Where to attach the Breakaway Cable

...

I learned, from Ron Gratz's post, that the TT brakes should engage before the chains tighten, so it made me think. Ron wouldn't have posted that if he doubted it's logic or correctness. I'm not presently sure how long my stiffly coiled lanyard actually is, nor what tension will release it, so I have some work to do.

My earlier thought was that I didn't want the brakes to lock up prematurely and jerk the chains any more than necessary, but then that is still better than the likely knee-jerk reaction of applying TV brakes and having the TT ram the rear, possibly to one side. Ramming/lifting the rear, and spinning a pursued vehicle out of control, is the preferred method for law enforcement to disable steering control on a perps vehicle, if that drastic measure becomes necessary.

I think the most likely loss of an RV TT hitch may occur because the operator forgets to put the hitch pin in... or a cruel vandal removes it. I try to remember to look under there each time before I move, but don't always do it. A loose receiver will surely stay in until some later, inopportune moment.

Wes
...

I think, and the past posts on the forum will most likely confirm, that the chances of the coupler coming off the ball,especially when using WD which forces the coupler down on the ball, is very unlikely if the trailer becomes disconnected. The much more common occurrence, and we have had several instances of it reported here on the forums, is that the hitch itself breaks or comes apart from the tow vehicle. This is the main reason for not attaching the breakaway cable to the hitch but instead to some part of the tow vehicle itself.

WD hitches put a lot of strain on hitches and there is a lot of movements up, down and sideways from the movement of the trailer. If there is any weakness in the hitch, this movement will find it and could break the hitch itself or it's mountings. This is what has happened in the past several times and been reported on the forums complete with pictures.

Other than the above post about the pop-up coming off (no WD being used) there has only been one other post that I can remember since I joined almost 15 years ago.
Barney

captnjack wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Since we're going this far, my cable is a bit longer than the chains. No need to have the trailer try and stop with the safety chains still attached to the TV! I don't know if I want the trailer to have that kind of control over my TV. The breakaway system is for a complete breakaway, not a partial disconnect. Besides if the trailer were to become disconnected, when you touch the brakes the brake controller will actuate the trailer brakes. All this is dependent on how everything is set up! My 7-way is also longer than the chains. Everything needs to be set up properly for the safety systems to work!

I won't try and convince you otherwise, but a few comments that I feel are germane here.

1. A trailer only connected by the safety chains is an emergency situation and IMO considered to be totally disconnected and not a PARTIAL disconnect. The safety chains are in no way any type of normal connection for actually towing something.

2. I wish you GOOD LUCK fiddling with that brake controller with one hand while you trailer is only connected via the safety chains and adjusting it to something less than MAX just like the emergency brakeaway switch would do. Me I'm holding onto that steering wheel with BOTH HANDS trying to control it and not run off into a ditch until the fully engaged brakes on my trailer slow me down. If the trailer wants to flip on its side so be it since that will REALLY SLOW THINGS DOWN.

3. The very last thing I would want to even consider is touching my TV brakes which can really cause things to go south and sideways at the same time when that things 18" behind be that wants to run over me actually does that.

Finally things are going to happen so fast and be over so quick I sort of doubt one is going to have time to do much else than simply "HANG ON"

Larry

No need to touch the brake controller with your hand. Just barely touch the brake pedal and the trailer brakes actuate. So it will stop! Without the truck actually braking!
A trailer connected by the safety chains is still connected not disconnected.

If you know your setup, you'll know how it's going to act when something goes bad. Either way I've never had it happen, and I'm sure most of us never have. So saying one way will be better than the other has no meaning unless you've had it happen a few times each different setup. I don't plan on trying any of them.

My way has worked great so far, just as yours has!

Except for the fact that unlike your method at least one true Expert and maker of brakeaway switches that Ron quoted directly from mine has that endorsement. Good luck in your attempt to "feather" those TV brakes so that you maintain the proper tension on the trailer in a panic situation. IMO that method is a sure fire way to have that trailer rear end you and cause loss of TV control. You are the first person I think I have ever seen post that have considered using the foot to apply trailer only brakes in an emergency situation. That is a very unique and "uncommon" method to say the least.

Larry

But why would the trailer rear end him if the seven way is still attached? Wouldn't the trailer still stop when he applied the truck brakes?
I don't necessarily disagree with you but I don't think the assumption should be that the trailer would rear end the truck.

And the thing is, with WD systems you can leave the tongue unlatched and the pressure of the WD bars should keep the trailer from coming off the ball (not that I want to find out). So in the end it really doesn't matter which way it's done, so long as the trailer stops on its own when it becomes completely disconnected from the TV.

