How long should the break-away brake cable be?

[Sinnettc]

The break away cable on my boat trailer, with an attwood surge brake coupler, is maybe 3 feet long and doesn't have a lot of slack when it's connected to one of the safety chain holes in the hitch. It's short enough that I suspect it would trigger the brakes if the hitch comes off the ball.

The one on my Trail Cruiser TT is much longer and nearly drags on the ground when it's hooked the same way but it's too short to go around the bumper or anything else. Are the brakes supposed to come on if your tongue drops onto the safety chains or is it only supposed to trigger the brakes if the entire thing comes loose? If the former, how do I figure out how long it needs to be to trip the brakes?

Thanks.

[dannytas]

wmoses wrote:

WE3ZS wrote:
To add to the good advice already given, I was always tought to connect the break away cable to the TVs frame, not the hitch in case of a hitch failure.

That is what I learned also.

We all must have the same teacher!! :C

[mowin]

dodge guy wrote:

mowin wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
There has been much good discussion on that topic here on the forums in the past. Click here to see some of the posts by member JBarca, who has done extensive research into this area and has posted many times about it.
Barney

AND

Ron Gratz wrote:
Adding to what John Barca has posted --

The instructions from brakeaway switch manufacturer, Warner Electric, state on page 4:

"

Position the breakaway switch on the trailer frame with the pin pointing toward the towing vehicle.
Allow sufficient lanyard length to attach the lanyard to the towing vehicle.
The lanyard should be long enough to allow for turning corners,
yet short enough to disengage the pin from the switch before the safety chains on the hitch become taut in a trailer disconnect situation.

" (bold added for emphasis)

Ron

These are IMO also are THE CORRECT ANSWERS:B

Larry

X3. It is NOT intended to activate on a complete brake away from the tv. It should activate before safety chains are taut.

Why?

Because thats how there supposed to work...Think about it, its not rocket science, if trailer becomes disconnected from tv, emergency brakes should come on asap, not IF theres a total disconnect. Feel free to use 'em whatever way you want...

[dodge_guy]

mowin wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
There has been much good discussion on that topic here on the forums in the past. Click here to see some of the posts by member JBarca, who has done extensive research into this area and has posted many times about it.
Barney

AND

Ron Gratz wrote:
Adding to what John Barca has posted --

The instructions from brakeaway switch manufacturer, Warner Electric, state on page 4:

"

Position the breakaway switch on the trailer frame with the pin pointing toward the towing vehicle.
Allow sufficient lanyard length to attach the lanyard to the towing vehicle.
The lanyard should be long enough to allow for turning corners,
yet short enough to disengage the pin from the switch before the safety chains on the hitch become taut in a trailer disconnect situation.

" (bold added for emphasis)

Ron

These are IMO also are THE CORRECT ANSWERS:B

Larry

X3. It is NOT intended to activate on a complete brake away from the tv. It should activate before safety chains are taut.

Why?

[Highway_4x4]

Has anyone here ever used the breakaway safety device? How was it set and what was the result? I have never used mine and don't know of anyone that has. I have seen piles of what was a TT by the side of the road.

[mowin]

LarryJM wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
There has been much good discussion on that topic here on the forums in the past. Click here to see some of the posts by member JBarca, who has done extensive research into this area and has posted many times about it.
Barney

AND

Ron Gratz wrote:
Adding to what John Barca has posted --

The instructions from brakeaway switch manufacturer, Warner Electric, state on page 4:

"

Position the breakaway switch on the trailer frame with the pin pointing toward the towing vehicle.
Allow sufficient lanyard length to attach the lanyard to the towing vehicle.
The lanyard should be long enough to allow for turning corners,
yet short enough to disengage the pin from the switch before the safety chains on the hitch become taut in a trailer disconnect situation.

" (bold added for emphasis)

Ron

These are IMO also are THE CORRECT ANSWERS:B

Larry

X3. It is NOT intended to activate on a complete brake away from the tv. It should activate before safety chains are taut.

[GaryWT]

I actually coil the cord one or two loops so it does not drag on the ground and to keep it from the chains or anything that can pinch it or break it.

[LarryJM]

BarneyS wrote:
There has been much good discussion on that topic here on the forums in the past. Click here to see some of the posts by member JBarca, who has done extensive research into this area and has posted many times about it.
Barney

AND

Ron Gratz wrote:
Adding to what John Barca has posted --

The instructions from brakeaway switch manufacturer, Warner Electric, state on page 4:

"

Position the breakaway switch on the trailer frame with the pin pointing toward the towing vehicle.
Allow sufficient lanyard length to attach the lanyard to the towing vehicle.
The lanyard should be long enough to allow for turning corners,
yet short enough to disengage the pin from the switch before the safety chains on the hitch become taut in a trailer disconnect situation.

" (bold added for emphasis)

Ron

These are IMO also are THE CORRECT ANSWERS:B

Larry

[Ron_Gratz]

Adding to what John Barca has posted --

The instructions from brakeaway switch manufacturer, Warner Electric, state on page 4:

"

Position the breakaway switch on the trailer frame with the pin pointing toward the towing vehicle.
Allow sufficient lanyard length to attach the lanyard to the towing vehicle.
The lanyard should be long enough to allow for turning corners,
yet short enough to disengage the pin from the switch before the safety chains on the hitch become taut in a trailer disconnect situation.

" (bold added for emphasis)

Ron

[BarneyS]

There has been much good discussion on that topic here on the forums in the past. Click here to see some of the posts by member JBarca, who has done extensive research into this area and has posted many times about it.
Barney

[wmoses]

WE3ZS wrote:
To add to the good advice already given, I was always tought to connect the break away cable to the TVs frame, not the hitch in case of a hitch failure.

That is what I learned also.

[WE3ZS]

To add to the good advice already given, I was always tought to connect the break away cable to the TVs frame, not the hitch in case of a hitch failure.

[dodge_guy]

Yep exactly. You want the breakaway to actuate in the event of a complete seperation.

[Sinnettc]

Thanks guys, that makes sense. Especially since the 7-pin cable on the TT is quite a bit longer than the one on the boat trailer.

[Old-Biscuit]

If trailer jumps the ball and is caught by safety chains pigtail is probably still plugged in so truck brake controller will still activate the trailer brakes.

The emergency brake cable is to activate trailer brakes on trailers that have become disconnected from tow vehicle.
Cable should be slightly longer than pigtail so that it is pulled out of switch engaging trailer brakes when pigtail is pulled out of truck plug.