Quote:
Originally Posted by uniquemicro
Hi All,
I have a 75 Argosy 22' with dual axels. My question is this is:
I know I have no break away switch but when my trailer is disconnected from my truck (electrically) do the brakes automatically kick in???
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No, the brakes have magnets in the backing plates. When the magnets are energized from a signal from your brake controller (mounted in the cab of your tow vehicle) an electrical current is sent to the magnets, energizing them. The magnets, in turn, "grab" onto a mechanical mechanism and, along with rotation of the wheels, cause the trailer brake shoes to expand into the brake hub, which stops the trailer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by uniquemicro
I would think that this would be a good design where the brakes require truck hookup in order to release.
Is this how is works?
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Since the magnets are really electro-magnetic, and draw a fairly large amperage, leaving the magnets "activated" for more than just a couple of minutes could cause the internal windings of the electro-magnets to burn out, thus leaving the entire brake assembly useless - not a good thing.
A couple of years back Dexter was offering a brake assembly that had an attached mechanical parking brake. It worked much like an automobile parking brake in that there was a mechanical lever which was hand activated, locking the brakes in the "set" position.
If interested, you could do a thorough search through the Dexter website and investigate if this option is still offered.