Break Away Safety Wire

[fby737]

On my new 2010 Cyclone I was looping the break away brake safety wire around the handle lock and realease handle of the Reese 24K hitch. Worked fine for several trips, but got a surprise this weekend when pulling in to a parking lot. In the turn, the cable managed to catch itself under the hitch mounting foot where it attaches at the truck bed and pulled the safety pin and fully applied the RV brakes! Luckily I was only doing 5 mph and was just out of the street. I could not pull the cable free and had to cut it. Just as well since it needed to be cut shorter as not to have enough length to loop down to the bottom of the truck bed and catch something again. All's well that ends well.

 

[Jay Pearsall]

I attached it on the same place, but I know you're supposed to attach off the hitch in case the entire hitch comes off... but I shorten the cable vai a zig-zag overlap and use a small zip tie to clamp it together. I expect if the rig does separate, the ziptie will break and the cable will extend to full length and actuate the brakes.

 

[2010augusta]

I thread our wire through a bracket on the hitch and then attach to the handle to avoid the problem you just discribed. One point of caution on cutting the wire shorter is to make for darn sure that you have enough lenght to make tight turns in both directions. It could be real bad to have it ripped out as you make a wide right hand turn and are blocking several lanes of traffic. JMHO.

 

[traveler44]

I was doing a pull test while leaving a repair shop when I found that I no longer had brakes working on the 5er. It turns out that while checking the brakes they had pulled the brakeaway pin out. Instead of locking up the brakes like it should have, it caused the loss of braking action, even when the brakes were activated from the tow vehicle. A new brake controller and all is fine so far. It just seems dangerous to me to think that a safety device like a brakeaway switch could cause loss of brakeing power because it is defective. Tom

 

[noobee]

k

I thread our wire through a bracket on the hitch and then attach to the handle to avoid the problem you just discribed. One point of caution on cutting the wire shorter is to make for darn sure that you have enough lenght to make tight turns in both directions. It could be real bad to have it ripped out as you make a wide right hand turn and are blocking several lanes of traffic. JMHO.

I had the plug come out a few times in making a sharp turn... no fun having to crawl into the TV bed to re-connect in busy traffic. Fixed the issue by looping a length of cable to the end... might take a nano-second longer for the brakes to engage..........

CS

 

[RollingHome]

Another way to disable locked trailer brakes is to put the battery disconnect switch in off and disconnect the power cable to the TV. This removes power from the RV electric brake coils. In turn, this enables one to move the rig to a safe place without putting a flat spot on the locked tires (off the road & out of traffic, etc.) Once in a safer place one can insert the break away pin, IF it is not broke or lost. I once had a cable catch and break, the pin was hard to find. I also put a caribeaner clip on the loop which makes it easy to hook on the TV.

 

[Netem]

I read somewhere to take a small rubber hose and slide it over the cable so it can't get under the hitch.

 

[Bighurt]

As I have the companion hitch by B&W, the turn-over ball has two u-bolts that go through the floor. I utilize a carabiner and hook the cable to that...kinda hard to connect and disconnect though. Seeing that the u bolts are not attached to the 5th wheel I consider them a permanently installed location.

 

[robnmo]

We had the same thing happen several times, as I stood considering several options, brackets, hooks, etc, my wife came walking out of the garage with a piece of garden hose said what about putting the cable through this. Put it on, and 6K mile later not one hang up. Worked like a charm.

 

[SilverRhino]

I finally put plastic wire loom cover over mine. You can buy it at any auto or home store.

 

[Jim-n-Leslie]

That's funny. My wife and I were returning from the East Coast Rally in Rodanthe, NC and pulled into a parking lot to grab some chow. I normally loop the break-away cable on the release handle of my sliding hitch, but this time I did not. I did not realize that where I attached it shortened the throw of the cable, and on a turn it did the same, fully locking the brakes! I thought "what the heck did I run over" since I didn't see anything on the pavement. Learning the truth, I have gone back to the release handle and have no recurrence. I definitely know my camper brakes work!
Jim

 

[jimtoo]

That's funny. My wife and I were returning from the East Coast Rally in Rodanthe, NC and pulled into a parking lot to grab some chow. I normally loop the break-away cable on the release handle of my sliding hitch, but this time I did not. I did not realize that where I attached it shortened the throw of the cable, and on a turn it did the same, fully locking the brakes! I thought "what the heck did I run over" since I didn't see anything on the pavement. Learning the truth, I have gone back to the release handle and have no recurrence. I definitely know my camper brakes work!
Jim

This was posted by pmmjarrett a while back. He is professional RV delivery person.

