Hello, we have a B&W turnover ball gooseneck hitch towing an Open Range Light 5th wheel. We bought it, towed it home, backed over the flowerbed, made some tight turns and the RV brakes locked. Figured out the next AM that the pin had come out of the breakaway brake device on the hitch. Husband placed pin into assembly and brakes relaxed and wheels roll. Next day went to unhitch and the pin is stuck in the device and won't come out. What to do? Pull hard with pliers? If comes out and brakes are engaged, then call for roadside assistance ( we are under warrantee and have GoodSam Platinum). or if comes out, re-engages and brakes work ok, have we done any damage? Phone call to on call service rep said, "tow it to service center". That's about 60 miles at the closest. Is not convenient to tow unless absolutely necessary. Thanks in advance.

Don't pull the pin leaving the brakes engaged, the magnets will overheat. It is designed to be left in place except in an emergency. Ours is snug too but I want it that way.

My break-away plunger also goes in and out with alot of pressure. There are two heavy spring tabs inside the switch box that the plunger has to spread apart and then snaps in place.Go ahead and pull on it pretty hard. All should be ok if nothing is busted when you pull it out...Just be aware when you have it pulled out it will draw alot of DC CURRENT on your connected RV batteries. Each BRAKE ASSEMBLY will draw 3AMPS each when 12VDC is applied. One axle will draw 6AMPS and two AXLES will draw 12AMPS. This will run down down your RV battery rather quick. If you allow your RV battery to drop below 12.0VDC (Approximately 50% State of Charge state) it may start doing damage to your battery...Being pulled all night long may have really drained your RV batteries. Best to check them and get re-charged right away...Roy Ken

Yes, you need to pull hard. Wrap the cable around something like a hammer handle.I would disconnect from TV and then disconnect the trailer battery first. Romore is correct that you could or may have burnt out the magnet coils. Should have them checked.Get the key out, then use some spray cleaner (brake clean) in the switch, then lube the key and opening with grease. Lithium is good.

**Clarifying my message above**. Brakes locked on Thursday, didn't know pin was out till Friday AM. Put it back in place and RV brake seemed to relax. TV battery was dead, had to jump it. Then disconnected RV battery cable. Saturday, hooked to shore power, disconnected TV to RV power, pulled RV a foot to insure that brake was not on. Now trying to disconnect RV from truck and pin is tightly stuck in the hitch. Service tech put it in at dealership so we never have pulled it and have no idea of how "tightly" it might fit into the device. But it had popped out as we made tight backup turns so seems that it pops our easily.

Pin is 'keyed' to properly go in one way........did it get put back in upside down?That would make it hard to remove.They should have some resistance coming out/going in due to clips and indents on pin BUT should be able to remove with just a tug.Buy a new assembly.......not all that expensive <$12

Breakaway brake pin is stuck and can't be removed easily.

romore
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2017
Don't pull the pin leaving the brakes engaged, the magnets will overheat. It is designed to be left in place except in an emergency. Ours is snug too but I want it that way.
RoyB
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2017
My break-away plunger also goes in and out with alot of pressure. There are two heavy spring tabs inside the switch box that the plunger has to spread apart and then snaps in place.

Go ahead and pull on it pretty hard. All should be ok if nothing is busted when you pull it out...

Just be aware when you have it pulled out it will draw alot of DC CURRENT on your connected RV batteries. Each BRAKE ASSEMBLY will draw 3AMPS each when 12VDC is applied. One axle will draw 6AMPS and two AXLES will draw 12AMPS. This will run down down your RV battery rather quick. If you allow your RV battery to drop below 12.0VDC (Approximately 50% State of Charge state) it may start doing damage to your battery...

Being pulled all night long may have really drained your RV batteries. Best to check them and get re-charged right away...

Roy Ken
enblethen
Nomad
Jan 29, 2017
Yes, you need to pull hard. Wrap the cable around something like a hammer handle.
I would disconnect from TV and then disconnect the trailer battery first. Romore is correct that you could or may have burnt out the magnet coils. Should have them checked.
Get the key out, then use some spray cleaner (brake clean) in the switch, then lube the key and opening with grease. Lithium is good.
madonetwo
Explorer
Jan 29, 2017
**Clarifying my message above**. Brakes locked on Thursday, didn't know pin was out till Friday AM. Put it back in place and RV brake seemed to relax. TV battery was dead, had to jump it. Then disconnected RV battery cable. Saturday, hooked to shore power, disconnected TV to RV power, pulled RV a foot to insure that brake was not on. Now trying to disconnect RV from truck and pin is tightly stuck in the hitch. Service tech put it in at dealership so we never have pulled it and have no idea of how "tightly" it might fit into the device. But it had popped out as we made tight backup turns so seems that it pops our easily.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2017
Pin is 'keyed' to properly go in one way........did it get put back in upside down?

That would make it hard to remove.

They should have some resistance coming out/going in due to clips and indents on pin BUT should be able to remove with just a tug.

Buy a new assembly.......not all that expensive <$12
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2017
Heat from being engaged all night likely damaged the breakaway switch, best peace of mind is to replace the assembly.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2017
Just replace it. They are under $20.
RoyB
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2017
madonetwo wrote:
Now trying to disconnect RV from truck and pin is tightly stuck in the hitch. Service tech put it in at dealership so we never have pulled it and have no idea of how "tightly" it might fit into the device. But it had popped out as we made tight backup turns so seems that it pops our easily.

You should never have to pull the PIN out of the switch box...

Google Image...

When disconnecting the trailer from the truck hitch only the long wire cable should be removed from the the truck frame... The long wire cable PIN should not be pulled oout of the break-away switch box... Doing so will engage your trailer battery and lock up your trailer brakes and run down you battery.

Google image

My wire cable is connected to the holes around the bumper mounted trailer hitch.. I use one of these D-RINGs that goes through one of the holes on the truck side of the trailer hitch where the cross chains go. This makes for easy connection of the steel cable coming from the break-away switch on the trailer. The coiled cable like shown here is great to have as it keeps the pull cable away from dragging on the ground and away from other things that might snag it and pull the the wire out of the break-away switch...

Something like this photo but I have the D-RING going through the hole and connect the break-away long cable to the the D-RING... The idea of course is if the trailer becomes disconnected from the the truck hitch the break-away cable gets pulled which activates the brakes on the trailer using the the trailer 12V battery for battery source...

google image

I am not in favor of hooking up the break-away long cable to the cross chains as shown above - It should be connected through a hole of some sort to the truck side of the trailer hitch... The cross cable shown here could possible get bounced out of the hole for one reason or another....

Roy Ken
Dick_B
Explorer
Jan 29, 2017
I can't remember a time when I removed the pin. Maybe I should have but didn't.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Jan 29, 2017
I would suggest that he buy a spare pin before roughhousing the old one.
bumpy