How to Connect a Trailer Breakaway Cable
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2016
- In this how-to video we provide instructions on how to hook up a trailer breakaway system. The video includes details on the 3 main components of a trailer breakaway system, how the system operates, and provides detailed instructions on how to hook up a trailer breakaway cable. For even more details on how to connect a trailer breakaway cable, please visit www.trailersoftheeastcoast.com...
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Ok, finally figured out how I should have been doing this for the past, oh, 20 years or so... Thanks!
Noob here. My cable is still looped thru chains as received when bought. I keep my TT in a RV storage facility, they never mentioned this is a problem. I accidently did something last camping trip that caused the car to take off when I disconnected from hitch. Luckily I had x-chocked and leveled the camper and that caught the car as chains "grabbed" the runaway car. But the breakaway cable wasn't attached because I did not know how. I'm glad I found this video. I just ordered the snaphook, and will free cable from chains and follow instructions. I don't get to camp often, but I've had the TT for 3 years, and no one has said anything, prob because they figured I was taught or running the cable thru after disconnecting for storage. Thank you for resolving a question I've had since buying the TT but assumed since no one at storage said anything, it must be okay. The cable has literally never been attached properly while traveling. I tent camped for 25 years prior to buying a TT, so had zero experience and am still learning. When I bought the TT, the salesman was on vacation, and I never got a walkthrough (6 months to pickup TT during covid in 2020).
The method of braiding the cable through the chain is how I received it when I picked up my travel trailer. I subsequently changed that and have it as you have recommended. Great tip on breakaway system.
Ditto...received it in the same condition.
Thank you for the excellent information! It seems as though a lot of people have the breakaway cable braided through the safety chains from the factory, which doesn’t seem like a good way to sell a trailer! Thanks for teaching me the appropriate way.
Best explanation I've seen. Mine was way too slack. Thanks a lot!
My left ear loved this video.
I'm a newbie to towing a trailer and this was so much easier than when I picked up the trailer, the guy that showed me how to hook it up went so fast I wasn't really confident I could do it right until I found this video. Thanks a ton buddy.
Thank you. You showed a part of the process that I have been looking for: the actual guidelines for hooking up the trailer switch to the tow vehicle. Thank you. Do check the sound at about 3:20.
Great video! For many years mine was too slack, I've even done the chain weave. a while back I was giving more thought this situation and realized that, if the chains are longer than the safety cable, the brakes can't engage. A simple knot in the cable fixed the issue. This video reinforces that my thinking was correct. Thank you!!!!
TOP SHELVE ANSWER. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS DID AND WAS AFRAID TO HOOK IT UP AFTER I ASKED SOMEONE (BOUGHT AT AUCTION). THIS VIDEO MAKES IT VERY CLEAR AND A A LOT SAFER FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROAD. THANK YOU SIR.
I'm so glad I found this video. I'd been connecting the cable all wrong!
Absolutely, Linda. Haul Happy!
Wow...I learned just now what I have been doing incorrectly all along...THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!!!
This video is also wrong unfortunately. If the whole hitch receiver fails then it’s rendered completely useless. The break away cable needs to be attached to the tow vehicle not the hitch receiver.
Thank you. I have had too much slack for the past 2 years. I appreciate learning the proper way.
Very helpful. Thanks!!
Wow for years Ive been just weaving it through the chains on all of our work and our travel trailer. Going to invest in those newer coiled cables for our most used trailer and travel trailer. Thanks.
Excellent video. Precise and to the point!
Thanks, very helpful.
I noticed in your video that you had the safety chains twisted. I've been told to never twist the safety chains to shorten their length as doing so will weaken their strength if they are needed due to the trailer coming off the hitch ball.
Thank you thank you thank you!!!! My trailer came with the cable woven thru the chains!!! Great to know how to take care of it 😊
Thank you for this video, your instructions were very detailed and you spoke clearly and slowly! THANK YOU!
