So could he use a small clevis atached to the brake away cable and have the clevis atached to the same spot as the brake away chains given both brake away chanins can be attached
Tim in all honesty you are the only one I have seen on you tube that is smart enough to drill steel at a lower speed instead of jus burning the bit and cursing cause the bit becomes dull and takes for ever to make a hole. WELL DONE
Another good video. Try putting the hitch in the receiver sideways so you can bare down on the wrench to tighten it, also works to flip it to the other side if you need to take the ball off.
Trailer Ball (open) Wrench: About $10 most places and I carry mine in my truck either under the seat or in the toolbox. I give a good yank to make sure all is tight each day that I tow. Lifesaver. Also, locking washer should've been replaced just to be sure of its integrity. Safe travels!
I used to hook mine up the same way you did. When I bought my new trailer last year, the trailer dealer gave me a double snap hook and I run the cable through the safety chain hole and hook the double snap book to the cable itself.
Another nice video. For the break away cable I was always told it needs to be mounted separate from the hitch or the bumper as those could be the reason for the trailer coming off which would then not activate the brakes. I used a small D-ring or carabiner and hook straight to the frame by running the cable through a hole and clipping it back to itself.
Put hitch in truck receiver, upside down to tighten it up. The nut being on top helps. Also put a 3-4’ long pipe over your wrench handle to really develop max torque on the nut.
I purchased one of those stainless spring clips and clipped it through the loop in the cable and then connected it to my receiver hitch (where the chains clip too.).
Good job Tim! If all else fails put the hitch in your truck receiver and tighten the ball. And if you move your truck you have other problems! lol I've done it many times when I didn't have something heavy enough to hold it in place.
Pipe wrench also works great to tighten nuts trailer hitches if you do t have a big enough wrench. You can get big pipe wrenches pretty cheap as well. You did a great job explaining everything. Great video.
Hey Tim! Just a tip! Put the hitch into your truck receiver upside down & tighten the ball. The truck won’t move as much as your bench!! Great maintenance tips as always! It’s everyone’s safety!
I use one of those little double s hooks that are spring loaded. I push the loop at the end of the brake cable through a fixed point on the truck and use the s hook to clip it back onto itself.
Had (have) the exact same electrical problems with my DK trailer which is similar to yours. Good, solid trailer, hope Brad can come up with a solution to the issues.
Tim after cleaning your electrical contacts, apply a layer of dielectric grease to the contacts. It is available at Menards in the electrical department. It prevents corrosion but allows no increased electrical resistance.
Tim!! You have to get yourself one of those 24" adjustable wrenches!! I have one myself. You may not use it often but just slinging that baby over your shoulder and heading to the garage is a great feeling. :-)
Maybe for quick attachment u could hook the safety cable with a real mountain climber climbing clip. The twist lock latch kind. Pretty secure but still pretty quick
Nice wrench. Vice is a wrench - put nut into it and then attach a long pipe to tongue. Bench is a bit light for any of that. But for those who don't have the wrench one can work backwards. :-)
I use a quick connect ( maybe other names for themit.) for my break away cable. You see them in the check out line at the stores. People use them for the keys so they can attach them to there belt loops on there pants. I hook it to the same place where my chains hook up to on the back of the tru ck. Also as some said in an earlier comment put your ball assemble into your receiver but upside down with the nut up then take a wrench to it, works great.
Quick tip for tightening hitch balls. Remove hitch, turn 1/4 turn clockwise and slide back in. It will hold it with the ball/nut in the horizontal position,, and you can use your weight/gravity to tighten the nut. To remove the ball, rotate 1/4 turn counterclockwise. And loosen the nut using gravity. I did all the maintenance on 7 trailers at a fence company. Dielectric grease for any connections. 6x6x 24 cut on 45° angle for a drive-on jack for changing tandem axle tires. Cordless 1/2 impact for changing tires. Check tire pressure and grease regurally. Heavy carabiner for break-away connection. Maintained spare tire. And always leave the electrical plug, hanging down, and off the ground.
Carabiner for the breakaway switch cable. Although I don’t know if you’ll have room on the Ridgeline. Ours has the smallest openings for the chain hooks (Factory hutch). Also, the cable and plug assembly are available separately if needed. Dielectric grease for the 7way plug.
Caribiner to where the safety chains attach or I wrap it around the hitch behind the bumper and caribiner it to itself depending on which vehicle I am in.
Carabiner for the e-brake (many have said that), put your hitch in the receiver sideway and use a floor jack to keep the receiver / truck from squatting while you tighten that ball to proper torque. For a 2-5/8 ball I think it is 450 ft-lbs...
