Does any not pull their emergency trailer brake cable?

[Guy_Roan]

I am now on my second trailer, and never have pulled it.

I have always had a fear that the brakes would lock up.

Any one else feel the same !

Guy

[mjbenedict]

timmac wrote:

wanderingbob wrote:
On my trip to Maine last summer we spent the nite in a Wal-Mart lot in New Hampshire . Had words with a drug peddler . No big deal !!! Next morn about seven miles into the ride all heck broke lose ! Trailer brakes locked , trailer stopped in the middle of the road . Chains stopped me . Lucky that we were going slowly up a hill ,in a small town , no traffic , no damage . Chocked the trailer un-hitched all the wires and chains and put her back together again . My hitch pin was missing , !

I always use a locking hitch pin because of Aholes in this world..

:R

I use a locking pin as well but still check everything every time I jump into the truck to tow. I check at gas station when filling as well. I can't imagine driving down the road questioning whether or not everything is hooked up right.

[mjbenedict]

wanderingbob wrote:
At speed when the trailer brakes lock it will still take a while for the whole rig to stop and the truck can steer VIA the chains . I have lost four trailers and never had any damage or injury to the equipment , except smokin tires . Also when pulling the brake pin while stopped nothing happens except that the magnets are turned on , it take movement to bring the brakes up !

Just curious, How do you lose 4 trailers? Do you tow commercially?

[beemerphile1]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I never pull mine. I'm afraid it will not go back in. First, that would ruin my weekend and second, I have 2 batteries that are hard to access. It would take me 10-15 minutes to get the batteries unhooked. No inspection in my area.

[timmac]

wanderingbob wrote:
On my trip to Maine last summer we spent the nite in a Wal-Mart lot in New Hampshire . Had words with a drug peddler . No big deal !!! Next morn about seven miles into the ride all heck broke lose ! Trailer brakes locked , trailer stopped in the middle of the road . Chains stopped me . Lucky that we were going slowly up a hill ,in a small town , no traffic , no damage . Chocked the trailer un-hitched all the wires and chains and put her back together again . My hitch pin was missing , !

I always use a locking hitch pin because of Aholes in this world..

:R

[Lynnmor]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I never pull mine. I'm afraid it will not go back in. First, that would ruin my weekend and second, I have 2 batteries that are hard to access. It would take me 10-15 minutes to get the batteries unhooked. No inspection in my area.

That's why I hooked mine on the other side of my battery disconnect switch. I know it should be on the battery side, but if there is a switch or wiring fault it can be turned off. There are no fuses in this system so it is a fire hazard disguised as a safety system.

[Gdetrailer]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I never pull mine. I'm afraid it will not go back in. First, that would ruin my weekend and second, I have 2 batteries that are hard to access. It would take me 10-15 minutes to get the batteries unhooked. No inspection in my area.

Honest to goodness folks.. these things ARE NOT LIKE A FIRE "EXTINGUISHER" (IE pull pin for "one time use").

They ARE designed as a REUSABLE device.

The pin IS designed to be able to be put back in to turn off the brakes..

It is nothing more than a weather resistant switch box and the pin clips into the pox to hold two contacts apart.

Here a few photos..

Plunger out



Contact view



Plunger partway out



On this model the pin is "keyed" to go in only TWO ways so if it doesn't "fit" you simply ROTATE the pin 90 degrees and it WILL fit..

It will have considerable resistance but it WILL "snap" back in.

Just make sure the pin is FULLY installed, if you can see the o ring it is not fully installed.

[CavemanCharlie]

I never pull mine. I'm afraid it will not go back in. First, that would ruin my weekend and second, I have 2 batteries that are hard to access. It would take me 10-15 minutes to get the batteries unhooked. No inspection in my area.

[GaryWT]

Gdetrailer wrote:

GaryWT wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

GaryWT wrote:
Have never done it and have never thought of doing it.

Hopefully this thread has made you aware of why it should be tested.

I know my brakes work so pulling the e brake cable will not prove anything as far as I can see.

Your brakes might work.. BUT, the switch may not.

That switch is exposed to a lot of moisture year round and even thought the plunger has a "O" ring to seal the switch temperature changes can DRAW the moisture INTO the switch..

Eventually the switch contacts corrode and when the pin is pulled the corrosion will insulate the contacts or the contacts may not even exist any more.. The result is no break away brakes.

How do I know?

Simple, my first trailer I bought was 20 yrs old.. Never thinking about the break away system I did not check it before taking the trailer for inspection..

The inspection station failed the trailer for a FAULTY break away switch..

I had to buy a new switch, install it then return the trailer to the inspection station and DEMONSTRATE that the break away system now was fixed.

The outside of the switch looked perfectly fine but the inside contacts were gone..

I learned an important lesson that day without causing harm.

Test it and test it regularly..

It is sort of like a smoke detector.. How do you know it is working or will function correctly without testing it now and then?

A number of you had a response to this but will respond under one. In all my years of RVing and being on these many sites, I have never seen this topic discussed. I understand what it is all about but frankly new thought about it or knew anyone did it. Kind of am always careful around the cable as I have the thought that if it was pulled, it might not go back in and thus would not be able to camp. We do not have inspections so it is not an issue. Kind of looked at it like the ebrake in the truck or car, never use it so... This spring I will need to take a look at it and check it out.

