Video Transcript for Feature Breakdown: Demco Hydraulic Brake Actuator

Hello everybody, this is Jeff at etrailer.com. Today we take a look at this Demco eight-inch adjustable channel down hydraulic drum brake actuator. Has a 12,500-pound weight capacity. Now this is a hydraulic actuator that'll activate your trailer's brakes when your tow vehicle slows or stops. Basically what happens is when you apply the brakes in your tow vehicle, deceleration will occur and the momentum will push your trailer toward the rear of your vehicle. So it's a surge brake system.

This actuator is triggered as your trailer moves forward once the tow vehicle starts to slow down. And when this happens, this actuator, the inside portion of it will contract and it applies force to the master cylinder back here, and this in turn supplies the necessary hydraulic pressure to engage your trailer's brakes. Now they do use an acetal copolymer lining here which provides a smooth operation as the inner portion of the actuator will telescope in and out. The front on this, you can see, is an adjustable channel, has three different mounting positions for your coupler. Now, the coupler's not included, that is sold separately.

And if you notice they call this a channel down design where it's mostly down. This allows for a greater drop. Does have a zinc plating which offers excellent corrosion resistance, has a 500-hour salt spray rating which is great for marine applications, and this is a heavy duty steel construction. Now the master cylinder, which is in the back here on the inside, it is a composite master cylinder which is durable and efficient. It's a glass-reinforced nylon construction, which will resist rust and corrosion, and has a very large reservoir which provides increased capacity for brake fluid.

And if you notice on the top here where you put your brake fluid in, it uses the automotive style diaphragm cap which creates a completely enclosed system to help prevent contamination of the brake fluid. Now it does include this breakaway cable and the hook you can see. And basically that is required by law. And what that is, it's a safety feature it'll prevent a trailer runaway situation. So what you'll do with this is you'll take this hook here and hook this to your tow vehicle.

And what happens basically if this, your trailer ever becomes detached from your tow vehicle, it'll pull on this cable which will activate this lever to apply pressure in your master cylinder and apply the brakes in a runaway situation. But that is included and again, it is a required by the law. Now this is a bolt on installation. The mounting, it's designed to mount onto a straight three-inch wide trailer tongue and you can see on each side of your mount down here there's five holes and then five holes on the other side. Now this part is made in the USA. Specs, again, this is for trailers with hydraulic drum brakes, gross towing weight capacity is 12,500 pounds. Maximum tongue weight is 1,250 pounds. Now the channel width, which is right here, that your coupler will go into, the inside measurement is three inches. The channel height, just measure from the bottom to the very top, is right at eight inches. Now this actuator also goes by the model number of DA 10. And one last note, I do want to mention on this is because this actuator does not include a reverse lockout it is recommended that you equip the trailer with either a reverse lockout solenoid, which will install right back here under the back of the master cylinder, or free backing brakes, so that with either one of those it'll, you'll be able to drive in reverse without the actuator triggering your trailer's brakes. But that should do it for the review on the Demco eight-inch adjustable channel down hydraulic drum brake actuator with a 12,500 pound weight capacity..