Thanks for the video!!! I purchased a new camper and the breakaway cable was very long. The dealer braided it inside the safety chain and it ended up rubbing against the ground. Long story short the breakaway cable broke. I started to think about how they did it and it just did not make sense. Your video helped clarify how the system is supposed to operate and I will be building a new breakaway cable tonight.
Excellent and to the point advice. Thank You.
thanks for the tips on the breakaway cable ....i was not hooking up correctly nice to know ....BIG THANKS !
Thanks for the feedback, Butch. We're glad we could help.
Great safety video Matt! Thanks
Good ,precise instructions.
Thanks
Great video just learned I was tying it wrong. 👍
Thanks 🙏 very much. Short & sweet. Be safe
Thank you, very helpful
Thank you! Makes perfect sense and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the ‘expert’ at the dealer I purchased from gave me bad advise.
Thanks. Good one.
Just had this system installed on my 5x8 trailer. No idea how to use the breakaway kit and where to clip it. Thank you for your help and suggestions. I have the system with the built in tester and it is inside the trailer at the tip of my V-Nose. Going to enclose it in plywood and caulk but leave the top open for easy access.
Great video thanks!👍👍
I can't wait for the day I can't wait for the day that somebody out there decides to actually put an informative video on TH-cam, besides me..... I just watch this video, and I'm still waiting.
Thanks, I was told to do it wrong by the dealer (who are idiots anyways). Thanks for helping me out.
Good video thanks mate ;)
DON"T clip the safety cable to the receiver! If you have a failure of the receiver (it has happened) all your safety connections (chains and cable) are attached to the same single point of failure. Attach the cable to the truck in a different location.
If the receiver fails, the tongue/coupler slams into ground , curious if that’s enough to pull it
I was always told to connect it to the vehicle not the hitch in the off chance that the hitch comes off the vehicle. I used to drive a tow truck and I have seen it happen twice where the hitch either broke apart and where the mounting bolts broke.
Good information, but how do you check to see if the emergency brakes are operating correctly?
Thanks, Nice truck.
Since my cable broke I was looking how to install a new one, good video but maybe looking for an installation video
At the end of your video you mentioned checking the trailer brakes before your trip. I assume you would do that by pulling the pin out of the box and try to drive it to see if its dragging ?
That info would have been useful...
Thanks!
This was such a great eye opening video, thank you. I shared it with a trailer user group I admin and so many of them were doing it all wrong and followed your instructions to fix. Question: When redoing mine I pulled the key from the switch for a few minutes. I forgot to turn the battery disconnect off. The switch got really hot and the insulation on one of the wires started to melt. I have some people telling me this is normal since the switch is only used in an emergency and there's 3.5 to 4 amps going to each trailer break. The wire on the switch is a measly 16 to 18awg. I have others telling me I probably have a short to ground. I had some friends test theirs, on the same trailer, and theirs got hot too. Do you have any thoughts you could share on this overheating issue? Thank you very much.
Hi Tom - Thank you for watching our video. So glad it was helpful. When you are unplugging the breakaway cable, it is sending power to the brakes, so if you leave it disconnected for more than 30 seconds, the wire will get hot. So, the goal should be to disconnect the switch and run the cable through the hitch in a timely manner to prevent any issues to the wiring. If you still experience any issues, feel free to give our Trailers of the East Coast Service Department a call to make sure there are no brake issues causing that. 336-751-2377.
Do you recommend against using coiled breakaway cables? Got one to replace the knotted up cable my trailer came with, but it's near impossible to tell if it's tight enough without being too tight. I want the e brakes engaging before the chains break.
Thanks aftr 40 years I was still doing it wrong,hooked up my breakaway cable to hitch pin
I wish you would have said something about the stretch red phone cord style cables you see many people using. Unless they have been cut in half or less those will never engage the emergency brakes, because of their length and how long they can stretch before the pin would be pulled out.
