So some &^%$#@! stole my battery by chopping the cables and carrying it off. Little did he know that it was already 3 years old and it gets HOT here soooooo.... it was probably dead anyway. However, that's not the problem.I had a friend splice on new cables and connectors to the nice new battery in the nice new locking battery box. I made VERY sure he used the same cable gauge, but now my trailer brakes are screwy. They over-brake and I had to turn them WAY down.Is this a resistance problem from the splicing? Did the friend lie about the wire gauge and it actually doesn't match? Do I need to spend an arm and a leg having the battery cables professionally replaced end-to-end?Thanks for advice!

Dernhelm wrote:Little did he know that it was already 3 years old and it gets HOT here soooooo.... it was probably dead anyway. Guess you showed them! Of course, you probably will owe them some money on the pro-rated age of the battery!:BAs for the cables....unless they were done incorrectly, you shouldn't have a problem with a properly spliced set of wires.No real idea why you are having issues with the brakes?? Sorry.Good luck

My guess is you are just observing the difference between an older battery with older connections to a new battery with nice clean connections, and you are getting better voltage to the brakes. If they work properly when you turn them down, there shouldn't be a problem ...

The battery was stolen off your truck or camper?I read it as off camper. Doesn't your brake electric come off your truck through the 7 way plug?

When my trailer is locked away in covered storage, I still take the two 12v batteries home and keep them on a "smart charger," year round, until the next trip out.

If the breakaway plug is still plugged in the battery on the TT has nothing to do with the TT brakes

Battery Replacement Problem | Good Sam Community

mena661
Explorer
Apr 02, 2014
Thanks for the update!
Dernhelm
Explorer
Apr 02, 2014
Update: Recently took the rig out for two weekends. I dug out the dvd that came with the brakes and thoroughly reviewed how to set them. All is now great so I'm pretty sure that Bill & Kate had the correct answer.

Thanks for your help, everybody! Oh, and I bought a lock for the battery box
Dernhelm
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
Thanks everybody.

Well the reason I assumed the trailer battery (which was the one stolen and replaced) had something to do with the brakes is that the brake paperwork had a warning that the *trailer* had to have a "fully charged battery" for the brakes to operate normally.

I'm to lazy to scramble out to the trailer and pull the paperwork to quote (though that's now easier since the heavy wind here shredded my rather old trailer cover) but if y'all are sure - and you sound sure - that there's really nothing wrong, I'll just continue to keep an eye on the brake adjustment.

And no, I didn't blame the guy, I asked here first. :-) 'Cuz you folks are so nice to an only partially competent trailer owner. Thanks a bunch!
tplife
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
Upgrade to an AGM battery. You can safely mount them inside, and upside down, and they will out-perform any flooded battery you ever owned! :)
DryCamper11
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Just scribble BAD BATTERY RETURN FOR WARRANTY on a scrap of paper and lay it atop your battery. Then see what doesn't happen.

Grin!
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
Be thankful the brake problem did not do the opposite...your system is fine. A poor connection got corrected somehow in the process.

Once upon a time in downtown L.A. I had to park in a Wal-Mart parking lot and run in and use the restroom. The open bed of the pickup was FILLED with brand new car batteries which had cardboard cover boxes atop them. I hastily scribbled "BAD!" atop each box and several minutes later I returned and not one battery had been touched.

Just scribble BAD BATTERY RETURN FOR WARRANTY on a scrap of paper and lay it atop your battery. Then see what doesn't happen.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
Is he still your friend ? Or maybe you asking here before you blame him ?

Reminds me when I got blamed for winshield wipers quit working after I did a simple tune up on a car. She was so adamant about it, I fixed the wipers for free.
12thgenusa
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
K Charles wrote:
If the breakaway plug is still plugged in the battery on the TT has nothing to do with the TT brakes

Exactly. Trailer brakes operate from the TV.
K_Charles
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
If the breakaway plug is still plugged in the battery on the TT has nothing to do with the TT brakes
Adam-12
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013
When my trailer is locked away in covered storage, I still take the two 12v batteries home and keep them on a "smart charger," year round, until the next trip out.