Breakaway cable

[Crockett]

pretty much agree with geotex. thats the way I learned it in the 70's. had a truck and trailer come in with WD one time. one rear bolt missing and 2 very loose on the receiver. hanging by one bolt really... I just happen to see the coupler area floating as he entered the shop for a totally different reason. breakaway goes on something other than the receiver or hitch. you short cable guys...are you rigging where, if the coupler comes off and the trailer just rides forward instead of moving backwards first, your cable still pulls?

[indybp57]

Hopefully I'm not hijacking this thread, but on the subject of chains, my old campers had individual chains attached on opposite sides of the tongue so it was easy to cross them to form the cradle. Nowadays they are attached to a common point under the center of the tongue which makes it impossible to do. I usually twist them together a couple times before hooking to the hitch. Was wondering if anyone else had a creative way of doing it?

[fx2]

Originally Posted by indybp57

Hopefully I'm not hijacking this thread, but on the subject of chains, my old campers had individual chains attached on opposite sides of the tongue so it was easy to cross them to form the cradle. Nowadays they are attached to a common point under the center of the tongue which makes it impossible to do. I usually twist them together a couple times before hooking to the hitch. Was wondering if anyone else had a creative way of doing it?

Mine have one connection point on the TT bit the length is perfect for crossing.


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[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Lefty59

...I considered adding a bed saver device but upon checking with B&W I learned that any holes drilled in the companion hitch will void the lifetime hitch warranty.

Let's see here, cost of tailgate and damage to truck vs the slight possibility of needing a hitch part for free.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Very doubtful if not impossible for the magnets to "LOCK" the brakes.

Can't lock the brakes!? What max voltage do you run on your controller? Not sure about all controllers, but the Tekonsha models call for setting the max voltage by determining when the brakes lock. I do this at least once per year, and whenever I adjust the brakes. You increase the max-voltage until a full-manual apply squeals the tires. Then you back off a bit, so that a full pedal apply will almost lock the brakes (but not quiet). That's how you get maximum brake effectiveness with a proportional controller. There are a few that are not able to lock the brakes with extremely large trailers, and they just run at 12-13volts. But most of us can lock the brakes with 9volts or less.

I want the trailer to stay connected to the truck and not go off possibly hurting some innocent vehicle that had nothing to do with it. I would be the one causing the problem and will suffer the consequences and not some other person(s

Me, too! That's what the chains are for. If you are afraid that the chains would fail with the pin still in place, why would you think the chains would survive if you yank backwards on them violently with 12-13 volts of braking force? Make no mistake. All 4 wheels with 12-13 volts will pull back VERY hard, while the truck's engine is still pulling forward.

Besides, when the trailer is totally disconnected, it is just an unguided hazard that is no doubt going to crash into something or somebody causing a much bigger pileup.

No it is not going to crash into something! It is going to come to a stop very quickly, and something else is going to crash into the trailer. That is why you want to keep it connected to the TV, and guide it as gently as possible to the shoulder.

Applying full voltage at best will cause a panic situation on the expressway. At worst, something will fail from the forces involved, and the trailer will be a problem for everybody behind you.

As was shown, all regulations appear to agree with this line of thinking. For sure, if the coupler comes off the ball, it's a bad situation, regardless of how the chains are set up. But I believe leaving the pin intact creates the best chance avoiding tragedy. That pin getting pulled should be the absolute last connection to go, because it means that every other precaution has already failed.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

...No it is not going to crash into something! It is going to come to a stop very quickly, and something else is going to crash into the trailer. That is why you want to keep it connected to the TV, and guide it as gently as possible to the shoulder...

And you know this for sure? It is all a moot point on a TT as far as I'm concerned as I now have a 5er with a copy of Butch's hitch saver and the breakaway cord is short enough to be pulled if the pin releases. YES, I know it will cause a violent jerk when the trailer brakes are engaged, but I still want that trailer stopped while hooked to my truck. No one can say what the trailer will do for certain once it leaves the tow vehicle. It could pull to the left into oncoming traffic or right into another lane or hit something and flip. Too many variables with no control whatsoever. But, to each his own.