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Since we're going this far, my cable is a bit longer than the chains. No need to have the trailer try and stop with the safety chains still attached to the TV! I don't know if I want the trailer to have that kind of control over my TV. The breakaway system is for a complete breakaway, not a partial disconnect. Besides if the trailer were to become disconnected, when you touch the brakes the brake controller will actuate the trailer brakes. All this is dependent on how everything is set up! My 7-way is also longer than the chains. Everything needs to be set up properly for the safety systems to work!

I won't try and convince you otherwise, but a few comments that I feel are germane here.

1. A trailer only connected by the safety chains is an emergency situation and IMO considered to be totally disconnected and not a PARTIAL disconnect. The safety chains are in no way any type of normal connection for actually towing something.

2. I wish you GOOD LUCK fiddling with that brake controller with one hand while you trailer is only connected via the safety chains and adjusting it to something less than MAX just like the emergency brakeaway switch would do. Me I'm holding onto that steering wheel with BOTH HANDS trying to control it and not run off into a ditch until the fully engaged brakes on my trailer slow me down. If the trailer wants to flip on its side so be it since that will REALLY SLOW THINGS DOWN.

3. The very last thing I would want to even consider is touching my TV brakes which can really cause things to go south and sideways at the same time when that things 18" behind be that wants to run over me actually does that.

Finally things are going to happen so fast and be over so quick I sort of doubt one is going to have time to do much else than simply "HANG ON"

Larry

No need to touch the brake controller with your hand. Just barely touch the brake pedal and the trailer brakes actuate. So it will stop! Without the truck actually braking!
A trailer connected by the safety chains is still connected not disconnected.

If you know your setup, you'll know how it's going to act when something goes bad. Either way I've never had it happen, and I'm sure most of us never have. So saying one way will be better than the other has no meaning unless you've had it happen a few times each different setup. I don't plan on trying any of them.

My way has worked great so far, just as yours has!

Except for the fact that unlike your method at least one true Expert and maker of brakeaway switches that Ron quoted directly from mine has that endorsement. Good luck in your attempt to "feather" those TV brakes so that you maintain the proper tension on the trailer in a panic situation. IMO that method is a sure fire way to have that trailer rear end you and cause loss of TV control. You are the first person I think I have ever seen post that have considered using the foot to apply trailer only brakes in an emergency situation. That is a very unique and "uncommon" method to say the least.

Larry

But why would the trailer rear end him if the seven way is still attached? Wouldn't the trailer still stop when he applied the truck brakes?
I don't necessarily disagree with you but I don't think the assumption should be that the trailer would rear end the truck.

I did make the mistake of not locking the ball hitch on my 2500# PUP. It has brakes but no breakaway switch.

I hit a bump at 60 mph and the hitch jumped off the ball. The tongue landed in the crossed safety chains and the fun started.

The PUP jerked violently to the left and snapped the safety chain, it rebounded to the right and skidded along on the tongue post. But this time I had hit the TV brakes, the rear end rose and the PUP tongue, crank slid under the back bumper up to the LP tank.

The whole process took about 5 seconds to bring to stop. No harm but a lot of excitement.

It can and does happen.

dodge guy wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Since we're going this far, my cable is a bit longer than the chains. No need to have the trailer try and stop with the safety chains still attached to the TV! I don't know if I want the trailer to have that kind of control over my TV. The breakaway system is for a complete breakaway, not a partial disconnect. Besides if the trailer were to become disconnected, when you touch the brakes the brake controller will actuate the trailer brakes. All this is dependent on how everything is set up! My 7-way is also longer than the chains. Everything needs to be set up properly for the safety systems to work!

I won't try and convince you otherwise, but a few comments that I feel are germane here.

1. A trailer only connected by the safety chains is an emergency situation and IMO considered to be totally disconnected and not a PARTIAL disconnect. The safety chains are in no way any type of normal connection for actually towing something.

2. I wish you GOOD LUCK fiddling with that brake controller with one hand while you trailer is only connected via the safety chains and adjusting it to something less than MAX just like the emergency brakeaway switch would do. Me I'm holding onto that steering wheel with BOTH HANDS trying to control it and not run off into a ditch until the fully engaged brakes on my trailer slow me down. If the trailer wants to flip on its side so be it since that will REALLY SLOW THINGS DOWN.

3. The very last thing I would want to even consider is touching my TV brakes which can really cause things to go south and sideways at the same time when that things 18" behind be that wants to run over me actually does that.

