Any Ideas With Boat Trailer Reverse Lockout?

[Mikes56]

I just bought a Powercaster PC3 and my Conquest Topcat 1 on the trailer doesn’t have enough tongue weight, the PC3 tires just spin on the cement even pulling forward. Would dropping the height of the ball give it more tongue weight?

Also, anyone know how to defeat the reverse brake lockout without having it plugged into the vehicle? Some trailers I’ve seen have a mechanical way to do it. I can’t see that on mine.

 

[DaveH]

dang thats pretty scary the tounge weight is that little. must be a handful to two at any decent speed. dropping the ball may help a little but it wont be night and day.

many trailers have reverse lockout solenoids inline, but you would need a power source if yours has that.

 

[chopperx]

you can put a large c lamp around the tongue butted up to the painted part of trailer, that should lock it out enough

 

[TimeBandit]

Maybe:

 

[Shady]

Looks like that is a UFP trailer coupler? If so they make a lock out device you put in in place of the plastic cap.

UFP Top Lockout Upgrade, Brake Lockout Cap #34359

UFP Top Lockout Upgrade, Brake Lockout Cap #34359 This lockout option allows trailers to be backed up over soft ground or up inclines without fully engaging the brakes. The lockout is designed to disengage when the trailer is pulled forward after backing up. Therefore it must be manually reset...

pacifictrailers.com

 

[yz450mm]

Throw a 90lb bag of concrete on the tounge for some traction when you're using the castor.

 

[Mikes56]

dang thats pretty scary the tounge weight is that little. must be a handful to two at any decent speed. dropping the ball may help a little but it wont be night and day.

many trailers have reverse lockout solenoids inline, but you would need a power source if yours has that.

When I tow it with my truck I can go 80 mph without it swaying. I’ve cut 5” off the ball mount, I’m going to try that.

 

[Mikes56]

Looks like that is a UFP trailer coupler? If so they make a lock out device you put in in place of the plastic cap.

View attachment 1372287

UFP Top Lockout Upgrade, Brake Lockout Cap #34359

UFP Top Lockout Upgrade, Brake Lockout Cap #34359 This lockout option allows trailers to be backed up over soft ground or up inclines without fully engaging the brakes. The lockout is designed to disengage when the trailer is pulled forward after backing up. Therefore it must be manually reset...

pacifictrailers.com

This looks like the answer for backing it into my garage with the Powercaster, thx.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Just buy a F-150 and be done with it. another option if F-150’s are still limited in stock…..

Sorry couldn’t resist. At least I did give you a bump to the top and not drop to the second page of death.

 

[DaveH]

suppo

When I tow it with my truck I can go 80 mph without it swaying. I’ve cut 5” off the ball mount, I’m going to try that.

if its a double or triple axel that will help a bunch. just dont hit the brakes hard..........

 

[Mikes56]

Looks like that is a UFP trailer coupler? If so they make a lock out device you put in in place of the plastic cap.

View attachment 1372287

UFP Top Lockout Upgrade, Brake Lockout Cap #34359

UFP Top Lockout Upgrade, Brake Lockout Cap #34359 This lockout option allows trailers to be backed up over soft ground or up inclines without fully engaging the brakes. The lockout is designed to disengage when the trailer is pulled forward after backing up. Therefore it must be manually reset...

pacifictrailers.com

I’ve got an email in to Shadow Trailers. From looking at their website it looks like it’s a UPF coupler. Thanks, that gave me a direction to go.

 

[Mikes56]

suppo

if its a double or triple axel that will help a bunch. just dont hit the brakes hard..........

Yes it’s a triple axel. I’ll try it again tomorrow.

 

[throttle]

Just buy a F-150 and be done with it. another option if F-150’s are still limited in stock…..



View attachment 1372294
Sorry couldn’t resist. At least I did give you a bump to the top and not drop to the second page of death.

You beat me to it, but there is another option… maybe try a new prop.

Sorry, I know not helping.

 

[Boat Potato]

Is there a notch on the other side of the tongue for one of these? I have one for mine when moving it around without the solenoid plugged in.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Do you have any 12v power tools or kids power wheels? If so you can always wire up a little harness to one of those battery and wire the + of the battery to the reverse wire on the trailer plug and the - from the battery to the negative of the wiring harness. That will energize the reverse lockout solenoid on the trailer.

If you want to be fancy, you can wire in a switch between the battery and the trailer plug and mount it near the handles so you can turn the brakes on and off as needed. Not a bad idea when backing up a hill.

 

[cofooter]

We used to tape a nickel in there in a pinch.......