Tim, two tips, one: you can use the receiver hitch instead of a vise to tighten the nut on your trailer ball, two: you can get a clasp (aka a snap style clasp similar to your safety chain hook) for your break away cable I have done both of these tips. :)
Nice video and great information. One thing, those hitch balls have a specific torque rating. For that size ball, I would guess 250 ft lbs. You didn't get it near that tight. Surprised Trooper didn't note that. His focus is mostly semi trucks. Thanks for all the info! Nicely done!
On my chains I cut off the hooks and put on quick links. That way they could never fall off. I use a smaller quick link to attach the brake away to the receiver. I takes longer to hook up but it will stay connected if it is ever needed.
I just use a small threaded clevis I got at tractor supply for the break away cable. I just do a loop around the hitch safety chain eye and hook it back it itself, separate of the safety chains.
If you're pins on the truck has a slit cross the center of the pin you can take your pocket knife and spread it open just a little so it contacts the pig tail good thanks for your videos especially the ones with your dad please tell him high from tn
Hey Tim, not sure if you remember me, but I’ve known you since you were much younger. We met in Manassas, Va. Hint: Dixie and Jerry. Love your channel.
Tim, when you adjust the breakaway cable and attach it, you want to make sure it's long enough that the trailer can turn sharp both ways without pulling the cable tight, but you also need to make sure it's short enough that, if the trailer were to come unhitched, the cable would pull the pin for the breaks with safety chains still connected. All too often I see trailers where the cable is so long that the trailer could come unhitched and end up being dragged down the road by the safety chains without the brakes ever actuating.
Now I could be incorrect here but I was always told the breakaway is for when the safty chains fail. Because if its on the safty chains your electrical hook up should still be hooked and you can control the breaks. If they were to lock up you could potentially flip the trailer when its still attached to you. Maybe Trooper Hoover can rule on this.
@@indianaoutdoors4379 , if and when the breakaway chains fail and the trailer is completely detached from the tow vehicle, it's probably too late for the brakes to do much, especially at speed. Obviously in that case it's better to have the brakes applied vs not, but there's still so much that can go wrong at that point that it's more of a last-ditch-effort at that point. If the trailer were to come unhitched (but chains still connected) you want the brakes to actuate immediately and pull the chains tight. You want the trailer to try to stop the tow vehicle. This does several things. It helps keep the trailer from fishtailing (and potentially flipping itself and the tow vehicle). It keeps the tongue from hitting the road or the tow vehicle (either of which could cause the tow vehicle to lose control). It keeps the tongue from flailing around, potentially knocking the cord loose from the tow vehicle. If that were to happen, you'd have no way to stop the trailer other than letting it hit the tow vehicle and hoping nothing rolls over. At minimum you'd have a good amount of property damage. Everyone is free to make their own choices with their own equipment, but I know I'd rather have the brakes actuate than not. There are no downsides to the cable pulling before the chains, but there are lots of negatives (potentially legal if you hurt someone else) to not having the brakes actuate until the trailer is completely loose. If the brakes lock up (which they probably aren't strong enough to even do unless it's an empty flatbed trailer) all that will happen is that you'll suddenly be dragging a heavier trailer. Hope this makes a few people reconsider their setups, or at least think about the potential consequences. Not trying to ruffle any feathers here. Just want to provide some useful info that might save someone's equipment and/or life. :)
Not sure how one could guarantee brakes are activated without chains breaking/detaching. I do agree with your overall thesis. Once the chains break, bad things are going to happen...brakes being applied might help, but likely won’t prevent any bad ending.
@@TractorTimewithTim , It can be tricky sometimes depending where the breakaway switch is mounted and how long the chains are, but it's just a matter of the cable pulling tight (and activating the switch) before the chains do. You just have to make sure the cable isn't so short that it pulls when you turn sharply.
I have a tip for that nut kit you have. You can run those nuts on a piece of wire and twist the wire ends together so when you eventually drop that kit again it will not scatter everywhere. like a keychain for the nuts.
Hey Tim with my car trailer I put the cable for brake away through the eyelet where saftey chain goes then attach it to the toung clip just a thought for ya
You might have to reduce the size of the cable loop but I run mine through the pin that holds the receiver and ball. When you remove the pin that holds the receiver, it releases the break away cable. For tightening your ball, instead of a vice, put the receiver into your truck upside down (nut facing up) and the torque away. Just some thoughts.
Great job on the videos I know this doesn’t go with it but you guys should look into power tracks it’s the same thing as a ventrac but it has negatives in the positives
Invest in a Milwaukee 2767-20 Fuel series impact kit. 1/2" drive with 1400 ft/lbs of torque in reverse and 1200 fastening. No more struggling ever with hitch ball nuts or any other fastener you'll encounter.
Yeah i need the break away stuff on my 9 ton. Working on my ramps and my tires rub on my outer frame so i cut some moons in the bottom just need to grind them smooth and uniform and check them since i have my outer tires off. Will need 4 new rims eventually i have replaced 4 already. The fun part will be getting my front inner rims off the the drum as i dont believe they are the appropriate rims (get stuck on immediately vs new ones aint stuck still) need a new pintle mount for trk.
