myredracer wrote:
.....I haven't adjusted ours and have rarely looked at it in years and wouldn't know where the SOL button is even if I had seconds to find it.....
Not exactly what I would call being prepared...you should test the manual level on your controller EVERY time you connect the trailer, just in case you have to use it in an emergency as described.
Most folks don't realize that the majority of TTs are built with old style manual drum brakes. Manual meaning that they are not self-adjusting and need to be manually adjusted periodically. The adjustment entails crawling under the trailer with a screwdriver or brake tool and ratcheting the starwheel through the slot in the backing plate on each wheel. I recently upgraded my TT brakes to self-adjusting so one less thing to worry about.
Also the mess of ground wires that come together on the tongue...one of those is for the brakes. If you get rust, corrosion, etc at that ground wire, it severely limits the amount of power that the controller can deliver to the brakes.
Many folks like myredracer that have a well-balanced setup and an HD truck don't notice the gradual diminishing effectiveness of the TT brakes from the reasons noted above because the rigs drives and stops fine. Until one day you pull the manual lever and feel....nothing.
You may not get sway starting on its own due to poor loading and balance, but a tire blowout, bearing seizure, etc, could cause the TT to start swaying in an instant.
So it's important to not only know where your manual lever is and how to use it in a split-second, but also to test it EVERY time you hook up the TT. On the few blocks from my house to the highway, I will pull the manual lever on the controller a few times to a) make sure I can feel the TT brakes engaging and b) clean the rust off the drum surfaces so brakes stop better. Just remember that your brake lights do NOT come on when you pull the manual lever, so be careful about doing this if vehicles are following behind.
Final comment on the OP's question, sometimes accelerating can help, but you can't depend on it. If you're in traffic with vehicles ahead of you sometimes you don't have room to accelerate.
The best and first thing you should do in that split second is to reach for the manual lever on the controller. Note, don't give a yank because if you lock up the TT brakes the TT will slide and all control will be gone. Use the lever gently to engage the brakes and then gradually increase brake power to slow the TT until the sway stops.
