Just wondering what is the proper way to hook it up. On my toyhauler, it came with the wire rope threaded through the safety chain and looped on one of the hooks that connects to the truck hitch.

This to me does not make sense since the whole purpose of the break away switch is to activate the brakes in case the trailer gets loose. The chains would have to break off in order for the brakes to activate.

But what about if the trailer gets loose and the hooks come off the hitch? Would it not make sense for the break away wire to be connected to the truck with its own hook somehow?

I know the chances of a trailer and the safety hooks coming off at the same time are pretty remote, but better safe than sorry!

What do yall think?

legally your breakaway switch is to be hooked to your frame and or your bumper.it is a safety precation incase your complete tow hitch comes off your truck. in which case it would not work if it is hooked up with your chains.

Yeah, that makes sense, so why would dealer hook it up the wrong way? Anybody know the vehicle code for this?

they all do i sell trailers and it is all about easy to do not the right way.i tell all my customers how to do it and they still will put it with the chains

Now I got another project, hooking all my trucks and trailers the right way!

Thought about that too. I need to put a hook on my bumper, mine too is hooked with the safety chains and wont do squat.

I think mine is wraped around the chains. Now that you bring it up I'm think I'm going to change it. Maybe drill a small hole in the bumper and get a little caribeaner to latch it.
My dad used to slip the loop over the ball and zip tie it tight if I remeber corectly.

I have looked at mine and it is the same way. If the teather is longer than the chains then it will not work. I keep telling myself to move the switch back on the frame to shorthen the teather length.

the whole idea of the breakaway switch is when it is completly free of the vehicle (which i hope thet no one ever has to experience) that the teather will be pulled and the trailer brakes will lock up keeping it from running into traffic. you do not want it pulled if it comes off the ball and still has the chains on that could be ugly real fast. ps those with enclosed trailers check your little breakaway battery all the time , or all of it is useless

Something else for me to think about.

thats interesting...never thought about it that way. I would think that if it comes off the ball but still has the chains, its gonna get ugly either way! I think I would rather have it lock up even if the chains are the only thing holding it on.

Mellen

I uses a Metal Carabiner and attach the brake away loop into the carabiner and then attach the carabiner to the trailer hitch of the tow vehicle right next to the safety chain in that welded loop or slotted area on the trailer hitch that is used for the attachment of the saftey chains.

ALSO remember that your safety chains are to be CROSSED OVER each other to create a cradle to catch the trailer tongue should it disconnect from the tow vehicle

Good stuff, thanks.

Breakaway battery? where is that at? I have never heard of it?

holy crap! i never knew that. thanks!

yes, the chains are REQUIRED BY LAW (in ca anyway) to be crossed under the trailer coupler.

do 5th wheels not have break away switches? my trailer and others that ive pulled do/did not have them....

5er's should all have a brake away mine is attached to the pin box

i dont even see where one would have been attached on mine.....

From the DMV web site.

Safety chains are required for travel trailers. Safety chains are not required for fifth-wheel trailers. The purpose of safety chains is to prevent the trailer from separating from the tow vehicle in event of hitch failure such as a hitch ball that has loosened. The chains should be crossed in an "X" fashion below the ball mount, with enough slack that they do not restrict turning or allow the coupler to hit the ground.

Breakaway switches are also required for any trailer having a gross weight of 1500 lbs. or more and manufactured after December 31, 1955. They are designed to activate trailer brakes if the tow vehicle becomes separated from the trailer. One end of the breakaway switch is attached to an electrical switch on the trailer frame and the other end is looped around a stationary hitch component on the tow vehicle. If the two vehicles become separated, the cable pulls a pin inside the breakaway switch and applies full power from the trailer battery to the trailer brakes.Even though hitch component failure is rare, the breakaway switch and the safety chains must be in good working order.

So, if I understand all this correctely, the safest way to have a trailer hooked up to your tow vehicle is:

1. Trailer is hooked and latched with a lock on it to prevent it from coming off the ball.

2. If it comes off the ball, or ball comes off the hitch, the chains should be crossed so that they can "catch" the trailer.

3. If the entire hitch seperates from tow vehicle, break away switch should be connected to a part of the vehicle seperate
from the hitch so that it may activate the brakes, assuming battery is good.

I will get right on this, I brought one of my 10k lb dump trailers home and will be doing this tomorrow. Purchased 20' of 1/16 cable and the ferrules along with the tool to crimp them, about $50.00, small price to pay for peace of mind.

On an RV, the house battery/batteries are the break away battery. On utility trailers there should be a small motorcycle type battery that is wired to the trailer connector for lights, brakes, etc.

You must check and make sure that your truck charges the battery and you must check the battery regularly to make sure it is in good condition.

On one of my utility trailers, 14' tandem, it has no battery/break away switch, on my 16' tandem it does. I believe it is because the 14' is under the minimum weight for break away switch.

Holy sh1t i never knew to cross the safety chains. Good call!