I use dielectric grease on all sliding contacts. It makes the connections work better and last longer. It doesn’t take much. Always grease the ball too. Pretty sure Christy should do the driving.
I have a trailer similar to yours but mines only 12ft long . Got it in 2000 . It has electric brakes but no break away box . My RV has break away pin that will come out . One thing that I learned was don't take that pin out with the electrical hooked up to the truck . You will screw up your electric brakes like I did because your brakes will be left on . Your cable came out of the plug because instead of grabbing the plug people tend to grab the cable and unplug the trailer that way . You can also put tape where the plug is to prevent water from getting inside the plug .
Tim, look up "zip 4' breakaway cable" on amaz... ( coiled spring cable. with clip, also can get with pin) I run them on all my trailers. thought they were expensive at first but the headaches they save make them worth it.
Good video... Bought a very similar but older model trailer.. except this one needs a complete replacement of the braking system.. call it a restoration as nothing about the braking system works at all.. trailer is rock solid but the lighting and braking systems are toast.. but only paid $1000 cash for it compared to a brand new one... put temporary brake lights on the thing and used to for the move from the old house to the new house and land.. Also, if I had a decent camera I would have filmed it but my John Deere had a major mechanic disaster... and officially I now hate the drive on drive off mower decks sadly.. Last Wednesday, pulled the deck out of winter storage, got it ready to attach. Drove the tractor up on and as I was coming back down the other side, the entire mower slipped and shifted about 70 degrees... the entire tractor slid with it at first then the tires slid off the rail and down it came.. hard.. Literally snapped in half not just the steering hydraulic cable but the straight connectors, L connectors etc... and with that I lost all steering so I could not even attempt to drive back off the thing since it was also spraying hydraulic fluid all over the place. But that is not the worst part.. nope. The worth part is having to literally remove the ENTIRE console assembly just to get to ONE bracket that that hose feeds through and up to the pump cylinder. Yep, you have to literally remove the entire console, floor panels etc to get to that one bracket.. At first I was like ok, I can just cut the line and run the new one up that hole and not worry about it being in that specific bracket.. until I realized that bracket is only 1/4" away from the PTO center shaft and it literally keeps the three hydraulic hoses 1/4" away from that shaft.. without the hose being in that specific bracket, it would rub against the PTO center shaft.. What a pain in the ass.. Took me 5 minutes to replace all the front hydraulic connectors, about an hour to get a new hose made since they are not kept in stock apparently but it took me a day and some to tear apart and then put back together the entire console of the tractor and thread that damn cable properly.. and it is a two person job for me being I cannot lift much due to military injuries. All this because the damn mower deck slid nearly sideways as I went to attach it. And before anyone says anything, first I had tried it on flat yard here at the new place but it would slide without every connecting.. had the same issue at the old house many times... decided to try on the level gravel driveway and even blocked it and that's when it slid out... The premise is nice and when it works, it's great.. but now that I have bent things a bit, well let's just say I am not happy.. I knew that deck would someday bite me in the ass.. well this spring was that time. So beware, be extra careful mounting your drive on deck because if it slides out or twists, you have a good chance or snapping your steering hydraulics.. and if you do, it is a huge pain to fix.. If I do it again, I seriously may just take it in and have a repair center do it this time.
I'll second the better connectors for electrical. I tow and launch in salt water. Must have connectors with sealant and then use the shrink tube with sealant. Belt & suspenders.
U need to buy some snap on or Mac wire crimpers. As a tech I don’t use but connectors and most of the time I remove the coloured insulation part on the ring terminals. Crimp them on then solder and shrink tube
On my trailer brakes i use a Carabiner Snap Hook where the chains hook to the receiver and ive been pulled over by Illinois dot like that and they never said a word about it
I know it happens but.... I've been dragging gooseneck trailers up to 30,000 pounds and bumper pulls up to 18,000 pounds behind pick ups for over 42 years and haven't had one come unhitched yet... Do your pre-trip inspections,check trailers at every fuel stop etc, keep your trailers in excellent working order and the "unexpected" very rarely happens. I say this and yesterday evening I came across a Texas state trooper stopped with his lights on behind a 1/2 ton pick-up with tail end in the lane by 4 feet.Stopped and asked the trooper if I could be of help. Front right wheel assembly:hub,disc,wheel and tire had fallen off of the truck and the owner simply left it there. Trooper was thinking about a tow but was hesitant since we were out in the middle of Podunk No-Where,Texas. Told the trooper I had some chain and could pull it off of the road. He said if I didn't mind it would prevent a bad accident: just over the crest of a hill and sun was setting. Hooked up to it with the Ram 3500HD,diesel 1 ton dually 4 wheel drive crew cab long bed (10,000 pounds as I drive it daily) dropped it into 4WD low and hardly got off of idle to drag the other truck off of the road and into the grass ROW.Truck was in park to boot.Wheel/hub assembly fell off because bearing disintegrated due to lack of grease: no maintenance done,ignored screaming bearing,dis-regarded smoke as bearing dried out:didn't keep their truck mechanically sound.....