Breakaway cable

Fifth wheels

Do not loop over handle, can get a fine for this if caught
If you have a rail kit, the rails are an excellent place to hook it with a carabiner or loop it through itself
Me I use a carabiner in an available height adjustment hole on the hitch but not sure of the legality of where I hook
Ball hitch / pintle hitch

do not hook to safety chains - can get fined
do not hook to hitch stinger - can get fined
must be attached to truck or receiver, loop it through itself or get a carabiner and attach it to the same loops as you hook the safety chains, just don't use the safety chains to attach it
Gooseneck

do not hook to safety chains - can get fined
must be attached to truck or receiver, loop it through itself or get a carabiner and attach it to the same loops as you hook the safety chains, just don't use the safety chains to attach it.
IIRC the breakaway cable is supposed to be able to pull out with 3 lbs of force, I've had some I couldn't pull throwing my entire 200 lbs behind it that would probably break the cast iron surrounding the handle on my Curt Q5 20k fifth wheel.


Jim M

 

[truknutt]

Saw these replacement breakaway cables at the Timonium, MD Show this past Spring.

 

[scotty]

On my new 2010 Cyclone I was looping the break away brake safety wire around the handle lock and realease handle of the Reese 24K hitch. Worked fine for several trips, but got a surprise this weekend when pulling in to a parking lot. In the turn, the cable managed to catch itself under the hitch mounting foot where it attaches at the truck bed and pulled the safety pin and fully applied the RV brakes! Luckily I was only doing 5 mph and was just out of the street. I could not pull the cable free and had to cut it. Just as well since it needed to be cut shorter as not to have enough length to loop down to the bottom of the truck bed and catch something again. All's well that ends well.

Ditto, had the same thing happen some years ago. Now I thread the break away cable through a piece of hose. The diameter and stiffness of the hose keeps it out of harms way.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Same thing happened to me. I now connect it to a tiedown in the bed. I plan on getting the gooseneck ball (that goes with the factory 5th wheel prep on 2011 Super Dutys) and attaching it to to the ball to keep the cable centered in the bed.

It would be nice if I could get a pin with a ring on the end that was made to fit in the gooseneck receiver for the new SDs.

 

[gpshemi]

Those bungy cords are just like jetski tethers. I have an old one kicking around. I see a new mod.

 

[Gaffer]

I put sprial wire loom over mine after seeing it happen to a buddy's S.O.B.

 

[RoadJunkie]

This was posted by pmmjarrett a while back. He is professional RV delivery person.

Breakaway cable

Fifth wheels

Do not loop over handle, can get a fine for this if caught
If you have a rail kit, the rails are an excellent place to hook it with a carabiner or loop it through itself
Me I use a carabiner in an available height adjustment hole on the hitch but not sure of the legality of where I hook
Ball hitch / pintle hitch

do not hook to safety chains - can get fined
do not hook to hitch stinger - can get fined
must be attached to truck or receiver, loop it through itself or get a carabiner and attach it to the same loops as you hook the safety chains, just don't use the safety chains to attach it
Gooseneck

do not hook to safety chains - can get fined
must be attached to truck or receiver, loop it through itself or get a carabiner and attach it to the same loops as you hook the safety chains, just don't use the safety chains to attach it.
IIRC the breakaway cable is supposed to be able to pull out with 3 lbs of force, I've had some I couldn't pull throwing my entire 200 lbs behind it that would probably break the cast iron surrounding the handle on my Curt Q5 20k fifth wheel.


Jim M

Who is enforcing all these fines? Get caught? Who does the catching? If there are traffic code violations, where are they written? Are these laws that apply to commercial drivers only? Inquiring minds want to know.

This reminds me of the movie "Cool Hand Luke" where any infraction meant you "spend the night in the box".