 

[HST4ME]

I just bought a Powercaster PC3 and my Conquest Topcat 1 on the trailer doesn’t have enough tongue weight, the PC3 tires just spin on the cement even pulling forward. Would dropping the height of the ball give it more tongue weight?


View attachment 1372277 View attachment 1372277



Also, anyone know how to defeat the reverse brake lockout without having it plugged into the vehicle? Some trailers I’ve seen have a mechanical way to do it. I can’t see that on mine.
View attachment 1372278

9 volt battery to the center terminal

 

[X Hoser]

The one we had we would pull the wheel off the tongue jack and place it in the PC3 slot. Otherwise it always tried to roll over on us. Also got the tongue down farther than the ball. Food for thought?

 

[Mikes56]

Is there a notch on the other side of the tongue for one of these? I have one for mine when moving it around without the solenoid plugged in.
View attachment 1372332

Nothing that I can obviously see.

 

[PlanB]

I had an adapter welded onto my trailers for my PC's. It is further back than the ball and will give you enough weight so the tire gets good traction.

 

[Mikes56]

Do you have any 12v power tools or kids power wheels? If so you can always wire up a little harness to one of those battery and wire the + of the battery to the reverse wire on the trailer plug and the - from the battery to the negative of the wiring harness. That will energize the reverse lockout solenoid on the trailer.

If you want to be fancy, you can wire in a switch between the battery and the trailer plug and mount it near the handles so you can turn the brakes on and off as needed. Not a bad idea when backing up a hill.

Powercaster sells a brake harness, I just don’t know if it supplies 12v to the correct pin to unlock the trailer brake solenoid. I’m waiting for a call back from them. Their brake harness may just be for applying the brakes on a trailer with electric brakes. I’ll know more when I talk to them.

 

[Mikes56]

I had an adapter welded onto my trailers for my PC's. It is further back than the ball and will give you enough weight so the tire gets good traction.

Yes I may need to do this.

 

[UHHH SUCKA]

When I tow it with my truck I can go 80 mph without it swaying. I’ve cut 5” off the ball mount, I’m going to try that.

If you want more tongue weight, you need to raise the hitch. Lowering the hitch only puts more weight on the front axle and lightens the tongue weight.

 

[UHHH SUCKA]

This looks like the answer for backing it into my garage with the Powercaster, thx.

This will not work for the hitch you have. It is only for the smaller trailers with the 2” couplers.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Nothing that I can obviously see.

That little triangle notch in the tongue is for a key that fits in there and butts up against the frame behind the tongue. It prevents the tongue from going backwards. It’s stupid but we have a trailer that works the same way.

 

[Mikes56]

Soooo have you ever stared at a problem long enough and then realize what the problem is, and that you’re an idiot?

When I backed my boat into the garage at the end of last season, the brake portion of the tongue was pushed in. It was pushed in enough that the trailer brakes were on slightly. As I was looking at it this morning I thought that when I’m on a launch ramp and the boat weight is pulling it away from the truck, there’s a lot more of the trailer brake actuator showing. So no wonder I couldnt move the trailer with the Powercaster, the friggin trailer brakes were on.

I used a spacer and pried the actuator forward and the trailer moves easy now. It had nothing to do with the tongue weight.
I used a C clamp across the actuator to stop it from moving backwards so moving it backwards is easy now too.

Im still going to get a mechanical lockout device instead of half assing it with a C clamp.

Thanks for everyones advice.

 

[OC Mike]

That little triangle notch in the tongue is for a key that fits in there and butts up against the frame behind the tongue. It prevents the tongue from going backwards. It’s stupid but we have a trailer that works the same way.

Do you have a picture of this key and where can it be purchased?

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Do you have a picture of this key and where can it be purchased?

I’ll be out in Havasu over Memorial I will try to grab a pic.

 

[02HoWaRd26]

That little triangle notch in the tongue is for a key that fits in there and butts up against the frame behind the tongue. It prevents the tongue from going backwards. It’s stupid but we have a trailer that works the same way.

Damn and i always just thought that was a place to hang the safety cables.

 

[3queens]

I just bought a Powercaster PC3 and my Conquest Topcat 1 on the trailer doesn’t have enough tongue weight, the PC3 tires just spin on the cement even pulling forward. Would dropping the height of the ball give it more tongue weight?


View attachment 1372277 View attachment 1372277



Also, anyone know how to defeat the reverse brake lockout without having it plugged into the vehicle? Some trailers I’ve seen have a mechanical way to do it. I can’t see that on mine.
View attachment 1372278

I pulled the brake actuator all the way out and drilled a hole in the side and used a hitch pin to hold it
Worked perfect in a pinch