Does Electric brakes breakaway function work in reverse?

I don't think the magnets will burn out with extended use. On countless occasions I have sat on a mountain pass stuck in traffic and not moving. All the while my TT brakes are on and holding us.
They still work fine.

I have two ways to get my 5er into my yard beside the garage where it's parked. I used to back off the street but now drive in and make a very sharp turn. One time I unknowingly snagged the breakaway cable and energized the brakes. I could not back the trailer up and when I plugged the switch back in, it worked fine.

So, they really do work in reverse.

But the handle on the tongue would raise lots of questions....lol

RoyB wrote:
Just keep in mind each electric brake module will draw 3AMPs of DC Current when 12VDC is applied. If you have dual tandoms then a total of 12AMPS will be drawn from your 12VDC battery system. This will drain batteries rather quick.

The electric brakes are not designed to have a continuous current drain being applied and will result in brake failure and need to be replaced.

The electric brakes work great for the normal brake actions being driven down the road but would not be a good candidate to be a parking brake system if that is what the thought process thing is here.

A manual parking brake lever mounted on the trailer tongue that physically moves the various brake pads like the hand brake in autos employs is what you would want to have..


Roy Ken

:R

What utter non sense.

The electric brakes WILL NOT BE HARMED if left on for a long, long time, PERIOD.. They ARE designed to survive the HEAT GENERATED INSIDE THE DRUM BY FRICTION AND ELECTRIC CURRENT.

When the magnets are dragging along the inside surface they ARE GENERATING A LOT OF HEAT FROM FRICTION and not to mention the heat from the drum is transferred to the magnet at the same time.

Please quit repeating the same old wives tales..

What can happen is if the breakaway is left on and no converter power the breakaway will draw down your trailer battery.

Your trailer battery (unless you have a small gel cell for breakaway) will go quite a long time at 12A of current..

If trailer is equipped with a gel cell for the breakawy it must be of sufficient size to not only stop the trailer but to hold the trailer for a min of 15 minutes (per Fed regulations)..

OP WAS NOT ASKING ABOUT A "PARKING BRAKE", PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST.

I will agree that the electric brakes should not be used as "parking" brakes which is outlined in Dexters own technical manuals but that isn't what the OP asked about.

OP was asking about if the electric brakes work while DRIVING IN REVERSE..

The answer, YES, they can.

But do be aware that depending on your brake controller they may or may not work as well in reverse.. However it isn't like you are going to be driving 55mph in reverse :S

battery energizes magnet
Magnet sucks against face of drum
Drum rotation cause magnet to move which engages primary shoe
Primary shoe movement causes secondary shoe to engage

Trailer slows from braking action

Forward or reverse. The actuating arm will apply the brakes when pushed in either direction. That means that in forward or reverse the assemblies will still apply trailer brakes.

One of my kids pulled the emergency break away pin cable while parked. We drained batteries in an evening. Thankfully no brake damage.

Just keep in mind each electric brake module will draw 3AMPs of DC Current when 12VDC is applied. If you have dual tandoms then a total of 12AMPS will be drawn from your 12VDC battery system. This will drain batteries rather quick.

The electric brakes are not designed to have a continuous current drain being applied and will result in brake failure and need to be replaced.

The electric brakes work great for the normal brake actions being driven down the road but would not be a good candidate to be a parking brake system if that is what the thought process thing is here.

A manual parking brake lever mounted on the trailer tongue that physically moves the various brake pads like the hand brake in autos employs is what you would want to have..


Roy Ken

There are still two brake shoes which the magnet acts on, pretty much just like any other drum brake system. So there no reason for them not to work like those....

Electric brakes do work in reverse though they are sometimes rather grabby.
So yes the breakaway system will work in that situation.