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

They are good. Four wheel disc brakes.

Jack,I am glad that you caught it before you really needed it to help stop you.At my age since I am forgetting to do things, I always do a walk around checking everything two times. This helps me since I sometimes forget something. JMO

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.

I always peek at the brake controller for a connection, and the clearance lights on the trailer, as I drive away.

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 :)

Good TV truck brakes | Good Sam Community

canoe_on_top
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
Safety FIRST, full trailer exterior light check then running brake test,every hook up, no chance to miss a connection issue.

WDP
Tyler0215
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 23, 2014
Great experience, as you will probably never do it again.

Don't ask me how I know.
rbpru
Explorer II
Mar 23, 2014
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
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
“ 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
Explorer II
Mar 22, 2014
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.

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