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This actuator gives your trailer the instant braking response you want when towing heavy loads or traveling long distances. With a maximum output pressure of 1,600 psi, it delivers strong and consistent hydraulic power to disc brakes on single, tandem, or triple axle setups. The system reacts as soon as you hit the brakes in your tow vehicle instead of waiting for your trailer to push against the hitch like a surge coupler does. That means smoother stops and no more lurching at low speeds or during panic braking.
Saltwater, humidity, and road grime are no match for this actuator’s anodized aluminum housing and stainless steel hardware. It’s sealed up tight with a marine-grade gasket that keeps moisture out, making it a great choice for boat trailers or rigs stored outdoors. The vented end plate releases heat, pressure, and condensation so the internal components stay protected even when mounted inside enclosed compartments.
The actuator mounts right to the trailer frame and hooks up easily to your existing hydraulic brake lines through a 3/16" port. Four clearly marked wires—black for 12-volt power, blue for brake signal, yellow for breakaway, and white for ground—make wiring straightforward. It runs on 12V DC power and works with any standard 5 amp hour breakaway battery kit (sold separately), keeping your braking system reliable without adding bulk or complexity.
Backing down ramps or maneuvering in tight spaces is easier because you can activate or hold back the brakes any time through your in-cab brake controller. The actuator responds to manual override signals so you can apply brake pressure without touching your vehicle’s brake pedal. When reversing up an incline or into storage, there’s no need to lock out the system—your brakes won’t drag or fight against you.
A built-in bleeder screw makes it easy to flush air from the system after installation or maintenance. The electronic proportional pressure valve automatically matches braking force to what your controller sends, keeping stops smooth and predictable every time you tow. With its durable construction and vented cooling design, this actuator is made to give years of steady braking performance on every trip.
| Manufacturer | Vehicle Years/Controller Models | Compatible | Compatible if Used with HBA-CAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | Ford | 2005-2006 | Yes | |
| 2007-2008 | No | Yes | ||
| 2009-2015 | Yes | |||
| Dodge | 2010-2015 | Yes | ||
| GMC/Chevy | 2007-2015 | No | Yes | |
| Brake Controllers | Draw-Tite | Activator (5100) | Yes | |
| Activator II (5500 or 5510) | Yes | |||
| Activator III (5520) | Yes | |||
| Activator IV (5504) | Yes | |||
| Hayes | Energize III (81741B) | Yes | ||
| Energize III+ (HA81742B) | Yes | |||
| Energize XPC (HA81745) | Yes | |||
| Hopkins | Impulse (47200) | Yes | ||
| Agility (47295) | Yes | |||
| Reliance (47297) | Yes | |||
| InSIGHT (47297) | Yes | |||
| Endurance (47285) | Yes | |||
| Tekonsha | Prodigy (90185) | Yes | ||
| Prodigy P2 (90885) | Yes | |||
| Prodigy P3 (90195) | Yes | |||
| Primus IQ (90160) | Yes | |||
| Voyager (9030) | Yes | |||
| PowerTrac (39523) | Yes |
Customer Satisfaction Score:
98% were satisfied with this product
2% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
Great brake actuator.
Best upgrade to our 5th wheel. I will do this to every trailer I ever own. Straightforward installation if you have basic mechanical knowledge experience.
BEST MONEY I'VE SPENT. TAKES A LITTLE GETTING USED TO AFTER SURGE BRKS. VERY SLIGHT DELAY, BUT THEN IT HOOKS UP GREAT. ALMOST GOT KILLED IN ATLANTA WITH SURGE BRK LAST YEAR SO THIS WAS A MUST HAVE. CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND SHIPPING WAS A "10" AS IS THE ACTUATOR!!
When we ordered the last one 4 years ago it came complete with Plugs on all ends.
deeply disappointed I do not have the tools to put this together such heavy duty equipment .
I think this one might be the best design on the market. Slim profile makes it easier to tuck out of the way, and the performance is perfect. A very nice way to get away from the coupler actuator and the “clunking” when stopping/starting. Plus have brakes in reverse adds comfort at the boat ramp.
I bought the electric over hydraulic for my boat trailer so I could convert from surge brakes to using my electric brake controller. I have a large triple axle trailer that came from the factory with surge brakes. I like the security and adjustable control of an electric controller besides it is the law in certain places when reaching heavier weights... The Hydrastar brand was recommended to my by a friend who had had problems with a different brand and is happy with Hydrastar.
. etrailer has been my "go-to" for all of my boat trailer and car trailer needs for several years. Additionally I always refer my friends to etrailer and they always report back excellent results.
Since we have internet to help with our shopping, I always know I get a good price and quality from etrailer... aside from that the service is excellent as well. Everything I order always shows up on time and usually earlier than expected. What else can I say?
Oh and lets not forget the tech support... sometimes trailer stuff is foreign to me. They are always helpful.
Give em a Brake
I've had the Hydrastar system on my trailer now for over a year now with now issues. The brakes work much better than they did before. Easy installation and great service from etrailer
My trailer did not have brakes and so I added disc brakes and the HydraStar Actuator. WOW does it work great! No crumby tongue activated brake. This is the best upgrade you could make replacing the clunkey tongue activated brake cylinder. Best money you will ever spend on the boat trailer! Oh by the way "Made In USA".
Best move I did was converting to hydraulic disc brakes on my 16,000 lb 5th wheel toy hauler. The stopping power and response is noticeably improved with no fade. along with upgrading to load range G tires, this trailer is a pleasure to tow behind my truck now even in heavy freeway traffic, no longer worried about running over a little car cutting me off. I would not own another heavy trailer without converting to disc brakes.
My trailer's stock surge brakes worked pretty well but dragged the brakes driving down hills, did not work while backing down boat ramps, and provided no backup if my vehicle brakes failed... So I got this EOH system to solve those problems.
