Thor Forums

[FW28z]

You can backup with a dolly with surge brakes providing the vehicle is not attached (say you want to store the dolly somewhere and want to back it in), and if the trailer has a steering mechanism, preferably it is locked.

If the vehicle is attached to the the dolly, you cannot backup as it could damage the steering system of the vehicle or other components. If the vehicle wants to turn left and the dolly wants to turn right when you backing up, something is gonna break.

This is the same reason you cannot backup a flat towed vehicle.

When I owned surge-brake equipped boat trailers, they didn't have a brake cylinder lockout, and I backed them down ramps many times. You just have to take it slow.

However, you typically cannot back a surge-brake equipped trailer up hill as the brakes will surely engage, unless you have a brake cylinder lockout.