Use climbing carabiners on the brakes away cable that what me and my dad use on our trailer but we put it over the receiver hitch and back wear the safety chains hook it double the the chance if the trailer comes off the hitch
I use Craig's DeOx. 6 of this half dozen of that , it mostly depends on what your dad used or what is at the shop. ( besides - WD40 is a sponsor ) Thanks Tim & Christy. Good to see Katriel in the drone video.
That ball not being completely tight is a little scary. Worse then than the rest of the violations to me. for 1.25in shank 450 ft lbs, 1in 250 and 3/4in 150 ft lbs I believe.
Tim, I really enjoy your Channel. Being a "gentleman farmer" with a Kubota BX-25, I still pick up a lot of tips. Recently a friend with a Compact Tractor got hurt with the tractor rolling over him. Could you produce a few videos relating to Tractor Safety for us guys that didn't grow up tractoring.
For my breakaway cable, I pull the key out and loop it through the cable bight that is routed through the hitch chain connection eye then plug it back in. Are all the wheels supposed to lock or just one?
LOL lock nut spill. Laughing with you and not at you. I have an electrical connector kit I keep in my truck. Probably 1000 connectors. Spilled it twice before I wrote on the lid "CHECK LATCH!" and I'm the only one who uses it... Same on black case wrench and socket set from Craftsman: spilled it more than one too.
Honda Ridgeline is not a truck! Oh, the would have a hay day on my 32ft goosneck cattle trailer. Lights that are rusted. I had to cut the brake wires as they locked up on both axles and smoked them. Safty chains that dont fit. A light thats completely done for. A plate that doesnt have a light. Tire was completely dryrotten. 1 axle has a snapped wheel stud and each one is missing a wheel bolt. Lastly, the main plug makes the lights flicker. Shes an old trailer i got for free, and done a lot too with already, and my truck has an exhaust brake. No biggy. But they would have a hayday! Keep in mind, i pulled into walmart beside a trooper with smoke pouring out the rear yesterday. He didnt care.
Tim, you said that ball was an inch and seven eighths. My question is, is that a big enough ball for that trailer? I would think it should be at least a two inch ball, and possibly bigger.
Very good job!!!! As long as the break away cable is hooked separately you can hook to same place as trailer chain. (Change)
Great job
So could he use a small clevis atached to the brake away cable and have the clevis atached to the same spot as the brake away chains given both brake away chanins can be attached
Use a pipe wrench to hold the ball when you tighten the nut
Tim in all honesty you are the only one I have seen on you tube that is smart enough to drill steel at a lower speed instead of jus burning the bit and cursing cause the bit becomes dull and takes for ever to make a hole. WELL DONE
Another good video. Try putting the hitch in the receiver sideways so you can bare down on the wrench to tighten it, also works to flip it to the other side if you need to take the ball off.
Trailer Ball (open) Wrench: About $10 most places and I carry mine in my truck either under the seat or in the toolbox. I give a good yank to make sure all is tight each day that I tow. Lifesaver. Also, locking washer should've been replaced just to be sure of its integrity. Safe travels!
I used to hook mine up the same way you did. When I bought my new trailer last year, the trailer dealer gave me a double snap hook and I run the cable through the safety chain hole and hook the double snap book to the cable itself.
I love the Tractor and Trailer episodes. Nice job fixing up the trailer to meet Trooper Hoover's recommendations.
You changed my view of the Ridgeline from a girly truck to a real truck after seeing you tow the trailer with it in several videos. Thanks!
Another nice video. For the break away cable I was always told it needs to be mounted separate from the hitch or the bumper as those could be the reason for the trailer coming off which would then not activate the brakes. I used a small D-ring or carabiner and hook straight to the frame by running the cable through a hole and clipping it back to itself.
Its always better to to safe when hauling!! Good job Tim!!
Just the tip if you slide your receiver hitch into the pickup sideways then you can put a wrench on it and stand on the wrench to get it tight
Put hitch in truck receiver, upside down to tighten it up. The nut being on top helps. Also put a 3-4’ long pipe over your wrench handle to really develop max torque on the nut.
I purchased one of those stainless spring clips and clipped it through the loop in the cable and then connected it to my receiver hitch (where the chains clip too.).
Use dielectric grease on your 7 way connector. Works great.
Good job Tim! If all else fails put the hitch in your truck receiver and tighten the ball. And if you move your truck you have other problems! lol I've done it many times when I didn't have something heavy enough to hold it in place.
