Did something very stupid today...

[sunbeam alpine]

I managed to tow a loaded trailer for 30 miles with the trailer brake on.

When I arrived, all 4 wheels were so hot you could smell it, and when I sprayed a small amount of water on them it turned to steam immediately. I obviously didn't risk touching the wheels, but I touched the tyres. They were very warm but even right next to the wheel rim I could keep my hand on them. The trailer brakes still seem to work - releasing the trailer brake allowed the trailer to roll, and applying the brake stopped it. I've left it with the brake off to cool down overnight.

It's the first time I've done this in over 30 years of towing. Google isn't being very helpful in pointing out potential problems - I'm guessing potentially glazed brake shoes and heat damage to the tyres. Annoyingly the tyres are nearly new (replaced 6 months ago), but the brakes are original - and the trailer is about 20 years old, so a brake refurb probably wouldn't go amiss.

Can anyone on here give me advice on what's best? I'm not looking to cut costs - the trailer works hard and I don't mind spending money. I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road or even worse, have an accident.

Please feel free to take the piss - you can't call me anything worse than I've called myself this evening!

[foggy]

I’d start by inspecting the wheel bearings for play, shoes and drums for wear/cracking, and depending how everything looks take it from there. If they’ve done a few miles an overhaul of the mechanicals wouldn’t hurt, replace anything worn or reuse if it looks OK. Tyres wise if you could hold your hands on them then not to worry - they’ll have been just as hot before from being baked in the height of the summer sunshine.

Edited by foggy on Monday 2nd August 21:32

[SuperPav]

The tyres will be fine. Good time to check/replace the brake shoes/drums if warped, and also check all the wheel bearings in case they’ve properly overheated and are no longer smooth.

I suspect though that you’ll be okay. Trailer brakes are (by and large) pretty st and the whole system is fairly agricultural and robust.

[General Price]

There will be no linings left on the shoes and it's more than likely the bearings will be knackered.

You can usually see grease lines coming from the centre of the wheel due to overheating the bearings.

[Deranged Rover]

Disgraceful behaviour. I bet the number plate on the trailer didn't match the plate on your car either...

[paintman]

https://ifunny.co/picture/what-does-it-mean-when-t...

Seen a few examples where people have done the left-the-handbrake-on on caravans.
Invariably the brake shoes have been wrecked & the bearings trashed.

[Evoluzione]

What do you use to tow with which gives so little feedback for so long?

[Chris32345]

If it's like a caravan axle it also can destroy the rubber mountings on the axle

[sunbeam alpine]

Thanks for all the replies!

I left the trailer at one of our farms yesterday to allow the brakes to cool down. They unloaded the machine today and I collected the empty trailer this evening. I've brought it back to our yard and we'll lift it up tomorrow and check it out.

We have a variety of towing vehicles. I usually drive a Toyota Landcruiser or a Hilux. I towed it yesterday with one of our Fiat Ducato vans, and it felt like hard work. Stupidly, I didn't think to check the brake. I know that the brake was off when I started off as I pulled the trailer out of a shed by hand prior to loading it. I can only think that the safety cable may have snagged on something and pulled the brake on - I went over some fairly rough ground at one stage.

Trailer towed OK this evening (about 30km). Will update the thread tomorrow once we've checked it out.

[Peanut Gallery]

I have un-hitched the trailer and driven forward - leaving the electrics plugged into the car.

I would grease the bearings if possible, but would not worry about it. You have worn away some brake shoe, but that's what brake shoes are designed to do. As for the heat, I have left brakes on for longer, and have got really hot brakes during hoons, do not worry about it.

[sunbeam alpine]

Lifted it up with the telehandler. There's no play in any of the wheels, so that's good. Didn't get around to pulling the hubs apart to look at the brakes (although the handbrake still works fine) as my mate's daughter drove into the yard with the exhaust hanging off her Freelander, so ended up fixing that instead.

We'll probably start combining the wheat tomorrow so the trailer will be a job for sometime next week. Fortunately we have a couple of spare trailers, so we won't need to use this one before it's been thoroughly checked out.

[Smint]

I bet you'll get away with it, but i'd definately have the drums off and if nothing needs replacing at least have a clean up and lube up, any lube on the brake mechanisms inside the drums will have melted out.
As others have said, tyres will be fine.

[Arnold Cunningham]

The “good” things about drums is once they get hot, the drum expands. Generally this isn’t what you want, but in a trailer where you often get a bit of binding, it sometimes saves it all catching fire, damaging bearings etc

[sunbeam alpine]

Just to update the thread - I (almost) got away with it. Bearings are absolutely fine and the brakes on 3 of the 4 wheels were fine after adjustment. Unfortunately the 4th wheel wouldn't brake and when I opened it up the brake material had separated from the metal.

I dropped it off at the local trailer centre and it's going to be €380 to renew the brakes on all 4 wheels. I prefer to get it done by a professional as it's a company trailer and then we're covered if anything happens. In fairness, apart from tyres it's the only cost we've had on it in nearly 20 years, and it's been all over Europe.