5th wheel Breakaway Cable

[Frank G]

Another one of those simple questions. :hide: Where, how do you attach the Breakaway cable to the truck? I have the Rail system in the F 250 with a Curt Slider.

[66joej]

On the 5ver we had I would loop the cable around the release handle of the 5th wheel hitch.

[Pull Toy]

+1 for above.

That way the cable slack stays the same relative to the 5th wheel, and is easier to remember to detach when disconnecting, and unhooking.

Good Luck,

[xcntrk]

I have an auto slider hitch and attach the breakaway to my hitch head. I replaced the loose wire cable that came on my kingpin with one of those coiled units so that the slack wouldn't get hung up on the slider motion.

The towing police will be around soon and will tell you not to attach the breakaway to the hitch at all and that it should be attached firmly to the truck in the event the hitch is involved in the breakaway. :hide:

[rsl]

I have an auto slider hitch and attach the breakaway to my hitch head. I replaced the loose wire cable that came on my kingpin with one of those coiled units so that the slack wouldn't get hung up on the slider motion.

The towing police will be around soon and will tell you not to attach the breakaway to the hitch at all and that it should be attached firmly to the truck in the event the hitch is involved in the breakaway. :hide:


Yes because we all know if the trailer separates from the truck that engaging the brakes of the trailer is going to help anything. If the nose of the trailer don't stop it the undersized brakes sure wont

[66joej]

Yes because we all know if the trailer separates from the truck that engaging the brakes of the trailer is going to help anything. If the nose of the trailer don't stop it the undersized brakes sure wont

Don't understand where should we be attaching the breakaway cable?

[chuckster57]

Yes because we all know if the trailer separates from the truck that engaging the brakes of the trailer is going to help anything. If the nose of the trailer don't stop it the undersized brakes sure wont
If the brakes are in proper working order, when 12VDC is applied to the magnets the wheels will lock up.

Part of our axle service includes checking by lifting the tires off the ground, pulling the break away pin and then torquing the lug nuts. The wheels will hold at 120 ft/lbs.

I'm NOT the " towing police" but it only makes sense to attach the cable separate from the hitch. Odds of the hitch separating from the truck...probably slim at best, but That doesn't mean it WON'T happen. Put it where you want, mine is on a pin that holds the head so I am secured to the base that is pinned to the rails. I don't have a slider so I worry about that.

As to looping it over the locking handle: have seen customers come in with the cable laying in the bed and the driver swearing he looped it over the handle...just sayin

[MattHelm21]

The theory I've heard is that the breakaway cable shouldn't be attached to a hitch component that could break off in the event of separation. A mounting point to the truck bed is preferred. I have always had bed rails under the hitch so I split the difference. I use a carabiner through the cable loop and attach it to a free hole in the bed rail. I've always had enough length so in turns it never disconnected. I've heard of others that haven't been so lucky.

[Vet4jdc]

The theory I've heard is that the breakaway cable shouldn't be attached to a hitch component that could break off in the event of separation. A mounting point to the truck bed is preferred. I have always had bed rails under the hitch so I split the difference. I use a carabiner through the cable loop and attach it to a free hole in the bed rail. I've always had enough length so in turns it never disconnected. I've heard of others that haven't been so lucky.

I do the same as above. Hooked it to the hitch before and the cable got caught and locked up the brakes. Have not had an issue since attaching it to the bed rails with a carabiner.

[bsmith0404]

GM has small tie down loops in the bed of the truck, I use a carabiner clip to hook mine to the loop near the rear of the bed, easily reached while I'm connecting the umbilical. Another option is to get a small d-ring from your local hardware store with a couple machine screws and mount it wherever you want it. It doesn't take much to pull the pin if there is ever a breakaway so realistically you only need something capable of holding a few lbs.

Finally, no you should not attach it to the hitch. I have never seen a hitch head or legs break away, but it is possible and I assume has happened at some point or they wouldn't recommend not to do it. Goes to the old saying, learn from others mistakes. As easy as it is to connect to an alternate location, why wouldn't you?

[Frank G]

Thanks to everyone that replied, I was looking for how others did the attachment. After the snow melts I will take a good look at attachment points that will not get tangled up with the hitch. There is a tie down in each corner of the bed and I am not apposed to adding a specific attachment point. :cool:

[JRTJH]

You can probably "what if" something like this to death and even past the grave.... I'd be concerned with "stringing a cable" from the hitch to a tiedown point at one of the bed corners. "What if" some cargo, or a piece of firewood rolled over the cable and pulled the pin? "What if" you stepped on the cable while getting something out of the bed at a stop, tripped and fell? "What if" ____ (fill in the blank)...

I bought a 1/4" eyebolt from ACE Hardware, used two fender washers and 2 nuts (so it wouldn't fall through the hole) to secure it to one of the hitch legs (through an existing hole in the hitch leg). I used a swedging tool and wire cutters to shorten the cable to the correct length and swedged a loop on the cable, threaded a self closing boat hook on the loop and just slip that through the eyebolt. It's a short cable, doesn't catch or bind and isn't "something strung across the bed" to get in the way or subject to an accidental pull.

Remember, the purpose of the cable/breakaway device is to stop your trailer if something happens. Being in "rush hour traffic" at 60 MPH on an 8 lane freeway and hitting a bump that bounces your blue dump tank around in the bed, pulling the cable with five 18 wheelers on your tail.... Well, that's not the time to have your trailer brakes lock up without the brake lights coming on because the factory didn't wire the lights to the brake switch...... :popcorn:

[xcntrk]

^Exactly!

which is why I secure mine straight to my hitch head ;)

Seriously though, the auto-slider hitches exaggerate this problem by having moving/sliding parts in the way of wherever you attach it. You almost have no choice with a slider but to attach it to the hitch head so the cable is up and out of the way.

[jtrevill]

2nd the last two posts - and my thoughts are that if my hitch is coming out.... I've got way bigger problems.

[bsmith0404]

2nd the last two posts - and my thoughts are that if my hitch is coming out.... I've got way bigger problems.

Actually, if your hitch comes out, the only real problem you have at that particular moment is stopping 15k lbs of runaway trailer. Other problems are all secondary and after the fact considerations.

As for stuff in the bed of the truck, I plug my umbilical into an in bed connector that I mounted near the rear of the bed. I hook my breakaway cable in the in bed tie down point right below it. I do not put anything else behind the hitch, that is reserved space for the 2 cables. When I used to hook the cable on the head release arm, I once had the cable get hooked under the head and pull the pin in the middle of a corner. Locked the wheels up solid in the middle of an intersection. I have not had any problems since I started hooking it at the rear of the bed behind the hitch.

[capnttom]

Here's how I do it

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170328/b2e46749fd8d3c95f1554086c529ef36.jpg


Tom & Cathy
2017 Alpine 3401RS
2016 Ram 2500 CTD w/airbags

[2014301ktmhauler]

I have mine attached to the trailer self destruct button. If it ever comes loose I don't want anything left for the insurance company to try and fix.