It should have those, right?

TY in advance!

Brakes can be added IF your axle is equipped with flanges to mount the brake assemblies.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by mlarma

Being towed by small SUV and driver inexperienced with towing. Kia states that max weight without trailer brakes for his 2017 Sportage with AWD is just under 1700. So what do you suggest? Sway control? Brakes? Something else?

Check with etrailer.com. The Kia Sportage is a small vehicle and it has small brakes.

Some states require brakes on trailers of 2000#, some 3000#. According to AAA there are 2 states which require brakes on trailers 1000#, and 3 states that require trailer brakes on any trailer no matter the weight.

https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/

https://www.brakebuddy.com/towing-laws.html

Etrailer has the following on their site:

"In the USA a tandem axle utility trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 7500-lbs should have brakes installed. Any trailer over 3000-lbs must have brakes on all wheels in most states, but laws do vary. Some states require braked axles on trailers with a GVW as low as 2000-lbs; other states have a higher limit. It is best to check with authorities in your local area.

The weight of the tow vehicle can come into play here too. Often the gross weight of any such trailer without brakes is not to exceed 40% of the gross weight of the towing vehicle."

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by mlarma

Also have watched etrailer’s video for the 2017 Sportage on installing the wiring harnesses, including the 7 pin. Anyway, feel like I have a handle on the wiring, including the breakaway part. Will also get TPMS for it in my order.

Any thoughts on sumo springs to minimize sag? Also, tell me more about WDS with smaller unibody vehicles. For instance, wife has a 2020 sorento and that is a no go per Kia. 2016 was ok BUT that had an additional mounting point for a bolt on the hitch receiver.

A receiver must have AT LEAST a 4 decently space bolts to support a weight distributing hitch. Some of the receivers for SUV's on etrailer are rated for WDH; others are not. Make sure the receiver you buy has adequate spacing between the mount bolts, is made for your model Sportage, and is rated for at least as much weight as your Sportage maximum is.

I use an E2 600/6000 on my Hyundai minivan (re-badged Kia Sedona). There is a smaller model E2 450/4500 that would probably serve you well. Just like your Sportage, the Sedona had a much higher tow rating outside of North America - even though it's the same vehicle in Australia and Europe. So I wasn't worried about body strength. And 135,000 miles since installing the receiver (238,000 total miles) and towing our A-frames and U-Haul trailers, there are no signs of unibody distortion.

The E2 WDH - properly adjusted - lifts the rear end of my soft suspension minivan so it doesn't squat so bad and transfers weight back to the front drive wheels so the vehicle handles pretty close to stock. It's done the trick at preventing receiver ground strikes at road dips and humps. Also, no sway up to 80mph.

Previously I towed a pop-up (Coleman 10ft box) with a 1993 Ford Explorer - no WDH. That was a miserable experience that started swaying at 62mph, and had the nose of the Explorer pointed at the sky. I could not believe the difference the WDH made when towing. DW is willing to drive towing with the A-frame, WDH, trailer brakes, and minivan - it's that close to stock. She hated to even ride in the Explorer because of the steering issues and sway.

I can't tell you about Sumos or air bags on the rear - last time I towed with air bags on the rear was 40 years ago with a 1980 Ford LTD station wagon towing a 2 axle boat trailer and sail boat. I do know that the air bags don't transfer weight to the forward wheels the way a WDH does.

hope this helps
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time