Carabiners work well for break away lines
Hi Tim and Christy nice video officer Hoover will keep you safe on the road with his tips
Pipe wrench also works great to tighten nuts trailer hitches if you do t have a big enough wrench. You can get big pipe wrenches pretty cheap as well. You did a great job explaining everything. Great video.
Hey Tim! Just a tip! Put the hitch into your truck receiver upside down & tighten the ball. The truck won’t move as much as your bench!! Great maintenance tips as always! It’s everyone’s safety!
Also you usually put the cable on the ball.
I use one of those little double s hooks that are spring loaded. I push the loop at the end of the brake cable through a fixed point on the truck and use the s hook to clip it back onto itself.
Had (have) the exact same electrical problems with my DK trailer which is similar to yours. Good, solid trailer, hope Brad can come up with a solution to the issues.
Gotta get stickers for your trailers "Trooper Hoover Approved"
Tim after cleaning your electrical contacts, apply a layer of dielectric grease to the contacts. It is available at Menards in the electrical department. It prevents corrosion but allows no increased electrical resistance.
Mount the breakaway box inside the battery/hyd. box.
Tim!! You have to get yourself one of those 24" adjustable wrenches!! I have one myself. You may not use it often but just slinging that baby over your shoulder and heading to the garage is a great feeling. :-)
Just add a snaphook to the breakaway cable so it can attach seperately and you will be fine. Another good video, Tim!
slide the ball in the receiver hitch side ways and push down on the wrench. This always works for me to hold the ball, instead of a vice.
Exactly!!
Maybe for quick attachment u could hook the safety cable with a real mountain climber climbing clip. The twist lock latch kind. Pretty secure but still pretty quick
Nice wrench. Vice is a wrench - put nut into it and then attach a long pipe to tongue. Bench is a bit light for any of that. But for those who don't have the wrench one can work backwards. :-)
I use a quick connect ( maybe other names for themit.) for my break away cable. You see them in the check out line at the stores. People use them for the keys so they can attach them to there belt loops on there pants. I hook it to the same place where my chains hook up to on the back of the tru ck. Also as some said in an earlier comment put your ball assemble into your receiver but upside down with the nut up then take a wrench to it, works great.
Put the hitch on your truck to tighten it more, just a thought.
Great video. Really nice follow-up to the inspection video from a while back. Looks great too.
Great job enjoyed that!!!
Quick tip for tightening hitch balls.
Remove hitch, turn 1/4 turn clockwise and slide back in.
It will hold it with the ball/nut in the horizontal position,, and you can use your weight/gravity to tighten the nut.
To remove the ball, rotate 1/4 turn counterclockwise.
And loosen the nut using gravity.
I did all the maintenance on 7 trailers at a fence company.
Dielectric grease for any connections.
6x6x 24 cut on 45° angle for a drive-on jack for changing tandem axle tires.
Cordless 1/2 impact for changing tires.
Check tire pressure and grease regurally.
Heavy carabiner for break-away connection.
Maintained spare tire.
And always leave the electrical plug, hanging down, and off the ground.
Carabiner for the breakaway switch cable. Although I don’t know if you’ll have room on the Ridgeline. Ours has the smallest openings for the chain hooks (Factory hutch). Also, the cable and plug assembly are available separately if needed. Dielectric grease for the 7way plug.
Caribiner to where the safety chains attach or I wrap it around the hitch behind the bumper and caribiner it to itself depending on which vehicle I am in.
Tim I use a carabiner on the break away cable and hook it next to the safety chain hook on the truck hitch
Carabiner for the e-brake (many have said that), put your hitch in the receiver sideway and use a floor jack to keep the receiver / truck from squatting while you tighten that ball to proper torque. For a 2-5/8 ball I think it is 450 ft-lbs...
Tim, two tips, one: you can use the receiver hitch instead of a vise to tighten the nut on your trailer ball, two: you can get a clasp (aka a snap style clasp similar to your safety chain hook) for your break away cable I have done both of these tips. :)
The ball moves in the hitch. putting it in the truck doesn't help that. I needed to keep the ball from turning.
I used a d ring clip for my break away large enough to fit where the safety chains clip into the hitch and I clip it in separately
Nice video and great information. One thing, those hitch balls have a specific torque rating. For that size ball, I would guess 250 ft lbs. You didn't get it near that tight. Surprised Trooper didn't note that. His focus is mostly semi trucks. Thanks for all the info! Nicely done!
Great video!
Tim use dielectric grease on the that seven pin connector. God bless
On my chains I cut off the hooks and put on quick links. That way they could never fall off. I use a smaller quick link to attach the brake away to the receiver. I takes longer to hook up but it will stay connected if it is ever needed.
I just use a small threaded clevis I got at tractor supply for the break away cable. I just do a loop around the hitch safety chain eye and hook it back it itself, separate of the safety chains.
