Breakaway cable needs replaced

[RVnewbieGA]

Being a newbie to the RV world and the fact that the dealer didn't tell me about the breakaway cable needing to be connected to the frame of my truck. As a result the end of the cable had drug the ground and the loop had broken into. Therefore, now knowing I need this connected, I need to replace it. The forums talk about a 4' or 6' cable, but the brakes on the TT are at least 15-20 feet away. What am I missing? Also, there are different types/brands of breakaway cables to buy. What kind works for a Keystone Outback 298RE? Thanks for any advice.

[Tbos]

Equalizer sells a replacement cable that might work. When the cable is pulled it locks the brakes.

[chuckster57]

The break away switch is mounted on the tongue of a bumper pull and the pin box of a fiver. Replacement pins as you've found come in two lengths depending on how far back the switch is mounted. Just locate the switch, probably on the bottom of the frame, and then measure to the ball. I'm guessing it's about 25-30 inches. If so the 4ft will work good. You can attach it to the same place as a safety chain just make sure it's on it's own connector.

[JRTJH]

The breakaway cable is connected to a pin in the breakaway switch. It is mounted on the side of your trailer A frame, just behind the hitch coupler. If you consider the purpose of the breakaway cable, it is intended to apply the trailer brakes if the coupler lifts off the tow vehicle hitch head ball. As the trailer slows, the safety chains keep it attached and tracking behind the tow vehicle. If the breakaway cable is too long, the chains will reach their full length without pulling the pin and without applying power to the brakes to slow the trailer.

In other words, even a 4' breakaway cable may be too long to activate the breakaway switch if your safety chains are "shorter than normal".

The best way to find out if the system works(and to determine just how long your breakaway cable should be) is to back your tow vehicle up to the trailer coupler, attach the safety chains to the tow vehicle, attach the breakaway cable to the tow vehicle and slowly pull forward. The breakaway cable should pull the pin on the breakaway switch before the safety chains reach full extension. If not, should the "unthinkable" happen, you'll have a "loose trailer without brakes rolling along behind your tow vehicle, essentially "freewheeling" as you try to slow your tow vehicle and it keeps banging into you, pushing you along. You want the trailer brakes to activate immediately upon uncoupling so the trailer will have braking resistance to slow while pulling against the safety chains, keeping distance between your tow vehicle and the "loose" trailer.

You may be able to "salvage" your damaged breakaway cable if it's still long enough to work properly as described above. Simply buy a swaging sleeve for about 15 cents at any hardware store, form a loop in the end of your breakaway cable and squeeze the sleeve together with vice grips to hold the loop in position.

Oh, and don't forget to cross your safety chains under the hitch, that way they will help support the trailer A frame, keeping it from digging into the roadway.

[RVnewbieGA]

Thanks. Now I understand. I'll have it fixed by the next trip.

[hankaye]

RVnewbieGA, Howdy;

You can make your own. Go to the hardware store and buy so 1/16" steel
cable http://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-1-...e-Foot/3462050
Use one of these at each end to form the loops.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-1-...Stop/999971068
For a 4' cable get 5'. use the extra 6" at each end for the loops. Use a
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-2-...teel/999971080
for connecting it to your tow vehicle. A smaller one will do the trick Lowe's
charges to much for these.
Be sure the person at the hardware store wraps a layer of tape around
the ends before cutting. That wire has a tenancy to unravel on it's own
when you aren't looking.

hankaye

[bsmith0404]

Most break away cables are plenty long, in fact too long. I always ran them through the padlock on the hitch to keep them from dragging on the ground. If it's just the loop, you can easily fix it as mentioned above, there is probably more than enough cable to make a new loop.