Trailer Emergency Brake Incident

[homeputter]

I was cruising along at 65mph towing my BX25 on my 18' trailer when I saw a piece of tire retread in the road. It was not very big so I did not attempt to avoid it. As soon as I drove over it, I heard tires squealing and saw lots of blue smoke in my rear view mirror. I pulled over and saw the plug for the emergency trailer brakes had been yanked out. Apparently, the emergency brake cable was hanging low enough that the retread piece in the road was able to catch it and pull it out. Fortunately, the trailer/truck stopped smoothly and no damage was done, but it scared me for a few minutes

I think I will disable the emergency cable as I think it is much more likely to be caught on something in the road then my trailer becoming unattached and needing to be stopped. Has this happened to anyone else? You might want to check how close your emergency cable is hanging to the road.

 

[aczlan]

Dont do it. Find a way to route it so that the cable wont snag. If you get pulled over (or are in an accident) you could get a ticket or your insurance company may refuse to cover you.

Aaron Z

 

[joshuabardwell]

Good tip. Definitely route the cable safely. But don't disable it, especially if you live in a state that requires it. The worst-case scenario is that your trailer comes decoupled and then kills somebody, and if that happens and you've disabled a safety feature, you are going down.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

I think I will disable the emergency cable as I think it is much more likely to be caught on something in the road then my trailer becoming unattached and needing to be stopped. Has this happened to anyone else? You might want to check how close your emergency cable is hanging to the road.

I cannot believe I just read this statement!!! If you cannot figure out lacing the cable through your safety chains will keep this from happening then you need to some reading on safety towing equipment. With this mentality you have no business operating or moving equipment as you are a risk to everyone and should not be on the road.

Read down a few lines about the U-Haul trailer breaking loose.

David Kb7uns

 

[Diamondpilot]

Doing away with the cable is foolish. Its like saying I am not going to wear my seatbelt because I may burn up if I am trapped.

Chances are it will never happen to you again. Just leave the cable.

Chris

 

[cqaigy2]

If you cannot figure out lacing the cable through your safety chains will keep this from happening then you need to some reading on safety towing equipment.
David Kb7uns

Glad you mentioned disabling the emergency cable.

Lacing it through the safety chain seems like it should work.

Maybe doing some searches on the internet will provide more information about towing equipment. I've seen links offered up on TBN that offer information on securing loads and such. Please don't disable the safety equipment on your towing rig, for your sake and others on the road.

 

[radioman]

actually it would be harder for cable to do its job if interlaced in safety chains. I would just simply modify your setup of your breakaway setup. It sounds like cable is simply too long? or do you need a new mount point on the tow vehicle for breakaway cable? or move the breakaway module further back on A frame ? Without pics and not seeing it- its hard to tell if it just a simple one time thing, or improper setup.

I would more likely to chalk it up to a one time thing and just walk away happy it worked the way it should have been.

 

[Soundguy]

I think I will disable the emergency cable as I think it is much more likely to be caught on something in the road then my trailer becoming unattached and needing to be stopped. Has this happened to anyone else? You might want to check how close your emergency cable is hanging to the road.

I can't believe I read this either?

You should be made to sell your trailer and banned from ever owning one again with though process that work like that!?!?!

use yer brain and route the wire so that the various road debris that you don't dodge don't snatch out the breakaway cable...


sheesh....

 

[JJZ 109]

actually it would be harder for cable to do its job if interlaced in safety chains.

I wondered the same thing. If the chain stretched tight but there was still some slack in the cable, wouldn't it defeat the purpose?

 

[s219]

I think I will disable the emergency cable as I think it is much more likely to be caught on something in the road then my trailer becoming unattached and needing to be stopped. Has this happened to anyone else? You might want to check how close your emergency cable is hanging to the road.

As others have said, you really just need to set up the emergency cable so that it's not hanging low. I put a loop in mine, and hang it from the lock-pin that goes through the coupler latch.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I also have used the smallest zip ties to take up the slack in my cable and many others. They are sacrificial and will break if the cable is stretched tight.

Chris

 

[David_Kb7uns]

The guys at the RV place showed me the lacing through the chain trick, it is a break away cable, so the only time it should come into play if the hitch ball and chains become disconnected from tow vehicle. If the chain is still hooked up I would not think you wanted the break away switch firing off. If the chain becomes disconnected then it is more like a wet noodle and then you have the cable pulling freely through the links.

I have never seen a case where the break away switch would activate with ball uncoupled but safety chains attached.

David Kb7uns

 

[homeputter]

Wow, talk about being hit over the head with a 2x4... guess I needed that. I will re-rout and tighten up the emergency cable. I am not convinced threading it through the safety chain is the best solution. If the trailer came off the ball I would want the brakes to be applied.

 

[swick1]

I think you should put it on a vertical stick above the tongue. This will keep it out of harms way. Lacing through the chains seems bad to me because if it hops off the ball it may get under your truck and pick up the rear end as you slow down. I guess either way is better than nothing. I haul my 1026r on a trailer with no brakes but my truck is big enough to handle it.

 

[JJZ 109]

As others have said, you really just need to set up the emergency cable so that it's not hanging low. I put a loop in mine, and hang it from the lock-pin that goes through the coupler latch.

On one of my trailers I just give the cable a turn or two around the vertically mounted jack.

 

[aczlan]

Wow, talk about being hit over the head with a 2x4... guess I needed that. I will re-rout and tighten up the emergency cable. I am not convinced threading it through the safety chain is the best solution. If the trailer came off the ball I would want the brakes to be applied.

Wrap the cable around something on the tow vehicle so that is is a couple of inches shorter than the chains then. That way the brakes will apply before the chain gets tight.

Aaron Z

 

[joshuabardwell]

Wow, talk about being hit over the head with a 2x4... guess I needed that. I will re-rout and tighten up the emergency cable. I am not convinced threading it through the safety chain is the best solution. If the trailer came off the ball I would want the brakes to be applied.

I have heard this sentiment expressed, but I have yet to be able to find a way to route the cable where it does not get pulled out around tight turns, but it would get pulled out if the trailer came off the ball.

 

[RobertN]

The cable for my flatbed trailer is long; I loop it thru the tryck hitch and back to take up some of that length

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Well if the safety chains are still connected, most likely your trailer wiring is still attached also so you have control of your brakes thus the break away switch is for when everything fails and trailer seperates from tow vehicle.

Another big problem I have seen is people placing the trailer brake control out of reach or in a location that you cannot drive and activate the brakes at the same time. In the Dodge Ram I have the controller attached to the dash above my right knee and can move the lever any time while driving.

I have found that sometimes it helps to put on the trailer brakes a little going down hills to keep the wandering and trailer push down and also for panic stops from drivers cutting you off, also there is a need to adjust for different conditions and trailer loads.

David Kb7uns

 

[GolfAddict]

Wow, talk about being hit over the head with a 2x4... guess I needed that.

It was innocent ignorance, and you certainly needed to be educated as to the danger of that. It was nice to see the civilized responses. Now, if you had responded insolently to the civil responses that were trying to help you see the error of doing what you were thinking, then yes, the 2x4 approach would have been called for...