Good TV truck brakes

[NanciL]

I have been pulling travel trailers for almost twenty years now, and yesterday for the first time forgot to plug in the cable from the truck to the trailer.
Fortunately when we are at a camp site, I always keep it wrapped around my tongue jack and handle, so it didn't suffer any damage.
The trailer is a 25 footer. 5000 pound one.
I never even noticed that I was unplugged until about fifteen miles away, after stopping at red lights and various interchanges.
While driving it all of a sudden dawned on me that I couldn't recall plugging so pulled over in a safe spot.
The truck is a new 2014 Dodge Ram so I guess it has good brakes, (or used to have good ones)

Jack L

[canoe_on_top]

I am always amazed when people say things like, "I don't hook up my brakes but we don't travel far." Acknowledging that caveman Charlie does have his hooked up, do these people think that they might never have an emergency braking situation close to home? Are there intersections in their neighborhood? Do they ever get up to highway speeds in 50 miles from home? Kind of like saying I don't need to fasten my seatbelt because I'm only going to the grocery store.

[tragusa3]

There are too many bells and whistles to miss it in my truck. I do the hookup, my wife checks my work while I run through the checklist on the truck computer.

[nomad297]

WDP wrote:
Safety FIRST, full trailer exterior light check then running brake test,every hook up, no chance to miss a connection issue.

WDP

My wife and I do this every time we hookup, just before we leave.

Bruce

[nomad297]

This is one of the reasons I like my Prodigy P3. The screen on the front flashes with a red warning saying "No Trailer Connection!" I haven't yet forgotten to connect the plug to the truck, but if I did or if it came apart while I was driving or if there was some other type of continuity problem, I would know right away because I can always see my P3 within my peripheral vision.

Bruce

[WDP]

Safety FIRST, full trailer exterior light check then running brake test,every hook up, no chance to miss a connection issue.

WDP

[Tyler0215]

I too missed the plug in once, but tore the cord in the campground while driving out of the lot.
Solved the problem for good by wiring a small marker light into the turn signal circuit and mounting them on the front of the 5th wheel in sight of the rear view mirrors. Every time I use the turn signal or brake the lights come on. I know I'm plugged in all the time with a quick look in the mirrors.

[jimw606]

Great experience, as you will probably never do it again.

Don't ask me how I know.

[rbpru]

I forgot to lock down the ball on my pop-up.

Thank God for luck and safety chains. I brought it to a halt in less time than it takes to tell the story.

It makes one check, double check, and then check again.

[JJBIRISH]

“ The trailer is a 25 footer. 5000 pound one.
I never even noticed that I was unplugged until about fifteen miles away, after stopping at red lights and various interchanges. “

JMHO here...

This would suggest to me the trailer brakes are not working correctly… it wouldn’t be possible, to not be able to notice the difference of the additional 5000 pound trailer under normal highway braking conditions, with any TV, unless all stops in the 15 miles were really low speed stops…

[Caveman_Charlie]

Many of my friends don't even have the breaks hooked up on there trailers. But, we have smaller trailers and don't go far from home. Mine are hooked up but, I will admit they don't work as good as I would like them too.

[spike99]

rbpru wrote:
My wife likes to double check my work, she knows me all too well. That is why I like the little green light on the brake controler.

This works for me as well. And, if something is missed, it's HER FAULT (not me). LOL!!!

[_tiredTeacher]

ChooChooMan74 wrote:

4) Didn't do a running brake test using the manual trailer brake.

I do this every time and clear the are at the console where the contoller is located. DW didn't want to give up her cup holder 'til I explained why I needed to be able to reach the doohickey.

Teach

[ChooChooMan74]

I see many failures here that scare me.

1) Didn't double check the hitch work
2) Didn't do a light check
3) Didn't check the brake controller connection status
4) Didn't do a running brake test using the manual trailer brake.

Four opportunities to have caught. this potentially deadly situation.

[love2tow]

rbpru wrote:
My wife likes to double check my work, she knows me all too well.

That is why I like the little green light on the brake controler.

My wife likes to double check most things I do as well. What we found to be very helpful is the "Check it again" checklist app on the iphone. I put in all the steps for arriving and departing and check it off each task as I complete them. Then, my wife goes through with the same checklist and checks it again. Since we started doing this, we have done pretty well. Almost lost the tv antennae on our first trip with our first TT 🙂