If your trailer's unladen, meaning unloaded, and the gross vehicle weight is 1500 pounds or more, you must have trailer brakes, a breakaway switch and safety chains as part of your trailer braking system. The rationale provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles is that while most tow vehicles have an adequate capacity for braking, a trailer can add thousands of pounds to the overall vehicle combination that is required to slow and stop from highway speeds. To make sure you can stop safely, the state of California requires that you have trailer brakes.
Conventional travel trailers and fifth-wheel trailers virtually always come equipped with trailer brakes. A controller in the tow vehicle activates this braking system, automatically coordinating both the trailer and the tow vehicle braking. The systems, when the brake pedal is pressed, work in a synchronized fashion.
When road conditions are such that the trailer is inclined to sway, applying the controller's hand lever may help you stabilize the trailer in tow.
Folding trailers, also known as "pop-up" trailers for camping and boat trailers are commonly equipped with surge brakes. These systems operate separately from the vehicle that is towing the trailer. They are applied via a mechanism that is attached to the receiver and ball connection. When the towing vehicle initiates a slowdown, the trailer's forward momentum applies compression to a mechanism that then applies braking action on the trailer. As long as the weight being towed does not exceed 1,500 pounds, surge brakes are permissible.
As with other lightweight towing situations, motorcycle trailers are not required to have separate trailer brakes, provided the weight being towed does not exceed 1500 pounds. The California Department of Motor Vehicles suggests that if you do install brakes on a motorcycle trailer, you should ensure that the brakes do not brake harder than the motorcycle brakes. An inequality in braking power can cause the motorcycle to flip backward when the brakes are applied and send it over the trailer. Motorcycle trailer brakes should be adjusted properly at all times.
