Brakes not connected

[Larry Hagerman]

Got to a KOY camp ground. Was having problems while I was on the way. A technician walked over to me and said the the trailer was leaningnon one side. He looked undedr the trailer and found a broken leaf spring. He was able to jack up the trailer and pit in a 2 x 4 to raise the treailer. I was very luck because along wirh rubbinb on the bottom of the trailer there was a grove almost to the core of the tire. No air leaking from tire. Trailer is still under warrenty with Keystone. They gave me a phone number of a mobil teck and he would be directly paid by Keystone. When he was looking under the trailer besides the broken leaf spring he noticed that all 4 electric brake wires were disconnected. Has anyone ever run a cross all wires being disconected? Always been on paved road and camp grounds.

Thanks
Larry

 

[Peto]

I could see the axle with the broken spring shifting and pulling on the wires but the rest are suspicious. You said the trailer is under warranty. How far have you towed it and have you felt the brakes were lacking before? Could have been delivered like that and you just don't know what you have been missing. What size truck and trailer?

 

[Larry Hagerman]

I started getting brake wre error on my truck leaving Amarillo, TX . Looked up the error and it has something to do with blue wire brake error. After getting gas would get same error. Only get it after moving about 50 feet. Spent the night in Albuquerque and went to Camping world to have triler look at. Everything test good. With error everything work without probblem brake and trailer were normal. Spent 2 weeks at Cherry Valley in San Bernardino CA. Noticed problems with braks and trailer staeted after leaving there. I drive about 39 mins to get to next camp ground and that when a person noticed the problem. I have a Ford F250 supper duty, the trailer is a 39 ft cougar 5th wheel As for trailering pick up the trailer in Salt Lake city. Drove frome there to alaskaand back to Salt Lake city to have warrenty work done on the trailer. They said I had a brake proble and fixed it. Did not notice brake problem returning to Salt Lake city. From there went to West Virginia to Tennessee to Cherry Valley. Did not notice any problems except for the one noted above.

 

[workinonit]

I can't follow everything that has gone on with your rig but I read enough to know you need to sit still long enough to get some things repaired on that unit or you are going to be sorry at some point. Suspension and brakes are nothing to ignore.

 

[Larry Hagerman]

Have an appointment comming up to have things looked at before the warranty is up. Everthing was checked out when I returned to Salt Lake city. The road are not great getting to and from Alaska. Spent 5 months in Tennessee. So only have milage from west to east and back. Thats why I have an appointment to have things looked at Breaks and repack bearings Thanks for all the help.

 

[chuckster57]

FYI

Bearing service is only under warranty for the first 90 days of ownership AFAIK. Be prepared to pay out of pocket

 

[Larry Hagerman]

I talked to my warrenty people and know it is a user item. The trailer will be out of warenty in mid June. I do my berrings once a year unless I see a problem. It's worth taking care of, this way the berrings are checked and hopefuly will not have issues going down the road. I have towed trailers for almost 60 years and had one bering failure that was under warrenty. When I stop I always check the hub to see how hot it is. I rather be on the side of safty than put myself and others in harms way. Spending money on saftey is money well spent. I do rerspect other peoples opions. I usualy do my own service but now have someone elseto go it. I took auto shop in high school but due to me exsperince the teacher just let me rebuild an engine and automatic transmission. I'm an odd ball with exsperance I had growing up. thank you about telling me it is out of warrenty. People tell me lot of things things I know and it does not bother me. The main thing I was curious about how all 4 electric cable could become disconnected. (did not have internet as a kid had to go to yhe library and do research HaHA But enjoyed it) Thamks to all that replyed no matter what they said.

 

[chuckster57]

I used to go to the public library, reference desk for the shop manual that applied to the year make model of auto I was rebuilding engine for. Took copies of the specs so I didn’t have to buy the book. Still working on cars 50+ yrs later the www is better than a bookcase full of books.

 

[Larry Hagerman]

How did we servive without the WWW. If kids had to research in books they would not know how to do it.

 

[Viper02]

The brake wires are all parallel fed and side to side run thru each axle... If the brake magnet wires were "all" disconnected at the pigtails then either they were never connected from day on or you ran over something that caught both sides of each axle and ripped the pigtail connections apart....

If the place doing your bearing repack work is decent then you might get good repair work...

Bearing repack - around $350 for tandem or more

 

[chuckster57]

We charge $300 per axle. Pull drums, inspect shoes, magnet, bearings and races. Replace seal clean and repack bearings and adjust brakes.

