Working on the new to us Prime Time Crusader 355. The break away isn't working. I just finished the chassis servicing, replaced bearing, adjusted brakes, and lube chassis. Brakes work when using the in truck actuator but when you pull the break away pin, brakes do not actuate. Do most 5th wheels have a separate small battery as part of the break away system? If so, where is it? Nothing in pin box but haven't checked in battery compartment. I did replace the house battery too. To trouble shoot, I stuck pins in the wires, 2 black wires, coming from the break away switch and checked with a test light. Wires are hot whether the break away pin is in or out. When I picked it up, the steel cable was broken so I couldn't clip it to anything anyway. But I want all systems working as they should.__________________

If both sides of switch are hot with pin removed then the sw is fine but not hooked to brakes.

look in the hole when you pull the pin and see if the contacts are touching...you can stick a screw driver in the hole to make contact if in doubt.

Breakaway uses the 5th wheel's 12v battery. To test, I jack up the trailer to get the tires off the ground. I pull the breakaway pin and then try to spin a tire. Tire should move slightly and then lockup if the breakaway is working. I put the pin back in the breakaway and the tire should move freely. I do this for all six tires.

azdryheat wrote:Breakaway uses the 5th wheel's 12v battery. To test, I jack up the trailer to get the tires off the ground. I pull the breakaway pin and then try to spin a tire. Tire should move slightly and then lockup if the breakaway is working. I put the pin back in the breakaway and the tire should move freely. I do this for all six tires.Just as azdryheat says, I jack one wheel at a time give it a spin and pull the pin, if it stops that wheels working, next wheel same routine until all wheels have be checked. The 5W battery must be charged as it powers the brakes.

Also along with a hot lead, the brake system might not be grounded to the trailer/battery ground. Chris

Brakes, break-away | Good Sam Community

Me_Again
Explorer III
Feb 11, 2018
Also along with a hot lead, the brake system might not be grounded to the trailer/battery ground. Chris
Edd505
Explorer
Feb 11, 2018
azdryheat wrote:
Breakaway uses the 5th wheel's 12v battery. To test, I jack up the trailer to get the tires off the ground. I pull the breakaway pin and then try to spin a tire. Tire should move slightly and then lockup if the breakaway is working. I put the pin back in the breakaway and the tire should move freely. I do this for all six tires.

Just as azdryheat says, I jack one wheel at a time give it a spin and pull the pin, if it stops that wheels working, next wheel same routine until all wheels have be checked. The 5W battery must be charged as it powers the brakes.
azdryheat
Explorer
Feb 11, 2018
Breakaway uses the 5th wheel's 12v battery. To test, I jack up the trailer to get the tires off the ground. I pull the breakaway pin and then try to spin a tire. Tire should move slightly and then lockup if the breakaway is working. I put the pin back in the breakaway and the tire should move freely. I do this for all six tires.
Learjet
Explorer
Feb 11, 2018
look in the hole when you pull the pin and see if the contacts are touching...you can stick a screw driver in the hole to make contact if in doubt.
ScottG
Nomad
Feb 11, 2018
If both sides of switch are hot with pin removed then the sw is fine but not hooked to brakes.

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Brakes, break-away

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