Towed vehicle breakaway events?
In thinking about the breakaway systems used along with supplemental braking systems on towed vehicles, it got me wondering about how many times these breakaway systems actually may have been called u...
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There have been a few such incidents reported on these forums (with pictures) in the past.
In nearly every one that I remember, the breakaway occurred where the receiver was attached to the motorhome. Since the brake activating cable was attached to the receiver, it did not actuate the braking system. Since the safety chains were also attached to the receiver, they were also useless.
However, in one case I just remembered, the receiver did not detach from the motorhome, the baseplate broke away from the towed vehicle. In another case, the entire front end of the towed vehicle broke away.
So, yes, it DOES happen. However, for those who are statistically minded, the rate of failure is so low as to be negligible.
In nearly every one that I remember, the breakaway occurred where the receiver was attached to the motorhome. Since the brake activating cable was attached to the receiver, it did not actuate the braking system. Since the safety chains were also attached to the receiver, they were also useless.
However, in one case I just remembered, the receiver did not detach from the motorhome, the baseplate broke away from the towed vehicle. In another case, the entire front end of the towed vehicle broke away.
So, yes, it DOES happen. However, for those who are statistically minded, the rate of failure is so low as to be negligible.