 

[Viper02]

Tis why I DIY with everything …

 

[Larry Hagerman]

I know that things cost. repacking bearings brings up another question. Don't know if this trailer has it but the one before did. It had hubs that your pump grease zerk from the front and it would push old grewase out the front. Thats the way I repacked the bearings. It was spring load and the grease came from the cover with the grease zerk. Hope you can understand what I am saying. Are these any good? As for running over something I only travel during day lite times. Have not run over anything that would disconnect the wires. It seems something would have to be pretty big to do that. I don't drive ant faster than 60 mph. I am not in a hurry. All the comments here are worth there wieght in gold. Thank everyone for there help. Wish I could do thing myselt but disability wont let me do it.

 

[Larry Hagerman]

Tis why I DIY with everything …

Your dog looks just like mine

 

[Stu Norman]

I know that things cost. repacking bearings brings up another question. Don't know if this trailer has it but the one before did. It had hubs that your pump grease zerk from the front and it would push old grewase out the front. Thats the way I repacked the bearings. It was spring load and the grease came from the cover with the grease zerk. Hope you can understand what I am saying. Are these any good? As for running over something I only travel during day lite times. Have not run over anything that would disconnect the wires. It seems something would have to be pretty big to do that. I don't drive ant faster than 60 mph. I am not in a hurry. All the comments here are worth there wieght in gold. Thank everyone for there help. Wish I could do thing myselt but disability wont let me do it.

Pumping the zero fitting until grease runs out isn't as good as repacking the bearing, in my opinion anyway.

When I repack the bearing, I clean and inspect each bearing and race, looking for pitting or wear. I clean and inspect each brake assembly, looking for worn or broken parts.

 

[Todd & Mary]

I personally find it hard to believe you ran over anything that would have disconnected all of the brake pigtails. More likely when it was inspected, they didnt reconnect it all. I have not heard anything good with the grease zerks on the wheel hub. People pump grease too fast and blow out the rear hub seal and grease leaks into the brake drum. The manufacturers recommend not using that method any longer. I installed disc brakes 2 years ago, the stop much betted and are more easily maintained and a bonus is the bearings are larger as well. An easy check before leaving a campsite actuate the brake controller in the truck and make sure the trailer brakes are reacting. Good luck! Stay safe out there.

 

[Larry Hagerman]

Got everything working. differernt tech worked on the trailer than the that looked at it the first time. Only two had a problem with wiring one on each side, Put new connnectors on the two wires and replaced two leaf springs. Looked at broken leaf spring three of the 4 leafs had sheared off. Moved to different camp ground today with no problems. I thank all that responged to this post safe travels

 

[DutchmenSport]

You asked if anyone else has experienced a problem like yours. I have had brake problems with all my travel trailers and my current fifth wheel, everything from forgetting to plug in the trailer pig tail to the truck, to broken wires under the trailer.

With my current fifth wheel, I've had brake failure 4 times now. The first 2 was caused by the trailer brake relay in the truck failed. When that happened (both times) we were miles and miles from no where and had to tow with no trailer brakes.

Another time, I simply forgot to plug in the pig tail. Unfortunately, the plug for the pig tail drug the ground and disolved into shreds. I could not plug it into the truck. I had to tow home with no lights or brakes on the trailer.

The last time was about a year ago. We were on our way from Indiana to Louisiana. We just pulled out of a campground where we spent an overnight and I felt the brakes were not responding in the trailer. I drove about 15 miles on the interstate and pulled into a truck stop / gas station. I crawled under the trailer and examined both sets of wires. On the passenger side, I found a wire broken. The rubber insulation on the wire was rubbed completely off and the bare wire must have bent and moved around enough in the wind, it finally broke in two. It was an easy fix, I simply spliced it back together and taped it up real good. Brakes worked wonderful after that.

That incident made me realize I had a rubbing exposed wire for some time, I just did not know it, because sometimes the brakes in the trailer seemed real squirrely and other times were perfectly fine. I think the wire got thinner and thinner as it rubbed, until it finally broke.

My "saving grace" for my brake failures is the fact I drive a one ton dually diesel 3500 long bed, crew cab pick-up truck. It's heavy, it's long, and it's got POWER. But ... It also has the stopping capacity to brake for the trailer (if and when) the trailer brakes fail. I did have a couple white knuckle events happen when the trailer brakes were out, and I did skid the truck tires attempting a quick stop and the trailer kept pushing forward. Still, the truck maintained control of the trailer, even without trailer brakes. I think THAT is why I drive a one-ton dually. I know (IF) the trailer brakes fail, the truck is still capable of stopping a 14,000 pound anchor on wheels behind me.

So yes..... I have had similar problems with brake wires breaking in two.

 

[Larry Hagerman]

Thanks for your reply. I have and f250 diesel supper duty. It did great with the trailer breaks out. I do check breaks when driving buy just lightly touching the breaks to see if they engage just so slightly. I keep my distance between my truck and car in front as much as possible and slow down for exits.