Break-away Cable?

[downtheroad]

Am I correct?
The break-away cable should be SHORTER than the chains...(travel trailer)
Doing some tweaking....

Thanks.

[Tvov]

CampingN.C. wrote:
How any people have even pulled their break away pin out in the last year or so to see if it even works?

In the last year? A better question would be how many people have EVER checked the break away switch?

[ajcal225]

CampingN.C. wrote:
How any people have even pulled their break away pin out in the last year or so to see if it even works?

I can tell you that I have.

In fact, I pull it almost every time I load my jeep on the trailer, both to test its functioning and to help stabilize the trailer so I'm not pushing against my truck as bad.

[JIMNLIN]

Lots of trailers (RV and non rv) are still out here on the road that had no breakaway system. I have three of them and have owned many more.

And how many trailers don't even have brakes. In my state trailers under 3000 lb gvwr aren't required to have them.

Not having trailer brakes makes it simple when the trailer jumps off the ball, to ease the tow vehicle brakes on till the trailer makes contact with the back of the tow vehicle and then simply come to a slow stop.

When you tow for a living and spend lots of years on the road you learn from others misfortune and your own how to set up your trailers breakaway system so it works without wrecking the combo when the trailer comes unhitched and a breakaway.

[CampingN_C_]

How any people have even pulled their break away pin out in the last year or so to see if it even works?

[BenK]

There are two ratings for chains, ropes, etc...

"Working" and "breaking" load ratings...goes with comments of "been dining that and no problems"...that those folks are over their "working load rating", and under their "breaking load rating" (AKA...yield rating")

There is a big difference and for this thread..."breaking rating" is the rating that applies...PLUS some safety % (AKA margin)....not GVWR, that plus a shock multiplier (speed factor)

Am of the safety chains should be longer than the break-away cable.

Teach all my engineers: "all things engineered or designed are NOT for the good days out there....but...for the worst day when Mr Murphy crosses your path...either the margin(s) are there, or not"...

ajcal225 wrote:
Fascinating thread. I'm shocked at how many people have the wrong opinion and do not understand how their safety equipment is supposed to work.

Add me to the 'breakaway cord is shorter than chains' camp.

Also to the 'either chain is greater than the GVWR of the trailer' camp.

I'm somewhat terrified by the "I want my trailer to break away and become everyone elses problem instead" camp. Wow.

Ditto...goes along with "it only happens to the other guy"....

I upgraded the chains on my trailer after looking up the specs on what was supplied. I test the break away controller every year or so, pulling the pin and monitoring when voltage drops below 12 (I want to see 5 minutes minimum full braking).

It seems like a lot of people don't take towing serious.

Add me as an X3


And

2 many 2 wrote:
X2 On everything in the above post. I used to think the other way but common sense, logic and experience changed my mind

[discovery4us]

If you wait for the chains to break before the pin is pulled the tongue of the trailer plowing into the pavement will be much more braking than the trailer brakes would ever be 🙂

Put me in the cable should be just shorter than the chains camp. The last thing I want is to have a trailer come loose and run into the back of the TV essentially taking away my ability to control the TV and push me around and possible into oncoming traffic.

As for the best truck it is the one with the most HP and torque that is paid for and title in my name:)

[mike-s]

mowermech wrote:
Something I never see mentioned in these discussions is the breaking strength of the "safety" chains (or cables).

A single chain should be able to lift the weight of the entire trailer, because that's the law in many states. And, they're made for more than that. Good luck finding brakes (or tires) which will produce a 2G+ deceleration.

[2_many_2]

X2 On everything in the above post. I used to think the other way but common sense, logic and experience changed my mind

[ajcal225]

Fascinating thread. I'm shocked at how many people have the wrong opinion and do not understand how their safety equipment is supposed to work.

Add me to the 'breakaway cord is shorter than chains' camp.

Also to the 'either chain is greater than the GVWR of the trailer' camp.

I'm somewhat terrified by the "I want my trailer to break away and become everyone elses problem instead" camp. Wow.

I upgraded the chains on my trailer after looking up the specs on what was supplied. I test the break away controller every year or so, pulling the pin and monitoring when voltage drops below 12 (I want to see 5 minutes minimum full braking).

It seems like a lot of people don't take towing serious.

[LarryJM]

BarneyS wrote:
Ron Gratz addressed the breaking strength of the chains many moons ago but I don't have the exact thread to give a link.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the fact that, on most heavier trailers like many here tow, applying full braking force will not result in a huge jerking action at highway speed but usually just a strong slow down. The magnets strength is just not strong enough to jerk the trailer strongly in most cases. I don't know if disk brakes will jerk since I have never driven a trailer equipped with them.

Dodge Guy,
I knew someone was going to jump in on the spelling of Cummins. I spotted my error earlier but was too busy to correct it at the time. It is done now. 🙂
Barney

Barney,

The 80% of GVWR max tension that a full braking trailer could tension a TV was what I remember that Ron calculated however, I too don't have a specific link to that post and could be wrong, but it was definitely less than the GVWR of the trailer which suggests that the safety chains would not break especially if crossed which would help equalize the tension between the two chains and keep the TT centered behind the TV along with providing somewhat of a "SKID PLATE) to help prevent the end of the tongue from catching or digging into the pavement.

Larry

[BarneyS]

Ron Gratz addressed the breaking strength of the chains many moons ago but I don't have the exact thread to give a link.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the fact that, on most heavier trailers like many here tow, applying full braking force will not result in a huge jerking action at highway speed but usually just a strong slow down. The magnets strength is just not strong enough to jerk the trailer strongly in most cases. I don't know if disk brakes will jerk since I have never driven a trailer equipped with them.

Dodge Guy,
I knew someone was going to jump in on the spelling of Cummins. I spotted my error earlier but was too busy to correct it at the time. It is done now. 🙂
Barney

[LarryJM]

mowermech wrote:
Something I never see mentioned in these discussions is the breaking strength of the "safety" chains (or cables).
Are they really strong enough to handle the sudden force of the trailer brakes being applied at full 12 volts? That is going to be quite a jolt on those chains or cables! Will they hold, or will they break at that small abraded place?
For that matter, when was the last time you inspected them to be sure they don't have any weak spots?
If you noticed a worn spot, did you replace the chain or cable, or did you just let it go?
Think about it...

You must have missed my post where I described the specs for the chains, discussed the often criticized single chain attachment point, and the anticipated maximum tension the trailer under full braking would put on the TV. IMO there are no issues with the areas you are worried about.

I can't remember the exact specs, but IIRC WRT breaking strength it includes some time frame at the breaking strength tension before a certain percentages of failure and with the expected very short duration of a disconnect scenario as I remember this time frame was multiples of that anticipated time frame. Finally, chains come in specific breaking strength values which are thousands of lbs apart so there is a fair chance that the breaking strength of each chain will exceed that minimums specified.

Larry

[mowermech]

Something I never see mentioned in these discussions is the breaking strength of the "safety" chains (or cables).
Are they really strong enough to handle the sudden force of the trailer brakes being applied at full 12 volts? That is going to be quite a jolt on those chains or cables! Will they hold, or will they break at that small abraded place?
For that matter, when was the last time you inspected them to be sure they don't have any weak spots?
If you noticed a worn spot, did you replace the chain or cable, or did you just let it go?
Think about it...

[mike-s]

dodge guy wrote:
I`m going by physics, which says that when you pull something there is resistance no matter what it is. If your setup properly there will be no problem coming to a stop with light braking. If you lay on the brakes then yes you will have problems.

There's also inertia and gravity. Going downhill?

the pin would get pulled right as the trailer would come uncoupled. - etrailer.com