Finally things are going to happen so fast and be over so quick I sort of doubt one is going to have time to do much else than simply "HANG ON"

Larry

No need to touch the brake controller with your hand. Just barely touch the brake pedal and the trailer brakes actuate. So it will stop! Without the truck actually braking!
A trailer connected by the safety chains is still connected not disconnected.

If you know your setup, you'll know how it's going to act when something goes bad. Either way I've never had it happen, and I'm sure most of us never have. So saying one way will be better than the other has no meaning unless you've had it happen a few times each different setup. I don't plan on trying any of them.

My way has worked great so far, just as yours has!

Except for the fact that unlike your method at least one true Expert and maker of brakeaway switches that Ron quoted directly from mine has that endorsement. Good luck in your attempt to "feather" those TV brakes so that you maintain the proper tension on the trailer in a panic situation. IMO that method is a sure fire way to have that trailer rear end you and cause loss of TV control. You are the first person I think I have ever seen post that have considered using the foot to apply trailer only brakes in an emergency situation. That is a very unique and "uncommon" method to say the least.

Larry

Bucky Badger wrote:
... So hooking mine to the frame is incorrect?:h

I thought yours was the first correct answer. Everybody after used more words to say the same thing.

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Since we're going this far, my cable is a bit longer than the chains. No need to have the trailer try and stop with the safety chains still attached to the TV! I don't know if I want the trailer to have that kind of control over my TV. The breakaway system is for a complete breakaway, not a partial disconnect. Besides if the trailer were to become disconnected, when you touch the brakes the brake controller will actuate the trailer brakes. All this is dependent on how everything is set up! My 7-way is also longer than the chains. Everything needs to be set up properly for the safety systems to work!

I won't try and convince you otherwise, but a few comments that I feel are germane here.

1. A trailer only connected by the safety chains is an emergency situation and IMO considered to be totally disconnected and not a PARTIAL disconnect. The safety chains are in no way any type of normal connection for actually towing something.

2. I wish you GOOD LUCK fiddling with that brake controller with one hand while you trailer is only connected via the safety chains and adjusting it to something less than MAX just like the emergency brakeaway switch would do. Me I'm holding onto that steering wheel with BOTH HANDS trying to control it and not run off into a ditch until the fully engaged brakes on my trailer slow me down. If the trailer wants to flip on its side so be it since that will REALLY SLOW THINGS DOWN.

3. The very last thing I would want to even consider is touching my TV brakes which can really cause things to go south and sideways at the same time when that things 18" behind be that wants to run over me actually does that.

Finally things are going to happen so fast and be over so quick I sort of doubt one is going to have time to do much else than simply "HANG ON"

Larry

No need to touch the brake controller with your hand. Just barely touch the brake pedal and the trailer brakes actuate. So it will stop! Without the truck actually braking!
A trailer connected by the safety chains is still connected not disconnected.

If you know your setup, you'll know how it's going to act when something goes bad. Either way I've never had it happen, and I'm sure most of us never have. So saying one way will be better than the other has no meaning unless you've had it happen a few times each different setup. I don't plan on trying any of them.

My way has worked great so far, just as yours has!

^^ good post.

dodge guy wrote:
Since we're going this far, my cable is a bit longer than the chains. No need to have the trailer try and stop with the safety chains still attached to the TV! I don't know if I want the trailer to have that kind of control over my TV. The breakaway system is for a complete breakaway, not a partial disconnect. Besides if the trailer were to become disconnected, when you touch the brakes the brake controller will actuate the trailer brakes. All this is dependent on how everything is set up! My 7-way is also longer than the chains. Everything needs to be set up properly for the safety systems to work!

I won't try and convince you otherwise, but a few comments that I feel are germane here.

1. A trailer only connected by the safety chains is an emergency situation and IMO considered to be totally disconnected and not a PARTIAL disconnect. The safety chains are in no way any type of normal connection for actually towing something.

2. I wish you GOOD LUCK fiddling with that brake controller with one hand while you trailer is only connected via the safety chains and adjusting it to something less than MAX just like the emergency brakeaway switch would do. Me I'm holding onto that steering wheel with BOTH HANDS trying to control it and not run off into a ditch until the fully engaged brakes on my trailer slow me down. If the trailer wants to flip on its side so be it since that will REALLY SLOW THINGS DOWN.

3. The very last thing I would want to even consider is touching my TV brakes which can really cause things to go south and sideways at the same time when that things 18" behind be that wants to run over me actually does that.

Finally things are going to happen so fast and be over so quick I sort of doubt one is going to have time to do much else than simply "HANG ON"

Larry