This is what I had to buy to re-connect switch
Click to view attachment


1/16" Cable attached
Click to view attachment


The hook that will attach to some part of the frame, NOT the hitch!
Click to view attachment


All done for now, will feel much better rolling down the road with 10k behind me!
Click to view attachment

I hook my break away loop around the pin that holds my hitch.It is easier to hook it behind the pin and clip when there is no weight on the trailer so you can spin it around to get on the far sideof the clip. The chains are down and lower .

It was suggested to me that I should not connect the brake cable to the bumper as it can also be ripped off in a massive failure. Like someone said in an earlier post, find a place on the frame if you can.

Err, the brake cable is just to trip that box, not pull the trailer, and only needs to be strong enough to pull the loop on the breakaway box. Once it's been pulled, the brakes will stay on until someone or something pushes that loop back in.

Either way, if that thin little cable pulls your bumper off, you've got other problems that need immediate attention...


As far as not wanting the brakes to engage if it ends up on the chains, I disagree. I'd rather have the brakes fully engaged to keep tension on those chains (and keep it from going all over the place) and let me immediately know there's a problem than for the brakes to not turn on automatically until the trailer has completely disconnected from my vehicle. I'm sure every one of you has engaged the emergency slide on your brake controller to the max (if you haven't, shame on you) and the results are far from catastrophic. My trailer brakes will slow the whole rig, but at a rate that wouldn't even upset a carsick grandmother. It's not like you're going to come to a screeching halt in 30' or something.

If you got on the brakes without the trailer brakes pulling those chains tight, THEN it'd be messy.

I extended the length of my breakaway line and now run it through the back window of the truck and hold it in my hand while driving. That way, if something does happen, I can just pull the line myself activating the breaks. There are too many ways things can go wrong no matter where you hook up the line

Well there you go... best answer yet!!

I had actually heard that the clip-on type hooks are not legal either. The connection had to be the threaded type carbeaner so its a more stable link.

Anyone know the word on this?

+

VS.

just be careful when reaching over to change the radio station. Things can go wrong in a hurry...

I got a fix-it ticket for exactly this on one of my utility trailers. The spring loaded part on both hooks had broken off over time. Local PD (Indio) commercial enforcement officer told me they could be either of the above. "Positive securement of safety chains" is what she called it. I put on the clip on type, got it signed off, went to court, paid $25.00, case closed.

P.S. I have actually used the caribiner type and they are a pain in the arse, over time crud gets on the threads, threads get damaged, and you have to used tools to undo/do them. Much easier to use clip on type. If they weren't legal, RV store wouldn't sell them right? That's were I bought 'em!

Huh......I never knew the chains had to be crossed. I do it anyway cause if I don't they like to drag.

I have always put the breakaway switch with the hook of the safety chain and when I had to take the non comercial class A on the pre trip inspection they make you have it on the first link of the safety chain.

This is copied from the non comercial class A handbook pre inspection about the coupling system.

Other Coupling System:
Pin/Ball/Coupler: Must be seated properly in the coupler and locked.
Equalizing arms: If equipped, must be attached and the chains must be tight.
Safety chains: Must be in an "X" pattern.
Breakaway switch: If equipped, must be connected to the first link of the safety chain.
Air connections: If equipped, must be in good condition and not leaking.
Electrical connections: Must be seated and locked in place.
Landing gear: If equipped, must be fully raised and have no missing parts. The handle must be secure and the support frame and landing pads cannot be damaged. Check for air or hydraulic leaks if power operated.
Frame of trailer: Must have no cracks or bends in longitudinal frame members or cross members.

I do like the Idea of the cable being pulled if/when the trailer falls on the chains so the trailer wouldn't slam the back of your truck when slowing down. There are some good poiints being made in this thread.

Just bought 4 of these for a gooseneck trailer I bought and have been working on and noticed something funny. Look at the rating on the carbeaner in the pic "3300 lbs"

My toyhauler is almost 8k without toilet paper in it!

Okay, I don't get how the trailer fallling on the chains with the breakaway connected to the first link is gonna activate it. If the cable is at least as long if not longer than the chains, how the heck would it get pulled enough to activate the brakes?

Okay, I don't get how the trailer fallling on the chains with the breakaway connected to the first link is gonna activate it. If the cable is at least as long if not longer than the chains, how the heck would it get pulled enough to activate the brakes?

I think if a trailer were to fall on the chains, the best thing to do is:

1. Stay calm, soiling your panties will do no good and will only embarass you when someone stops to see what happens!

2. Use the manual slide on your brake controller to slow the trailer down so that you can hopefully prevent it from hitting your truck undtil you come to a
complete stop.

3. If all goes well and you haven't wrecked your truck or trailer, go inside trailer and change your undies 'cause they're probably soiled, I know mine would be!

I agree, and the breakaway cable would have to be shorter than the chains and long enough not to get pulled when turning. I have my cable conected to the chain hook that hooks to the hitch. I think I am going to shorten it enough to activate if the trailer were to fall on the chains.

i combod the hook and the whatever you call it on my d max. there is a spot next to the hitch to the right (facing it) under the bumper where it has two slots

hook this in there


then connect this to it

If they want the break away cable hooked to the first link they must want the brakes to engage if the chains break.

Great post I have always wondered where to hook it.