Brake breakaway cable

[09grizzly1]

No,the breakaway cable should not be crossed like the chains,it should be in a straight line(as close as practical)attached to a different point on the tow vehicle,not to the same point as the chains and slightly shorter than the reach of the chains when the chains are stretched out(like if the hitch came off the ball).

09grizzly1

[tntrac]

Originally Posted by caper

The breakaway cable needs to be attached to the TV and not attached to the chains. If by change the trailer was to disconnect from the TV and the chains did not hold and the breakaway cable was attached to the chains then the brakes of the trailer will not engage.

I see owners wrap the breakaway cable at the end of the hook of the chain.

So using a separate hook is the correct way (to hook to the TV)?

[caper]

Yes you should have a separate hook for the breakaway cable.

[Mark and Linda]

I found a point on my tv where I could put a clevis in with a pin and clip. I connect my break away cable that way, if the hitch falls off, cable is not connected to it. It is a separate connection.

[Road-King]

IMO, I think it is ok to hook it to the chain hook. Maybe I'm wrong, but if the TT un-hitches and the chains hold, I would still have breaks because the electric pig tail would still be connected. If the chains break then it would pull the break away cable.

Am I missing something?

[tntrac]

Originally Posted by Road-King

IMO, I think it is ok to hook it to the chain hook. Maybe I'm wrong, but if the TT un-hitches and the chains hold, I would still have breaks because the electric pig tail would still be connected. If the chains break then it would pull the break away cable.

Am I missing something?

I was thinking the same.

The only case I can see is when the tip of the hook breaks, then your breakaway line will not do any good since its part of the loose chains. But most of the times, the hook is stronger and ticker than any part of chains.

[comfun1]

My dealer hooked my break away into the chain.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by Road-King

IMO, I think it is ok to hook it to the chain hook. Maybe I'm wrong, but if the TT un-hitches and the chains hold, I would still have breaks because the electric pig tail would still be connected. If the chains break then it would pull the break away cable.

Am I missing something?

This is debatable and there are different thoughts...
My opinion is this-- IF the trailer comes off the ball and the chains
do hold, I want the breakaway cable to pull out.
The reason is I now have a loose trailer back there that is going to
run into the back of my truck as soon as I hit my brakes- even if the
trailer brakes are still plugged into the 7 pin trailer plug.
Also my brake controller says it can be fried if the emergency brakes
are activated while the controller is plugged in.
This means maybe I won't have brake controller function even if I'm
still plugged in.

I try to have my emergency brake cable shorter than my chains so
it will activate any time the hitch comes off the ball.

[arlee453]

Don't thread the breakaway cable through the chain. Think about what it's for. If there is a catastrophic failure of your hitch and chains, the break-away cable should stay attached to your Tow Vehicle as the trailer starts making it's merry way down the road without you. That pulls the pin out, and engages the brakes on the TT, reducing the distance it will travel AND the number/likelyhood of hitting other cars as it careens out of control. It may also limit the damage to the TT if it breaks loose.

So, it should not be threaded through you chain, but separate from them, in a straight line from the TT to the TV.

It's OK to hook it into the same place the chain hooks on that side, just don't hook it to the chain itself.

We use one of those screw-locking chain links to easily attach it to the place on the hitch where the chain attaches. On our last TT, we would just pull the pin, loop it through the chain receiver and then reconnect the pin.

And, I think lots of people pull it accidentally once in a while. I was coming across a big dip in the road to park my TT last time and it got caught and pulled out. Couldn't figure out for a sec why the trailer was so hard to pull all of a sudden. Thankfully it hit me what had happened before I pulled it more than a foot or two with the brakes locked down, and it was across grass. And, I know now that that emergency pin really does work

[OldCoot]

Also something to think about is if you have a trailer battery shut off that has killed the trailer battery while you tow, unless your breakaway switch is wired directly to the battery, you will NOT have emergency trailer brakes.

[MtnGuy]

I have 2 large cable ties attached around my tongue frame, to "guide" the break-away cable past the WDH hardware. Then it is a straight shot to the receiver hitch.

[tntrac]

Originally Posted by KyDan

This is debatable and there are different thoughts...
My opinion is this-- IF the trailer comes off the ball and the chains
do hold, I want the breakaway cable to pull out.
The reason is I now have a loose trailer back there that is going to
run into the back of my truck as soon as I hit my brakes- even if the
trailer brakes are still plugged into the 7 pin trailer plug.
Also my brake controller says it can be fried if the emergency brakes
are activated while the controller is plugged in.
This means maybe I won't have brake controller function even if I'm
still plugged in.

I try to have my emergency brake cable shorter than my chains so
it will activate any time the hitch comes off the ball.

Very good point. If the trailer is attached via chains, it will be still be very dangerous.

[comfun1]

Originally Posted by dunnnc

Also something to think about is if you have a trailer battery shut off that has killed the trailer battery while you tow, unless your breakaway switch is wired directly to the battery, you will NOT have emergency trailer brakes.

Glad to see you bring this up. A very important point.

[Road-King]

Originally Posted by tntrac

The only case I can see is when the tip of the hook breaks, then your breakaway line will not do any good since its part of the loose chains. But most of the times, the hook is stronger and ticker than any part of chains.

That is my thinking as well. I do hook it to the TV, I just use the same hook as my chains. I don't see how there could be a problem, but hey whatever keep a person in their comfort zone.

I do agree that weaving it through the chain is probably not a good idea. The added friction in the cable could cause the cable to break before pulling the pin out of the breakaway controller.

[tntrac]

Originally Posted by Road-King

That is my thinking as well. I do hook it to the TV, I just use the same hook as my chains. I don't see how there could be a problem, but hey whatever keep a person in their comfort zone.

I do agree that weaving it through the chain is probably not a good idea. The added friction in the cable could cause the cable to break before pulling the pin out of the breakaway controller.

So the breakaway line goes with the same direction of the chain (assuming you are crossing the chain) or it meet the other hook from the opposite side (going straight out)?

[Road-King]

Originally Posted by tntrac

So the breakaway line goes with the same direction of the chain (assuming you are crossing the chain) or it meet the other hook from the opposite side (going straight out)?

I really don't think it matters which hook I would hook it to. I like using the chain hook so when I unchain the TT, I unhook the breakaway cable as well.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Road-King

I really don't think it matters which hook I would hook it to. I like using the chain hook so when I unchain the TT, I unhook the breakaway cable as well.

I attach mine to the hook on the same side as the break-away switch. Less chance of getting tangled up with something else.

[tntrac]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

I attach mine to the hook on the same side as the break-away switch. Less chance of getting tangled up with something else.

Got it.

[caper]

My dealer recommended that the cable be attached directly to the TV frame and not attached to the chains. The chain will break at the weakest point. If for some reason the hook was damage or not a strong as the chain you would not have breaks on the trailer if you did disconnect from the ball. It is used as a second form of defense. Each his own but i will still attach mine to the TV frame. My cable is shorter then the safety chains. The safety chains do not touch the ground.

[Terier]

I'm a visual person and could use some photos.

And as Turbs would say -