Electric brakes how effective are they.

[Splitshaft]

It doesn’t matter what brake system you have when it isn’t working right. Properly loaded vehicles, with properly maintained, adjusted, and operating brake assemblies will be perfectly adequate for controlling a vehicle when not speeding or tailgating on the roadway. If anyone is dissatisfied with the operation of their brakes, get a knowledgeable qualified mechanic to fix them instead of finding fault with any brake system. Those brake systems were engineer with a lot more knowledge and capability than a lot of the folks out there on the road using them.

[tootall1]

I tow a 5th wheel with a ram 2500 4x2 long bed. Truck weighs 7500 lbs full of
fuel.
My trailer loaded with ALL of our extras except no liquid tanks carry anything,
LP tanks 30lbs are full.
On a CAT scale my frt axle weighs 4000lbs back axle weighs 4100lbs and both
7000 lb trailer axles weigh 10000lbs. So as you can we are set up pretty good
for well balanced trailer, oh we are full timers, and go where the wind blows,
until the wind don’t blow no more.
I am a prudent reasonably intelligent individual and when a design engineer
says “tootall1” don’t drive over 65mph because of speed rating on tires, tootall1
make sure you cold inflate your tires to 80 psi, yes thank you design engineer.
I stay in right lane and try not to hold up the traffic. If you drive behind me we
are going to have a parade but we can’t do that because I don’t have a permit
to have a parade.
I do my test braking before getting out on the big road, truck and trailer together and then trailer by it’s self. When out on the big road I try to anticipate
my braking, I follow at recommended distances, and basically I am a defensive
driver.
My last best is I say a lot of prayers and believe me I think prayer has paid off
a lot of times. I know GOD try’s to hurry and get me off the road so I will quit bothering him.

[NHHorseman]

Wow, a subject matter close to the heart. How many times do we read that you should go 15 MPH down the road, manually apply the trailer brakes and one or more wheels should drag on the pavement. Well, I'll tell you, I NEVER could get that to happen! Maybe some of you could? But, the other day, I had to bring my Wildwood camper to,the dealer. 30 plus miles one way. As dumb as I've been before, this time I forgot to hook up my electric cable from TV to camper. I only discovered this dumb mistake when I got to,the dealer. I must be honest, I NEVER noticed a difference in towing or stopping.
I'm sure my TV brake pads did, however!

[jd50i]

Originally Posted by NHHorseman

Wow, a subject matter close to the heart. How many times do we read that you should go 15 MPH down the road, manually apply the trailer brakes and one or more wheels should drag on the pavement. Well, I'll tell you, I NEVER could get that to happen! Maybe some of you could? But, the other day, I had to bring my Wildwood camper to,the dealer. 30 plus miles one way. As dumb as I've been before, this time I forgot to hook up my electric cable from TV to camper. I only discovered this dumb mistake when I got to,the dealer. I must be honest, I NEVER noticed a difference in towing or stopping.
I'm sure my TV brake pads did, however!

Sounds like you should have the trailer brakes checked for proper adjustment. I had a 3500# boat and trailer with surge brakes, master cylinder failed and I was pushed down a hill and through a stop sign, glad no one was around.

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by smitty31093

Mini Vans were made to provide transportation for soccer Moms and to replace the families station wagon. Although a trailer hitch may be available for a minivan, that does not mean they are suitable TV's. Most minivan hitches are probably class 1 or class II at the most and rated for no more than 350 lbs tongue weight. The minivan may pull the boat OK, in a perfect scenario, since it does have surge brakes, . If Murphy's Law means anything to you, you may want to rethink the practice. I had a couple of minvans back in the day and found the transmissions to be prone to failure about the time the warranty expired, and I never pull trailers with them. Just a thought.

As you said, "back in the day". Across the board, automatic transmission reliability and durability is much, much better than it used to be in the '90s (and possibly early 2000s). The conversion to computer control of the transmission and vastly improved manufacturing tolerances at automotive prices probably has a lot do with the improvement.

In any case, failure of modern minivan drive trains, even when used for towing, is no worse than any mid-size SUV or 3/4 size truck. Honda uses the same platform and drivetrain on the Ridgeline (truck), Pilot (SUV), and Odyssey (minivan). Kia/Hyundai likewise use the same powertrain on the minivan and SUV.

Minivans, in addition to being comfortable road vehicles, have payloads of around 1300lbs, bringing them close to par with many 3/4 size trucks, and better than many SUVs.

Within their limits - typically 3,500 lbs - minivans tow just as well as the small trucks or mid-size SUVs. The long wheel base helps, and the suspension is built for good-size loads. The disadvantages are their low-slung body which has limited road clearance for the hitch (really needs a WDH for 300+lb tongue weights), and power is limited for more than 60 sq ft of frontal area for trailer.

We have been happily towing our A-frame (2,700 lbs loaded) all over the Mid-West, and averaging about 19mpg while towing. We just upgraded to a larger A-frame (about 3,100 lbs loaded), and with some tweaking of the WDH, tow just as well.

Others prefer trucks, I prefer a minivan as a general-purpose family vehicle.

just my thoughts
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan (now at 200K miles and still towing)
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time