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Old 04-05-2011, 07:50 PM   #1
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Break away brake cable

How much slack do you have in your break away brake locking cable ?
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Old 04-05-2011, 07:57 PM   #2
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Enough to not pull the switch while turning extreme left and right. Make sure it doesn't rub on the ground.
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Old 04-05-2011, 08:31 PM   #3
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My cable is pretty long and I have to manipulate it around things so that it does not drag on the pavement or be too tight. Come to think of it, my umbilical cord is also too long.
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Old 04-05-2011, 09:29 PM   #4
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I was at the AS dealer today and they were just setting up a display that had a neat little coiled breakaway switch cables (like a phone cord) that you replace the original with. Had two sizes. Don't remember the company name but it looked like a good idea . Maybe someone else has seen these.
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Old 04-05-2011, 09:37 PM   #5
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I'd rather have the "straight" version and connect it to something remote to any of the hitch stuff. ie., I connect a very long break-away tether to the spare tire wheel under the TV. If ANYTHING breaks on the hitch-up, I'm good with a brake apply.

A coiled tether gives no clear indication of break away point.
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Old 04-05-2011, 10:04 PM   #6
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Yes, it really does need to be enough for tight turns. As we found out.

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Old 04-05-2011, 10:07 PM   #7
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Yes, it really does need to be enough for tight turns. As we found out.

Lynn
Hmmmm. I see no tether..just a shovel and butts....sup wit dat?
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Old 04-05-2011, 10:44 PM   #8
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The brake away brake should be installed by the ball coupler close to center line of the hitch. It should be shorter than you have slack in your safety chains. You want the brakes to set on the trailer if you have a trailer tongue uncouple and falling into the cradle of the safety chains. With the cable slightly off to the drivers side of center of the ball you need very little slack to turn either direction. I wrap mine around the 2" solid stock bar behind on the TV side of the Ball until I have taken up slack and clip it back to itself.

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Old 04-05-2011, 10:52 PM   #9
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I do similar to Wes except my receiver shank has a carrying handle bolted on to it. I loosely wrap the cable around that hande once to remove the excess slack.
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Old 04-06-2011, 05:23 AM   #10
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Here you go. Just bought one and it solves the problem of proper length.

Fastway Trailer Products - Fastway Zip Breakaway Cable & Switch
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Old 04-06-2011, 07:06 AM   #11
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The brake away brake should be installed by the ball coupler close to center line of the hitch. It should be shorter than you have slack in your safety chains. You want the brakes to set on the trailer if you have a trailer tongue uncouple and falling into the cradle of the safety chains. With the cable slightly off to the drivers side of center of the ball you need very little slack to turn either direction. I wrap mine around the 2" solid stock bar behind on the TV side of the Ball until I have taken up slack and clip it back to itself.

Wes
And if your reciever comes loose from the TV? I still say the tether should be attached to something other than the receiver. Yes, close to the center line, and of a length to apply if the coupler falls to the chain "cradle". Although, I don't think it is critical to apply the brakes unless there is a complete separation. I believe you can safely stop the combo if the coupler is in the chain cradle. A brake apply might save some tongue/bumper damage, but the trailer is not going anywhere if you have the chains set up properly.
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Old 04-06-2011, 07:20 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dznf0g
I'd rather have the "straight" version and connect it to something remote to any of the hitch stuff. ie., I connect a very long break-away tether to the spare tire wheel under the TV. If ANYTHING breaks on the hitch-up, I'm good with a brake apply.