[Happy Vibe]

old coot why will the trailer come loose from the vehicle if the breakaway cable is to long. Your whole argument says the trailer will come completely loose from the TV if you don't have the brakes applied by the cable but it will stay attached if the brakes are applies at full power.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Happy Vibe

old coot why will the trailer come loose from the vehicle if the breakaway cable is to long. Your whole argument says the trailer will come completely loose from the TV if you don't have the brakes applied by the cable but it will stay attached if the brakes are applies at full power.

If the chains should happen to break or if they are not crossed under the tongue and the tongue hits a crack in the highway, all H will break loose. If the chains break, there is absolutely no control over the trailer. I don't tow tongue trailers anymore, so you guys can hook them anyway you want. I just offered up the way I did it for 40+ yrs. Now with a 5er, it's a whole different ballgame.

Also, most folks have the chains too long anyway, I kept mine just short enough to allow turning so there wouldn't be a violent jerk possibly breaking the chains or the chain connection on the trailer as most are fastened with a single or maybe a double gr 2 or gr 5 3/8 bolt.

[thebrakeman]

So you're argument is hinged on "if the chains should happen to break". And that's my point. If you apply the brakes at full power before the chains break, you greatly increase the chances of the chains breaking. But if you don't apply the brakes at full power, what would break the chains? Nothing. They would hold the trailer, while you do your best to make a controlled stop. Then, like you said, "if the chains should happen to break", THEN, the brakes would be applied automatically, to stop the trailer after complete breakaway.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

So you're argument is hinged on "if the chains should happen to break". And that's my point. If you apply the brakes at full power before the chains break, you greatly increase the chances of the chains breaking. But if you don't apply the brakes at full power, what would break the chains? Nothing. They would hold the trailer, while you do your best to make a controlled stop. Then, like you said, "if the chains should happen to break", THEN, the brakes would be applied automatically, to stop the trailer after complete breakaway.

I've stated my case with shorter 18,000# chains I would have been able to somewhat control the trailer and keep it from colliding with an innocent victim. You hook up any way you want, I have a 5er which is tethered short enough to hopefully with the hitch saver keep it in the bed of the truck and still have the brakes applied.

Have fun camping this summer.

[thebrakeman]

I just looked up the bed-saver device the other day. Pretty good, simple idea.
Just like any breakaway component...hopefully never used!

[Lefty59]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Let's see here, cost of tailgate and damage to truck vs the slight possibility of needing a hitch part for free.

If it were only the hitch parts to be concerned with...but modifying their hitch in any manner is likely an easy out for them on any liability claims should the hitch suffer a catastrophic failure at some future date.

Another consideration was that I'm not convinced the bed savers would hold up to a king pin release at any time other than as you begin to pull away from a stop. The stresses put on the hitch and king pin by the bed saver during a higher speed king pin release (and the outcome of such a release) are anybody's best guess.

As for any truck or trailer damage...I guess that's why I have insurance.

[prairiecamper]

It's been a long long time since we pulled a ball hitch trailer, and we could debate for ever on the correct installation way for the breakaway cable! What I can offer is this, one day along time ago, when I was a newbie to Rving as I was hitching up a 22 ft trailer to my GMC 2500 w 350 cid I forgot to attach the break away cable altogether! We left our home and drove for approx. 50 miles with the loop end of the cable dangling on the ground, then all of a sudden the loop end must have snagged something on the pavement and yanked out instantly. Now many years have passed but what is still very clear in my mind is how suddenly we came to a dead stop!! I thought the engine blew up, as we sat there dazed in the right lane of the road. I put the tranny in park. The engine still running I accelerated it and it responded ok so far so good, put in drive doesn't want to move, now I think tranny is blown? Finally get out of the truck to do some checking and notice two very long black streaks on the pavement behind the trailer, and now it finally occurs to me that brakes locked!! Check for the cable at the hitch point not there! Now I have to cut the wires to the safety switch to release the brakes and drive to the nearest town to get repairs! Moral of the story, electric brakes work very well, thank you!

[thebrakeman]