If you're pins on the truck has a slit cross the center of the pin you can take your pocket knife and spread it open just a little so it contacts the pig tail good thanks for your videos especially the ones with your dad please tell him high from tn
Check into a Fastway Zip coiled breakaway switch. You should be able to get one in any RV store or online. That should fix your problem!
What happened to the Green B Wise Trailer
I usually attach the Break away to the hitch pin
Hey Tim, not sure if you remember me, but I’ve known you since you were much younger. We met in Manassas, Va. Hint: Dixie and Jerry. Love your channel.
Yea, saw that you subscribed! Welcome aboard! Saw your picture from dinner the other. Night!
Keep watching and commenting!
Tim, when you adjust the breakaway cable and attach it, you want to make sure it's long enough that the trailer can turn sharp both ways without pulling the cable tight, but you also need to make sure it's short enough that, if the trailer were to come unhitched, the cable would pull the pin for the breaks with safety chains still connected. All too often I see trailers where the cable is so long that the trailer could come unhitched and end up being dragged down the road by the safety chains without the brakes ever actuating.
Now I could be incorrect here but I was always told the breakaway is for when the safty chains fail. Because if its on the safty chains your electrical hook up should still be hooked and you can control the breaks. If they were to lock up you could potentially flip the trailer when its still attached to you. Maybe Trooper Hoover can rule on this.
@@indianaoutdoors4379 , if and when the breakaway chains fail and the trailer is completely detached from the tow vehicle, it's probably too late for the brakes to do much, especially at speed. Obviously in that case it's better to have the brakes applied vs not, but there's still so much that can go wrong at that point that it's more of a last-ditch-effort at that point. If the trailer were to come unhitched (but chains still connected) you want the brakes to actuate immediately and pull the chains tight. You want the trailer to try to stop the tow vehicle.
This does several things. It helps keep the trailer from fishtailing (and potentially flipping itself and the tow vehicle). It keeps the tongue from hitting the road or the tow vehicle (either of which could cause the tow vehicle to lose control). It keeps the tongue from flailing around, potentially knocking the cord loose from the tow vehicle. If that were to happen, you'd have no way to stop the trailer other than letting it hit the tow vehicle and hoping nothing rolls over. At minimum you'd have a good amount of property damage.
Everyone is free to make their own choices with their own equipment, but I know I'd rather have the brakes actuate than not. There are no downsides to the cable pulling before the chains, but there are lots of negatives (potentially legal if you hurt someone else) to not having the brakes actuate until the trailer is completely loose. If the brakes lock up (which they probably aren't strong enough to even do unless it's an empty flatbed trailer) all that will happen is that you'll suddenly be dragging a heavier trailer.
Hope this makes a few people reconsider their setups, or at least think about the potential consequences. Not trying to ruffle any feathers here. Just want to provide some useful info that might save someone's equipment and/or life. :)
Not sure how one could guarantee brakes are activated without chains breaking/detaching.
I do agree with your overall thesis. Once the chains break, bad things are going to happen...brakes being applied might help, but likely won’t prevent any bad ending.
@@TractorTimewithTim , It can be tricky sometimes depending where the breakaway switch is mounted and how long the chains are, but it's just a matter of the cable pulling tight (and activating the switch) before the chains do. You just have to make sure the cable isn't so short that it pulls when you turn sharply.
I had another hook on my brake away and hooked that to the truck where you hook your chains , as long as there independent hooks it's legal ..
Hi Tim did Christy laugh when she see locking nut on the floor when she saw video because I did it happen to me couple times at work 😊😊😊
Tim a simple climbing carabiner for the breakaway braded cable will work great
I have a tip for that nut kit you have. You can run those nuts on a piece of wire and twist the wire ends together so when you eventually drop that kit again it will not scatter everywhere. like a keychain for the nuts.
Hey Tim with my car trailer I put the cable for brake away through the eyelet where saftey chain goes then attach it to the toung clip just a thought for ya
You might have to reduce the size of the cable loop but I run mine through the pin that holds the receiver and ball. When you remove the pin that holds the receiver, it releases the break away cable.
For tightening your ball, instead of a vice, put the receiver into your truck upside down (nut facing up) and the torque away. Just some thoughts.
Great job on the videos I know this doesn’t go with it but you guys should look into power tracks it’s the same thing as a ventrac but it has negatives in the positives
Invest in a Milwaukee 2767-20 Fuel series impact kit. 1/2" drive with 1400 ft/lbs of torque in reverse and 1200 fastening. No more struggling ever with hitch ball nuts or any other fastener you'll encounter.
