Forum Discussion

Sinnettc's avatar
Sinnettc
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014

How long should the break-away brake cable be?

The break away cable on my boat trailer, with an attwood surge brake coupler, is maybe 3 feet long and doesn't have a lot of slack when it's connected to one of the safety chain holes in the hitch. It's short enough that I suspect it would trigger the brakes if the hitch comes off the ball.

The one on my Trail Cruiser TT is much longer and nearly drags on the ground when it's hooked the same way but it's too short to go around the bumper or anything else. Are the brakes supposed to come on if your tongue drops onto the safety chains or is it only supposed to trigger the brakes if the entire thing comes loose? If the former, how do I figure out how long it needs to be to trip the brakes?

Thanks.
  • To add to the good advice already given, I was always tought to connect the break away cable to the TVs frame, not the hitch in case of a hitch failure.
  • Yep exactly. You want the breakaway to actuate in the event of a complete seperation.
  • Thanks guys, that makes sense. Especially since the 7-pin cable on the TT is quite a bit longer than the one on the boat trailer.
  • If trailer jumps the ball and is caught by safety chains pigtail is probably still plugged in so truck brake controller will still activate the trailer brakes.

    The emergency brake cable is to activate trailer brakes on trailers that have become disconnected from tow vehicle.
    Cable should be slightly longer than pigtail so that it is pulled out of switch engaging trailer brakes when pigtail is pulled out of truck plug.
  • An overlong cable can be threaded thru links of the safety chain and reduce it's length.