[Gdetrailer]

cbshoestring wrote:

NanciL wrote:
Brings up the question to me:

What if you are traveling with no trailer battery ?

And second question: what if you disconnect the battery and then pull it? just to make sure it will pull out easily

Jack L

In my state (and others as well) travelling without a charged/functionable battery would be a violation of the law. So, travelling with no trailer battery would not be something a law abiding citizen would wilfully do. A functional brake-a-way includes a means to activate. Since it is activated by battery power, the battery must be installed, charged, etc...

Discounnecting the battery and pulling the pin will tell you very little. Sure, you would know the pin can be pulled, but it would not tell you that the switch is working. Nor would it tell you if the wiring is intact. The battery must be charged/connected when the pin is pulled to ensure that a signal is sent to the brakes, and the brakes engage.

X2!

This HAS been endlessly argued on this forum with folks who feel they are above the law AND nothing will happen to them and not bother to have a battery on board, charged AND connected.

I completely fail to see the reasoning or justification as to why anyone would own AND TOW a travel trailer and NEVER have a battery connected when towing.

Just does not make any sense since you NEED a battery to supply power to the fridge, inside lights, furnace (when stopped or overnighting) AND to supply power to the BREAKAWAY system when towing.

[cbshoestring]

NanciL wrote:
Brings up the question to me:

What if you are traveling with no trailer battery ?

And second question: what if you disconnect the battery and then pull it? just to make sure it will pull out easily

Jack L

In my state (and others as well) travelling without a charged/functionable battery would be a violation of the law. So, travelling with no trailer battery would not be something a law abiding citizen would wilfully do. A functional brake-a-way includes a means to activate. Since it is activated by battery power, the battery must be installed, charged, etc...

Discounnecting the battery and pulling the pin will tell you very little. Sure, you would know the pin can be pulled, but it would not tell you that the switch is working. Nor would it tell you if the wiring is intact. The battery must be charged/connected when the pin is pulled to ensure that a signal is sent to the brakes, and the brakes engage.

[Old-Biscuit]

GaryWT wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

GaryWT wrote:
Have never done it and have never thought of doing it.

Hopefully this thread has made you aware of why it should be tested.

I know my brakes work so pulling the e brake cable will not prove anything as far as I can see.

It will PROVE that the Emergency Brake System works.

When connected to tow vehicle trailer brakes are actuated via tow vehicle brake controller which modulates the voltage sent to activate the trailer brakes.

IF trailer should become disconnected the Emergency Brake System engages the trailer brakes using the trailer battery and applies FULL battery voltage provided the switch works and trailer battery is properly charged (Fed Law requires it to supply full voltage to brakes for at least 15 minutes)

So YES pulling the pin will prove something......that your trailer emergency brake system is fully functioning.

[Gdetrailer]

GaryWT wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

GaryWT wrote:
Have never done it and have never thought of doing it.

Hopefully this thread has made you aware of why it should be tested.

I know my brakes work so pulling the e brake cable will not prove anything as far as I can see.

Your brakes might work.. BUT, the switch may not.

That switch is exposed to a lot of moisture year round and even thought the plunger has a "O" ring to seal the switch temperature changes can DRAW the moisture INTO the switch..

Eventually the switch contacts corrode and when the pin is pulled the corrosion will insulate the contacts or the contacts may not even exist any more.. The result is no break away brakes.

How do I know?

Simple, my first trailer I bought was 20 yrs old.. Never thinking about the break away system I did not check it before taking the trailer for inspection..

The inspection station failed the trailer for a FAULTY break away switch..

I had to buy a new switch, install it then return the trailer to the inspection station and DEMONSTRATE that the break away system now was fixed.

The outside of the switch looked perfectly fine but the inside contacts were gone..

I learned an important lesson that day without causing harm.

Test it and test it regularly..

It is sort of like a smoke detector.. How do you know it is working or will function correctly without testing it now and then?

[beemerphile1]

GaryWT wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

GaryWT wrote:
Have never done it and have never thought of doing it.

Hopefully this thread has made you aware of why it should be tested.

I know my brakes work so pulling the e brake cable will not prove anything as far as I can see.

How else do you know if the switch and its wiring is good? Maybe the wires are cut or the switch is welded solid with rust?

[GaryWT]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

GaryWT wrote:
Have never done it and have never thought of doing it.

Hopefully this thread has made you aware of why it should be tested.

I know my brakes work so pulling the e brake cable will not prove anything as far as I can see.

[Gdetrailer]

TheWB wrote:
I never have. But I pay the state to test it once a year.

No, you are paying the "state" a TAX which is called an "inspection".

It IS up to YOU to ENSURE ALL of your "load" is 100% PROPERLY "secured" at ALL TIMES.

It IS up to YOU to check ALL lights, Pins, Hitch parts, Tires, BRAKES AND BREAK AWAY EVERYTIME you are going to take your trailer out on PUBLIC ROADS.

It IS ULTIMATELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY as a licensed driver to check these things and make sure they are in 100% working order..

It IS NOT the inspection stations responsibility once a year to tell you something is wrong.

I ALWAYS 100% of each time I am taking a trailer out on the road to do a walk around check of the lights, spot check the tire conditions, double check my hitch and pins PLUS verify the breakaway WORKS.

SAFETY IS A #1 PRIORITY.

SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND NO ONE ELSE'S..