Breakaway Switch and Battery

[brud]

I have a 2005 25' International CCD. The last time I used it and was parking it for the week, I forgot to put the Breakaway swtitch plunger back in the socket. It was out for almost 5 days. Upon returning this weekend, I replaced it and the trailer towed fine. The Plunger was somewhat hard to insert. Once at the park on Saturday the plunger came out fine. When back in fine to tow it home. Upon storing the trailer for the week it would not come out and actually broke the end off where the cable is disconnected to the plunger.

OK so for my questions:

Have I permanently damaged anything on the brakes themselves if the trailer was parked and the battery set to store?

Is the breakaway switch fried? Do I just need to remove the broken on and replace the cable and plunger?

How do some of you attach this to your vehicle without always taking the plunger out of the breakaway socket?

Is this perhaps the cause of why the battery seemed dead when I picked the trailer up this weekend; the trailer jack would not work until the wiring harness was hooked up to the truck.

How hard is it to replace the breakaway switch if it is fried?

Any answers would be appreciated, or else I am going to be worrying until tomorrow when I can talk to a dealer.

Thanks

[68 Overlander]

You don’t need to remove the break away except to check it occasionally. Just use wheel chocks. I'm sure that's why your battery was dead and I wouldn't be surprised if your brake magnets are too. You can buy replacement lanyards and plugs at any RV parts house.
In edit, if you had your batteries in the store mode, you might have saved the brake magnets depending on how long you had the brakes energized.

[Tinsel Loaf]

Time to check those brake magnets. You may not have any brakes.

[Anon]

Would electro-magnets fry from being enegized that long?
I am not sure as I have never been in that situation.

[68 Overlander]

Yes they would but maybe Brud pulled the plug and then cut the DC power soon enough.

[Anon]

I have used electro-magnets in industrial applications but never knew you could fry them by applying power to them for five straight days.
Never left one energized that long.

[markdoane]

Maybe use a small motorcycle battery for the brakes, then the battery would go 'toes up' before the magnets burned out.

[axleman]

Originally Posted by pattersontoo

Would electro-magnets fry from being enegized that long?
I am not sure as I have never been in that situation.

Lou,



The magnets will need to be checked. I feel if they actually received power for an extended period of time they’re toast. The magnets will get very hot in 3-5 minutes of constant power – I CANNOT imagine 3-5 days .



Regards,

Henry

[brud]

The battery was put in store mode. The Dealer had said that the switch should be looped thru the end when attached to the vehicle. This would imply that it is remove during EVERY hitch up and un hitched.

I towed it a short distance, 10 miles this weekend and the brakes appeared fine the brake controller was functioning and I could feel them engaging.

Is this normal after such a stupid mistake? If the magnets were fried would it be very obvious or should I take it to a trailer shop in any event.

Thanks

[axleman]

Originally Posted by brud

If the magnets were fried would it be very obvious or should I take it to a trailer shop in any event.

Thanks

Brud,



Whenever anything on a brake is questionable – get it checked to be safe. My dad used to tell me “if you can’t stop it, don’t start it” this was referencing cars but I think it can apply here as well. Hopefully all is well but I would want the piece of mind of being sure. Remember your life and others lives could depend on it .



Regards,

Henry

[68 Overlander]

Brud,
You need to have them checked. The dealer mis-spoke or you misunderstood him. Don't worry though, he should have made it clear and it's not your fault. The small motorcycle battery idea is good for trailers that don't have coach/house batteries but not necessary if you don't unplug the brake away (except for checking it.) You will be back in business soon with experience. Hang in there friend.

[wingfoot321]

Brud,

I have an old trailer but, new Tekonska breakaway switch. The cable is approx. 3 ft. long with a loop in one end and the switch plug on the other.

I don't understand why you have to unplug yours each time??????

I run my breakaway cable thru my bumper where my license plate fits and then loop it back to the trailer hitch lock making sure it is long enough to turn freely but, shorter than the safety chains.

I never unplug my breakaway switch except to check it once in a while. I would change your procedure because it is just too easy to make a mistake and the consequences are too critical and possibly expensive.

[Safari Tim]

Also we should note, and if I'm wrong please correct me, if you do pull the plunger on the breakaway switch for a test, make sure your tow vehicle is NOT connected.

If it is, you could damage your brake controller.

The opposite end of the brakeaway wire from the plunger in the brakeaway switch ties into your frame mounted bumper. If the trailer brakes away from the hitch, ball and chains, it will pull the plunger which will apply brake power to the trailer brakes from the trailers own battery.

I believe that is what the dealer meant when he said you had to connect and disconnect it at every hitch up, remove the free end of the wire, not the switch plunger. Probably most just loop the free end thorugh the end of the chain that goes to the hitch.

[Anon]

Originally Posted by axleman

Lou,



The magnets will need to be checked. I feel if they actually received power for an extended period of time they’re toast. The magnets will get very hot in 3-5 minutes of constant power – I CANNOT imagine 3-5 days .



Regards,

Henry

OUCH!
That makes sense.
I have only used elctro-magnets that would energize for a few seconds at a time.
never really looked at the total life span of one with them energized for an extended period of time. I am sure that there are specs on this but no one expects them to be energized for that long.
I hope the battery went dead before damage was done.

[ALANSD]

just caught up with this thread as I was thinking about going to a lawn mower type battery in a plastic box in where my old bigger battery was. I won't used it for much other than the breakway.
Cam someone explain the storage battery, brake disconnect stuff to me? I have no idea what all that means. New trailer guy....old trailer....duh???

[DreamStreamr]

Wingfoot wrote "shorter than safety chains" regarding length of breakaway switch cable. I read on this forum, I think, the breakaway switch cable must be longer so you retain control of the trailer even when it falls onto the safety chains. Only if the safety chains break would you want the "emergency brakes" to engage, because you have lost control of your trailer and don't want it to hurtle into other vehicles.

Does anyone remember where this discussion was posted on the forum?

Thanks,
Jim

[DreamStreamr]

All,
What if the break away switch also fired a flasher relay on the trailer's lights' circuits? Great that the brakes may safely bring down a loose trailer, but if it is dark and there's a car a thousand yards behind you when you lose the trailer at night . . .

Or, is it possible this circuit already exists and we sure don't want to hear a lot of people experienced in how it worked out for them, eh?

But could we do something like this for our trailers?