www.iFourWinns.com

i have a 2000 190 horizon with the dual axle trailer. i started to notice my trailer brakes weren't working very well, if at all. i opened the master cylinder res on the tounge to find rusted out fluid. i sucked it all out as well as some rust flakes and got it good and clean. now i still feel the same with the surge brakes not working. feels like the truck is stopping everything.

how can i bleed surge brakes on this trailer? any ideas? any thoughts?

thanks all!

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2006 Nissan Titan SE 6" Lift
2000 Four Winns 190 Horizon 5.0GL

You may have sucked everything out of the master cylinder, but your lines & calipers (or wheel cylinders) are still full of junk. Even at that, if you're getting no braking action at all on the trailer, I suspect that isn't your only problem. It may be time to pull the calipers or drums, clean & lube everything, replace the wheel cylinders if you have drums, and flush new fluid through the system.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

is there any trick to bleeding the system? like maybe back into a curb stop or something to get the actuator to brake?

thanks 230 mike!

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2006 Nissan Titan SE 6" Lift
2000 Four Winns 190 Horizon 5.0GL

Not sure what you emergency stop looks like (the small cable that actuates the brakes in case the trailer comes disconnected), but I used that on mine to pump the master cylinder to bleed my brakes this spring.

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1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

great idea! didn't even think of that! I've tripped that before when dropping it off at the shop but told them and they said leave it they'd handle it before moving it. do you just tap it back into the upright position when done?

thanks!

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2006 Nissan Titan SE 6" Lift
2000 Four Winns 190 Horizon 5.0GL

Just open the bleeder screws and gravity bleed them,just keep adding fluid till all air is out and fluid runs fairly clean.

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2000 235 Sundowner
Previously 2007 Horizon 190
2004 Chevy Avalanche Z71

This may help.... http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/b866.pdf

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

And if you wind up have to replace parts or all of the system...

http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html#techretro

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

+1 on Champion Trailers - great people to deal with even when you are on the other side of the world. Would definately recommend them to anyone looking for trailer parts. There is also eTrailer who are very good, but only ship to the US.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

thanks guys!

Aussie_Horizon_190 thanks for the PDF link. it seems similar to my trailer tongue setup but maybe newer. either way great info to probably get me started.

thanks again.

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2006 Nissan Titan SE 6" Lift
2000 Four Winns 190 Horizon 5.0GL

There is a device you can get at the auto parts store. It's a vacuum brake bleeding kit. Basically, there is a hand pump to make a suction, and you connect the hoses to the bleed nipples at the wheels. You can get the whole kit for about $20, including the connector adapters you need. It's the easiest, cleanest, most complete way to bleed brakes. It'll make this job much easier.

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2008 Four Winns F224
5.0 Volvo Penta
Towing with Audi Q7 4.2 V8

I like those self-bleeders, but quite a few people (myself included) have found that they don't work as well as having someone pump the actuator. Too bad, because it would be nice to be able to do it alone. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying it; for those it works for, it would be a great tool.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I think sometimes the suction bleeders may not work because air acutally gets into the master cyl itself and it cant get easily pulled all the way to the wheel cyl or caliper...I use the one man bleeder made by Lisle that has a small cup with a cap and a line that goes into it...you fill it about half full with fluid and then hook it up to the bleeder...pump the actuator till you don't see bubbles any more...it may overflow and make a bit of a mess but it does get the air out...try to keep the bleeder device higher than the cylinder or caliper...this helps getting the air bubbles out...

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I just bled my trailer brakes 2 weeks ago. I had the vacuum bleeder pump but found it very slow. Also, when loosening the brake bleeder screws, one of the hex rounded. So went to the auto parts store to get new bleeder screws. Found they had "self bleeder" screws which have a check valve in them. Installs like a normal one, but when you want to bleed the brakes just back if off half turn and then I manually pushed the actuator on the trailer tongue. The check valve lets the fluid/air out but doesn't let air back in. I used a short piece of tubing into a bottle to catch the old fluid. When done I just tightened the screw back in like normal. Seemed to work fine.

They cost a lot more (~$11) than the standard part ($4) but made it much easier.

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Terry
Current: 07 Crownline 255 CCR cuddy - 350 Mag MPI/B3 "Casi Cielo"

Previous:97 245 Sundowner 5.7GI/SX

Tow vehicle: 1986 GMC 2500 Camper Special 454/TH400

That's pure genius. I'll be looking for those the next time I have to do any brake maintenance.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic