Has anyone used the coiled breakaway cable? Our regular cable has gotten stuck under the hitch rail at least 2 times. Its a bugger to get out when you are traveling and it gets damaged. We are going out today to look for the coiled cable. Need your expertise on this product. Thanks, Dona
Dona and Elvin
2010 Dodge Laramie 3500 4x4 Mega cab-in Pearl black/tan 2007 Open Road 359RL3S 2004 Yamaha Kodiak 400 ATV
I have mine clipped to the hitch handle too. I replaced the straight wire cable with a 4ft coiled breakaway assembly after I found the old one was burnt out and wouldn't lock the brakes anyway.
2010 Cedar Creek 34SATS (The Beast) & 20k Curt Q20 roller slider hitch 2006 Ford F350 SRW,SC Powerstroke diesel Lariat 2003 Harley Heritage Softail (Hogzilla) and a wifey with tons of patience....
According to ALL the dot inspections I've had (GA,SC, TX, LA, FL and TN) it is NOT legal to attach your breakaway to the actual hitch. Attaching it to the bed or mounting rails is the correct way to do it. With that being said... if you're not commercial, you are not likely to ever get inspected unless there are other obvious safety issues while you're rolling down the road.
This coming from a commercial RV hauler. You don't have to play by the rules, but I do.
SEMO Mike wrote: On my B & W hitch I put the loop through the pin which locks the handle in place.
This is what the dealership taught me to do. I was feeling uncomfortable with it knowing I hooked to the same place I hooked my safety chains on my old tt. I might try using my left rear tie down to hook to also.
The pusher, i through mine over the same thing but from what i have read and or heard it is supposes to be seperate from the hitch attached to a part of the truck in case god for bid the hitch came out with the trailer. The brakes may not come on it the cable never got pulled. Was actually thinking if putting an extension and attaching it to the front left tight down loop in the front if the bed. Or use the coil one with an extension if its not long enough.
2112 wrote: It kind of defeats the purpose if the hitch breaks loose.
Yeah, a few seconds thought AFTER posting lead me to the same conclusion :S
But, really...
If the king pin and/or broken hitch exit the bed far enough to pull the break-away, hits the road and the whole thing goes a$$ over tea-kettle, how much help are the brakes going to be?
(Hope none of us ever has to find out :))
Truly, you *should* hook the breakaway cable to a part of the truck. I use the rear corner tie-down for mine. It's right next/below my in-bed 7-pin connector, so I just do them both at once.
But I have the same view as those who connect to the hitch; if the hitch is coming out of the truck, there are forces violent enough that it is going to pull the breakaway cable, no doubt. Connecting to the hitch should be plenty good enough.
I went to the coil type after accidentally pulling breakaway on a sharp turn after leaving campground. I hook my cable to the tie down in pickup bed, don't hook it on any part of 5th wheel head. The reason for this is if hitch does fail, the breakaway switch will not be pulled. Same thing on rear bumper type hitch, hook breakaway cable to the vehicle, not the hitch or safety chain.
