Break A Way System Operation

[daplumbr]

If I have the break a way system emergency brakes wired into the house batteries correctly, will the brakes be applied when the pull-thingie is yanked out? My camper is just sitting in the driveway on shore power with the batteries on charge and after I wired the break a way system directly into the house batteries, I get nothing. 

[mitch]

Seems like they should, you're basically replicating no truck attached.

[charliem]

[quote timestamp="1460829178" source="/post/20601/thread" author="@sandroad"]If I have the break a way system emergency brakes wired into the house batteries correctly, will the brakes be applied when the pull-thingie is yanked out? My camper is just sitting in the driveway on shore power with the batteries on charge and after I wired the break a way system directly into the house batteries, I get nothing. [/quote][font size="3"]Yes, it should engage the brake magnets when you pull the breakaway switch. You can check if you have a clamp on ammeter. Disconnect the shore power so you're running on the battery and pull the breakaway switch. On the 21RBS I measured a total of ~14 Amps from the battery for all four brakes. I measured a few individually and got ~3.5Amps each. The exact values depend on the brakes and battery voltage. [/font]

[daplumbr]

Well that's a bummer. First time in my life I screwed something up. I guess I need to redo the wiring. I wonder if the break a way system ever worked. Time to get out the meter(s). 

[otisw]

I checked my 16DBS built in August 2015 and purchased last month as I was suspicious after reading posts on here.  Mine is wired to the main battery as delivered, and the cheapo switch was mechanically broken.  When the pin is pulled, two metal spring contacts are supposed to close and deliver + 12 to the brakes.  It looks like one of the spring contacts is jammed.  These switches are $6 on the internet, so I'm not going to both to call the dealer or livin-lite.  I'm going to replace it with this one that has a coiled pull cord:


http://www.amazon.com/Fastway-80-00-2060-Breakway-Electric-Switch/dp/B003VAX2YM?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

So be sure to check your switch actually works.  It would be a shame to have a trailer take off on its own and kill somebody for a $6 part.

[charliem]

[quote timestamp="1461265147" author="@otisw" source="/post/20738/thread"]I checked my 16DBS built in August 2015 and purchased last month as I was suspicious after reading posts on here.  Mine is wired to the main battery as delivered, and the cheapo switch was mechanically broken.  When the pin is pulled, two metal spring contacts are supposed to close and deliver + 12 to the brakes.  It looks like one of the spring contacts is jammed.  These switches are $6 on the internet, so I'm not going to both to call the dealer or livin-lite.  I'm going to replace it with this one that has a coiled pull cord:


http://www.amazon.com/Fastway-80-00-2060-Breakway-Electric-Switch/dp/B003VAX2YM?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

So be sure to check your switch actually works.  It would be a shame to have a trailer take off on its own and kill somebody for a $6 part.[/quote][font size="3"]So three questions:

Was the trailer new when you bought it? Was it sitting on a dealer's lot for a while? Was there any evidence of physical damage to the switch?

The good news is the breakaway was wired to the house battery, either from the factory or by another owner. The bad news is the switch was bad, either from the factory/dealer or a previous owner.[/font]

[daplumbr]

[quote source="/post/20738/thread" author="@otisw" timestamp="1461265147"]I checked my 16DBS built in August 2015 and purchased last month as I was suspicious after reading posts on here.  Mine is wired to the main battery as delivered, and the cheapo switch was mechanically broken.  When the pin is pulled, two metal spring contacts are supposed to close and deliver + 12 to the brakes.  It looks like one of the spring contacts is jammed.  These switches are $6 on the internet, so I'm not going to both to call the dealer or livin-lite.  I'm going to replace it with this one that has a coiled pull cord:


http://www.amazon.com/Fastway-80-00-2060-Breakway-Electric-Switch/dp/B003VAX2YM?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

So be sure to check your switch actually works.  It would be a shame to have a trailer take off on its own and kill somebody for a $6 part.[/quote]The switch you chose is the one I used for replacement. It's a much better switch, with a good seal and the coiled cord is great (though that can be bought separately). Based on my experience, I'm still not sure if the breakaway switch is installed by the factory or by the dealer? I know my OEM switch was installed after the propane tank holder was installed and I think the tank holder is installed by the dealer? Anyway, good for you to discover the problem!

[tinkeringtechie]

What test are you doing to check the brake function? They don't really behave like regular car brakes. Turning them on makes an electromagnet drag on the inside of the drum, which pulls on a lever, which spreads the brake pads. It makes no noise and is a bit delayed because of the indirection (unlike a brake caliper). Charlie's method of measuring the current is good, but I'd probably hook it up to the car in the driveway (or a parking lot). Pull out the 7-pin and then the breakaway cable and see if the trailer resists when I pull forward.

[daplumbr]

I had my trailer on jack stands to install new tires. When I pulled the pin I checked all 4 wheels for proper brake operation. It was not plugged into either the tow vehicle or shore power. My new connection to the main battery and my new switch worked great.