A coiled tether gives no clear indication of break away point.
I would think connecting to the TV spare tire could be dangerous. What if it comes loose? I know there are always the "what if" but it seems like something more stable like a bumper or frame bolt or mount might be better.
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Old 04-06-2011, 07:27 AM   #13
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I would think connecting to the TV spare tire could be dangerous. What if it comes loose? I know there are always the "what if" but it seems like something more stable like a bumper or frame bolt or mount might be better.
Yeah, I know. Problem is so many modern TVs have nice slick fascias over the bumpers and no place to hook anything to. Sometimes I find someplace on the back of the bumper reinforcement, etc. I use many different tow vehicles. However, if a spare tire hanger, made for heavy truck tires, isn't strong enough to pull the pin, I think I got bigger problems than an emergency brake apply.
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Old 04-06-2011, 07:38 AM   #14
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breakaway cable length

We have friends whose receiver separated entirely from truck -- how's that going to work if the breakaway switch cable is attached to the receiver? Not good. And if the trailer decouples from the ball hitch but remains attached to the tow vehicle via the chains, why "pull the plug" and apply full breaking power to the trailer's wheels? The umbilical cord, still attached, provides proportional control to the trailer's brakes and will allow controlled turning and braking.

This has been covered in the forums before, the one I remember is here

The literature (manufacturers of brakes, switches, controllers, RVs, hitches) doesn't provide a clear answer on any of this. And we are all over the map on the issue. We end up deciding for ourselves our own setup. I'm happy with mine, and am sure you will find one you like too.
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Old 04-06-2011, 09:33 AM   #15
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We have friends whose receiver separated entirely from truck -- how's that going to work if the breakaway switch cable is attached to the receiver? Not good. And if the trailer decouples from the ball hitch but remains attached to the tow vehicle via the chains, why "pull the plug" and apply full breaking power to the trailer's wheels? The umbilical cord, still attached, provides proportional control to the trailer's brakes and will allow controlled turning and braking.

This has been covered in the forums before, the one I remember is here

The literature (manufacturers of brakes, switches, controllers, RVs, hitches) doesn't provide a clear answer on any of this. And we are all over the map on the issue. We end up deciding for ourselves our own setup. I'm happy with mine, and am sure you will find one you like too.

Did they forget to put the head pin in? I can't see any part or the hitch assembly coming off without a warning unless you are in some kind of major accident.

I don't want anyone to get hurt from my rig running wild so I obey the law and use the chains and safety devices. I had a trailer blow over on its side south of Cheyenne. A major cold front blew in on us, we had slowed down to about 40 mph and the top of one hill had been used in the valley to bridge to the next hill. The 70 mph wind coming up that valley along with the same side wind got under the floor of the trailer and flipped it on it side. I had no control of anything and it almost pulled us off into that 200' deep valley area.. The trailer did not separate from tow vehicle it twisted the trailer tongue.

Wes
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Old 04-06-2011, 09:44 AM   #16
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Wes, was that an Airstream that was blown over?
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Old 04-06-2011, 10:00 AM   #17
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Some earlier year GM trucks had recievers break, would be interesting to know what year they corrected the problem. zz
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Old 04-09-2011, 10:34 PM   #18
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Wes,
No, they had their hitch head pinned securely to the receiver. The receiver broke and separated from the truck, so the hitch head and its trailer were still securely attached to the square hole of the receiver. But the square hole, the chains, the hitch head, the trailer were completely unattached from the truck. Pretty much worse case scenario, eh?

We heard of the receiver socket welds cracking on several otheer GM receivers. Ours didnt crack, it was just flexing enough that we could no longer get enough weight distribution to the truck front axle. So we bought and installed a very robust Curt class V receiver. Works well!
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Old 04-09-2011, 10:37 PM   #19
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Yeah, ZZ, i dont know when they made changes. My truck is 2006 2500HD Chevy, and in 2008 i showed Chevy dealer the drawbar pin hole was wallowing out significantly. They readily replace the entire receiver as warranty -- i think they had heard or read enough to watch out for any sort of receiver defects.
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Old 04-09-2011, 10:55 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by 63air View Post
I was at the AS dealer today and they were just setting up a display that had a neat little coiled breakaway switch cables (like a phone cord) that you replace the original with. Had two sizes. Don't remember the company name but it looked like a good idea . Maybe someone else has seen these.
I just purchased one of those today and placed it on my breakaway pin. It's neat and will avoiding dragging the lanyard around the ground.
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