Yeah i need the break away stuff on my 9 ton. Working on my ramps and my tires rub on my outer frame so i cut some moons in the bottom just need to grind them smooth and uniform and check them since i have my outer tires off. Will need 4 new rims eventually i have replaced 4 already. The fun part will be getting my front inner rims off the the drum as i dont believe they are the appropriate rims (get stuck on immediately vs new ones aint stuck still) need a new pintle mount for trk.
Since Trooper Hoover said it can be hooked to the same spot I would find a good fall rated Caribeaner to hook the safty cable to the truck.
use a climbers ring to hook to the break away cable
I use dielectric grease on all sliding contacts. It makes the connections work better and last longer. It doesn’t take much. Always grease the ball too.
Pretty sure Christy should do the driving.
Use carabiner for the breakaway switch cable.
The break away cable we used a d ring with a lock nut built into it.
I have a trailer similar to yours but mines only 12ft long . Got it in 2000 . It has electric brakes but no break away box . My RV has break away pin that will come out . One thing that I learned was don't take that pin out with the electrical hooked up to the truck . You will screw up your electric brakes like I did because your brakes will be left on . Your cable came out of the plug because instead of grabbing the plug people tend to grab the cable and unplug the trailer that way . You can also put tape where the plug is to prevent water from getting inside the plug .
A stitch in time saves 9 as they say, a bit of maintenece now and again goes a long way to keep things working as they should.
Great video
Tim, look up "zip 4' breakaway cable" on amaz... ( coiled spring cable. with clip, also can get with pin) I run them on all my trailers. thought they were expensive at first but the headaches they save make them worth it.
Hey where's the notification squad!!! Thumbs up Tim! Hope you are having a great week!
Was that wrench standard or metric
Hey Tim great video run the cable threw the safety chain eye hook on the vehicle then attach to the hitch coupler safety pin
This is how we do ares
d ring for the cable
Get a carabiner to attach that break away cable
Good video... Bought a very similar but older model trailer.. except this one needs a complete replacement of the braking system.. call it a restoration as nothing about the braking system works at all.. trailer is rock solid but the lighting and braking systems are toast.. but only paid $1000 cash for it compared to a brand new one... put temporary brake lights on the thing and used to for the move from the old house to the new house and land.. Also, if I had a decent camera I would have filmed it but my John Deere had a major mechanic disaster... and officially I now hate the drive on drive off mower decks sadly.. Last Wednesday, pulled the deck out of winter storage, got it ready to attach. Drove the tractor up on and as I was coming back down the other side, the entire mower slipped and shifted about 70 degrees... the entire tractor slid with it at first then the tires slid off the rail and down it came.. hard.. Literally snapped in half not just the steering hydraulic cable but the straight connectors, L connectors etc... and with that I lost all steering so I could not even attempt to drive back off the thing since it was also spraying hydraulic fluid all over the place. But that is not the worst part.. nope. The worth part is having to literally remove the ENTIRE console assembly just to get to ONE bracket that that hose feeds through and up to the pump cylinder. Yep, you have to literally remove the entire console, floor panels etc to get to that one bracket.. At first I was like ok, I can just cut the line and run the new one up that hole and not worry about it being in that specific bracket.. until I realized that bracket is only 1/4" away from the PTO center shaft and it literally keeps the three hydraulic hoses 1/4" away from that shaft.. without the hose being in that specific bracket, it would rub against the PTO center shaft.. What a pain in the ass.. Took me 5 minutes to replace all the front hydraulic connectors, about an hour to get a new hose made since they are not kept in stock apparently but it took me a day and some to tear apart and then put back together the entire console of the tractor and thread that damn cable properly.. and it is a two person job for me being I cannot lift much due to military injuries. All this because the damn mower deck slid nearly sideways as I went to attach it. And before anyone says anything, first I had tried it on flat yard here at the new place but it would slide without every connecting.. had the same issue at the old house many times... decided to try on the level gravel driveway and even blocked it and that's when it slid out... The premise is nice and when it works, it's great.. but now that I have bent things a bit, well let's just say I am not happy.. I knew that deck would someday bite me in the ass.. well this spring was that time. So beware, be extra careful mounting your drive on deck because if it slides out or twists, you have a good chance or snapping your steering hydraulics.. and if you do, it is a huge pain to fix.. If I do it again, I seriously may just take it in and have a repair center do it this time.
Tim Christi good thing to fix things when aware of problems now peace of mind is a great
Thank You
God Bless
PaK
recommend crimp and seal connectors for that electrical wire connections, put the hitch in the truck upside down and then tighten up the ball
The ball itself rotates. Have to hold the ball.
Pipe wrench
I'll second the better connectors for electrical. I tow and launch in salt water. Must have connectors with sealant and then use the shrink tube with sealant. Belt & suspenders.
