I've worked several different jobs during the summers while I'm in college. At each place they've had trucks with goosnecks that had vacuum over hydraulic brakes on the trailer. There was a valve that hooked to the brake pedal on the truck, as well as a manual cable for override. Some of them were rigged with belt driven diaphragm vacuum pumps if the trucks were not already rigged with one.

My question is, how come I've seen this so frequently in person, but I never see them mentioned around here? I realize it's probably not ideal for travel trailers, but lots of guys around here run gooseneck trailers.

Just curious, that's all...

 

Every trailer I own is Vacuum-over-Hydraulic.

I don't even consider electric as being brakes; and believe me, I speak from years and miles of experience.

A sort of trade-off that has came along lately is the electric-actuated hydraulics; but, they don't impress me.

My vacuum-hydraulics are sure and immediate; I have never had a failure.

The main reason you don't hear much about Vacuum-over-hydraulics is the expense of initial installation on both the truck and trailer; it can cost as much as $1200 to equip a truck for vacuum, and the last time I priced a new trailer, it was about an $1800 option over electric.

But, when you call on them to work, the price seems cheap; the only thing better is air.

 

because vacuum sucks! (pun). elec brakes seriously do. Still haven't found a kit to convert them from elec to vac though. Guess I'll have to buy new axles. anybody know of a kit anywhere?