I only test-drove the finished upgrade once but it seemed to work fine. Note that in my 2018 Ram 1500 with integrated trailer brake control, I needed to set this up as "EOH heavy" even though my boat + trailer are under 6000 lbs.
I wanted a solid, clean install, so I had a bracket made and welded to the trailer out of harm's way and above the possible high water level, even though it's all theoretically waterproof.
Other considerations:
- I was able to re-route the stock steel brake line right to the brake unit.
- I had to buy a new 7 pin trailer harness to replace the stock 5 pin one. I made a conversion harness to go from the new wiring to the stock trailer wiring.
- I locked out the original surge system by replacing its guts (master cylinder, spring, etc) with a steel bar that goes between the front and rear pins.
- I hid the breakaway switch inside the tongue and ran the new breakaway cable where the original one went.
- I safety-wired the brake reservoir cap to prevent its loss or vandalism. It just didn't seem secure to me. Easy fix!
I think it looks good and seems to work well. I expect it will last many years. I gave it only 4 stars as the brakes have some lag (1/2 second?) before I can feel them working. I was led to believe the brakes would be instantaneous and I "would not feel the trailer" (possibly like the electric brakes on my other trailers) but it's not quite that perfect. But maybe I'm being picky! I'd choose this very system again.
I'm impressed. I've pulled a number of trailers with surge brakes over the years and often wondered if they would really work when I needed them. There is no gussing any more with either of my vehicles.
This unit is installed on my boat trailer hauling a 17.5' aluminum runabout and is pulled at times by a small truck as well as an RV that is nearing it's max GCWR pulling the boat.
I chose the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 controller for the actuator and I'm able to easily swap it between vehicles. A great combo.
The actuator was very easy to install, and has worked flawlessly since
The reason I gave it only four stars is because the subject Hydrastar Actuator I purchased a year ago replaced the same actuator I installed 2.5 years prior as part of a complete uprade of our Airstream trailer with six disc brakes and the extensive hydraulic lines required to make this triple axle trailer work.
The previous Hydrastar Actuator worked for exactly 5,100 miles. It failed with out any warning during an extensive trip to California and then east to Texas! It simply quit internally. With the help of your company I called the manufacturer; in good modern-day unresponsive fashion I bounced into their voicemail. I realize it was six months beyond the two year warranty period. I did not expect a brand-new one from them. Rather my expectation was that would take mine in and diagnose and rebuild it on my dime or at their cost!? Since I never heard from them and I was planning to sell the trailer and wanted everything to work for the new owner I held my nose and bought the unit you are inquiring about now. I works as designed with about 20 miles on it. The trailer is still for sale as of this writing and will hopefully go to a new owner soon.
As advertised and Quick Shipping!
Could not figure out why my brake fluid level was always low. No visible leaks until I noticed moisture at the vent near where the wires came out. Contacted HydraStar and within 5 minutes of submitting a pic of the serial number and receipt from etrailer I had a tracking number.
AWESOME product and AWESOME Customer support!!!!!!!
Ronald
8/12/2021
Works perfectly, quality US Made product. Have the same in my Mobile Suites for 6 years with zero issues!
Great unit, compact size, install wasn’t tough at all, just time consuming since I wanted a clean install. Would have taken me a lot less time had I just thrown it up on top of the frame rail.
So on the last trailer I converted to hydraulic disc, I used the Titan kit with actuator. This trailer is a cargo trailer for work 14'X8' and not that heavy. I went with Kodiak discs and the Hydrastar actuator. I mounted it inside the trailer to protect it and keep it out of sight. It's so quiet but works flawlessly! Even with the door open, it's tough to hear, so for bleeding, I set up a remote switch to activate the system. It doesn't leak, has plenty of power, and is very smooth coupled with my factory Ford brake controller.. It's been a year, so long time reliability is a wait and see, but so far, I'm very happy.
Rich F.
7/25/2021
Perfectly. The Hydrastar actuator works great. A side note: If you live in a humid environment like I doFlorida, make sure to change the brake fluid every year or two as it does suck up water and get dirty.
Good customer support
The difference between disc brakes and the stock drum brakes that came on my travel trailer (or even the drums I upgraded a couple years back) is AMAZING! Aside from the incredibly improved braking performance, towing comfort, safety and control... I have had zero brake problems since I installed the disc brake system. It seems like every 3rd trip I would be WORKING ON MY BRAKES FOR SOME REASON. I will never go back to drum brakes, ever. etrailer was great to work with as usual and was my one-stop to get parts and info. It was a complicated job, but not too bad to do correctly with their help. THANKS!
Worked perfectly, just as advertised!
etrailer is great to deal with, with excellent product knowledge and shipping.
Recently converted the surge brakes to Electric over hydraulic on my Tri axle boat trailer.
I was not sure if I needed the adapter for the factory brake controller in my 17 Silverado to work with the Hydrastar marine EOH pump but with one quick question and fast response Etrailer set me straight which allowed for a smooth and simple install.
Although I have not had the opportunity to pull the trailer since the upgrade, I was surprised how small the surge coupler pump was compared to the Hydrastar pump and am looking forward to the faster response time and added control over trailer brakes that this EOH pump with give
Thank you etrailer
As To the Hydrastar unit HS381-8067 1600PSI.
It is a very reliable unit I used on many of my trailers.
The "Marine" version has SS bolts instead of the standard ones. No other difference I see.
Overall quality of the body is excellent. Two things that are totally terrible design. The filler cap made out of extremely brittle plastic and electric cable have too short of cables.
fast shipping and fair price. Thanks
Good choice for my upgrade from surge b rakes.
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Frank
9/15/2024
Works great. Best improvement Ive made to the camper.