Hi mate thanks for a great video.My question was after parking my trailer can I pull out the trailer breakaway cable and can the trailer brakes lock preventing my trailer from getting stolen .Then putting the breakaway back in to the socket to release the brakes back to normal position.l have a HYDRASTAR Electric over hydraulic thanks Kemal
I think your battery would run out of power after a certain amount of time if it was used like you are describing. Just my thoughts.
Thanks!! I been doing it wrong
Wouldn't the manual feature on the brake controller be used if the trailer came off the hitch but was still on the chins? This way you have more control of the trailer. I though the safety break is used when the trailer completely detaches from the tow vehicle and would have otherwise be in a runaway condition.
Can I connect to a regular 12v battery my trailer has
What if the receiver fails and the receiver tube separates from the rest of the frame of the receiver? The trailer will separate but the breakaway cable won’t deploy. If you wrap the breakaway cable around the receiver frame behind the bumper, it will deploy in this failure mode.
Thanks for the video! Is the breakaway switch wired directly to the battery, or is it wired by way of the fuse panel?
The breakaway switch is wired to an onboard battery in the trailer itself. The part number for the battery is UB1250
Should attach breakaway cable opposite side from the switch so it won't tighten (and maybe pull out from the switch) on a hard right turn.
Gotta plug the parts department 😂
I too have been doing it wrong. Thanks
I was confused about when you said that the breakaway cable has to have less slack than the chains. Are you saying that you want the breakaway switch to actuate while the tow vehicle is attached to the trailer with the chains? This is contrary to the RVIA. From etrailer Expert Reply: The breakaway cable should be Longer than the safety chains according to RVIA Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. This will activate the brakes in the event you lose the trailer connection and the safety chains fail which will bring the trailer to a stop.Apr 18, 2018 I'm going to replace my current cable with the Fastway Zip Breakaway cable. It is long enough to only actuate the breakaway switch when the tow vehicle breaks from the tow safety chains and it is coiled so it stays above the chains during normal use.
What if the hitch receiver fails?
If you hitch fails the cable will still pull the pin. If you’re asking what if the receiver comes off the tow vehicle,,, then you deserve what you get for not assuring the receiver was not in good condition to tow a trailer. Where does the operators responsibility start? How about the moment YOU attach something to the tow vehicle (which needs to be capable of the task at hand). Just remember, there’s no cure for stupid!!!
Um, NEVER run the breakaway cable through the chain loops and don't twist your chains to make them shorter. If you would be subject to DOT stops get ready for the tickets.
your arm was in the way showing where and how to connect it.
Wow you yanks have slack laws! Here in Aus the cable cannot be attached to any part of the tow assembly.
No, Just Someone Who don't know the Law . It Is the same here .
Why not cut your chains instead of twisting them all up?
if I were doing this video, I would lean over, being sure to put my arm in front of the camera so my audience could in no way see where I was hooking the cable....
I get it now but your elbow was in the way of the most important step.
That works until dot stops you and gives you a ticket for having your break away cable hooked to where your chains are
Doesn't look like ANYONE is monitoring this channel or answering ANY questions!!
Eddy, we are. What questions do you have?
it's called a "break away" system for a reason. Having the brakes activate if the couple comes off the ball can lead to loss of control and cause an accident. It would be preferable to have the coupler land on the chains, hence the crossing of the chains, then be able to use your emergency actuator to control the braking action as needed and maintain control of the tow vehicle and trailer. Having your brakes come all at full actuation power while the trailer is still attached to the tow vehicle is a sure way to have your trailer flip and pull your tow vehicle out of control. You're doing it wrong!
Comment on "hook" at 1:58.
You claim to attach the the safety cable to the "hook" where the safety chains attach. I suspect it is NOT a "hook" at all (hook is on the chain) but rather the "eye" on the hitch assembly. But,... I could be wrong. If you were to actually show the attachment point, we would know.
Sorry, this was meant to be a top level comment. Not to Charlie.