U need to buy some snap on or Mac wire crimpers. As a tech I don’t use but connectors and most of the time I remove the coloured insulation part on the ring terminals. Crimp them on then solder and shrink tube
On my trailer brakes i use a Carabiner Snap Hook where the chains hook to the receiver and ive been pulled over by Illinois dot like that and they never said a word about it
so i guess a break adjustment video will be one day looks like it does not break even
I know it happens but.... I've been dragging gooseneck trailers up to 30,000 pounds and bumper pulls up to 18,000 pounds behind pick ups for over 42 years and haven't had one come unhitched yet... Do your pre-trip inspections,check trailers at every fuel stop etc, keep your trailers in excellent working order and the "unexpected" very rarely happens. I say this and yesterday evening I came across a Texas state trooper stopped with his lights on behind a 1/2 ton pick-up with tail end in the lane by 4 feet.Stopped and asked the trooper if I could be of help. Front right wheel assembly:hub,disc,wheel and tire had fallen off of the truck and the owner simply left it there. Trooper was thinking about a tow but was hesitant since we were out in the middle of Podunk No-Where,Texas. Told the trooper I had some chain and could pull it off of the road. He said if I didn't mind it would prevent a bad accident: just over the crest of a hill and sun was setting. Hooked up to it with the Ram 3500HD,diesel 1 ton dually 4 wheel drive crew cab long bed (10,000 pounds as I drive it daily) dropped it into 4WD low and hardly got off of idle to drag the other truck off of the road and into the grass ROW.Truck was in park to boot.Wheel/hub assembly fell off because bearing disintegrated due to lack of grease: no maintenance done,ignored screaming bearing,dis-regarded smoke as bearing dried out:didn't keep their truck mechanically sound.....
Use dielectric grease on connections , my trailer brake box doesn't have a test switch. Just when I hook up trailer I hear brakes release.
Use climbing carabiners on the brakes away cable that what me and my dad use on our trailer but we put it over the receiver hitch and back wear the safety chains hook it double the the chance if the trailer comes off the hitch
CRC electrical cleaner is best... That we used at truck dealer ship.
It was great stuff for electric connect..
I use Craig's DeOx. 6 of this half dozen of that , it mostly depends on what your dad used or what is at the shop. ( besides - WD40 is a sponsor ) Thanks Tim & Christy. Good to see Katriel in the drone video.
That ball not being completely tight is a little scary. Worse then than the rest of the violations to me. for 1.25in shank 450 ft lbs, 1in 250 and 3/4in 150 ft lbs I believe.
I'm envious over the Ridgeline. I've actually considered trading my '15 GMC Canyon for a Ridgeline.
Tim,You need a bigger vice & bench in the future. Good Vids!
Tim, I really enjoy your Channel. Being a "gentleman farmer" with a Kubota BX-25, I still pick up a lot of tips. Recently a friend with a Compact Tractor got hurt with the tractor rolling over him. Could you produce a few videos relating to Tractor Safety for us guys that didn't grow up tractoring.
camco makes an electrical protectant and lube I got it from Amazon. I got it to put on the connectors for my generator
For my breakaway cable, I pull the key out and loop it through the cable bight that is routed through the hitch chain connection eye then plug it back in.
Are all the wheels supposed to lock or just one?
Erin McLaughlin should be any that have the electric brake on the axle.
One more good video 👍
At least U can use a magnet to pick them up.
LOL lock nut spill. Laughing with you and not at you. I have an electrical connector kit I keep in my truck. Probably 1000 connectors. Spilled it twice before I wrote on the lid "CHECK LATCH!" and I'm the only one who uses it... Same on black case wrench and socket set from Craftsman: spilled it more than one too.
Get some glass's on when spraying chemicals.
Also add a D- ring to bummper breakaway cable to
What size is your trailer?
Clearly I was working in my barn at the same time you were recording because all this rainstorms can take a hike. I'm sick of it!
Also, how did the WD-40 taste in your beverage on the work bench? :)
@@michaelsunsdahl5874
I saw that also, sprayed it all over the two drinks.
Honda Ridgeline is not a truck!
Oh, the would have a hay day on my 32ft goosneck cattle trailer. Lights that are rusted. I had to cut the brake wires as they locked up on both axles and smoked them. Safty chains that dont fit. A light thats completely done for. A plate that doesnt have a light. Tire was completely dryrotten. 1 axle has a snapped wheel stud and each one is missing a wheel bolt. Lastly, the main plug makes the lights flicker. Shes an old trailer i got for free, and done a lot too with already, and my truck has an exhaust brake. No biggy. But they would have a hayday! Keep in mind, i pulled into walmart beside a trooper with smoke pouring out the rear yesterday. He didnt care.
Tim, you said that ball was an inch and seven eighths. My question is, is that a big enough ball for that trailer? I would think it should be at least a two inch ball, and possibly bigger.
I don't believe I said the ball was 1 7/8" The NUT on the bottom side was 1 7/8. The ball is 2 5/16"
Put that cable over the tow ball