Electric brakes and eBay experience.

My dump trailer is 6 years old. Occasionally my
brake controller will flash a short and overload
code. No codes on implement trailer so I feel there
is no issues with controller.

So I decided on Thursday to run new wires to both
axles. In doing so I decided to check the brake away
switch to see if power was getting to brakes. I
Pulled on cable and couldn't get the part inside
switch to come out. It was stuck. I pulled and
pulled, no luck.
So off to Rural King where they sell trailer parts,
no luck. Off to HF freight, no switch. Went to
Menards No switch. Went on eBay that evening,
ordered a switch and two days later it was
delivered.

Thought I would share my positive experience with
eBay. Also thought I would share that it might be a
good idea to pull on your brake away cable and make
sure your switch is working along with battery. My
dump trailer uses the dump battery, but my implement
has small motorcycle size battery has a special
charger that works off truck battery.

Be safe. Have good safety chains too. Recently heard
of a trailer coming off a minivan and killed
someone. No safety chains.

Brakes didn't work on my flatbed trailer, couldn't even hear the magnets click. decided to replace everything. Local dealer wanted a fortune for the brakes. went on ebaay got the whole works for less than half the price. They work great will even lock them up with a load.

Just a little experience from a guy who inspected a lot of electric brakes that were broke! Electric brakes have got to be one of the least maintained, most overly trusted components on the road today. I would put money on a bet that 98% of electric brakes on the road haven't been tested in years, batteries charged in months or a thought given to them at all in many hours of travel. And that's including the brakes on CMVs. Stick strictly with homeowner types and it's got to be up in the 99.999% area. My hat is off to anyone that actually checks his electric brakes ona regular basis. You are a rare breed indeed!

Ebay is my main source for parts for things like you described and tractor parts,love it.

When you pull the plug on the break away switch to test it,make sure the main cable is unplugged from the tow vehicle.Depending on the brand of brake controller you have,activating that switch with everything hooked up you can fry the controller.Yes,it sounds stupid and I feel it is,but the Pod brand of controllers very specificly state this.There is a little yellow card that comes with the controller that states this.I carry it in the truck.Other brands I have no idea about,so I unplug first to be safe.

Bret,
I use a Primus IQ Brake Controllers
from Tekonsha. It has a digital display that flashes
a C when it connected to brakes, NC when it not. It
flashes OL or Sh when it sees an overload or a
short.

I don't move if I don't see a C and look for problem
if it flashes a Sh or OL.

My truck can easily handle a 6k load but stopping it
without electric brakes is insane, especially with
people that change lanes without using turn signals
and cut you off. Stopping is always on my mind.
Never had an accident at age 68 may say something.
It may say my luck could run out any time.
geo

I was working on brakes and the trailer wasn't even connected to truck. Not sure if it would damage my controller, but I wouldn't want to chance it either.

I bought a new 16' tandem axle enclosed trailer a few years back. Right away had problems with the lights flickering on/off. For the side lamps, it was due to the ground being a sheet metal screw attaching to VERY thin aluminum fenders! The steel screws had wallowed out the holes and ground was intermittent at best.

On same trailer, there was a loud sort-of screeching noise coming from one of the axles. Towed it back to dealer and they found that the equalizer on one side was flipped. They jacked it up and got that fixed, but still a lot of "weird noises". Not even my old lowboy is that noisy! So I did some more investigating. In the process, I found brake wiring that had been crushed and severed, preventing the brakes from even working! ([i:bb99ccffff]added: one of the rims that came on the trailer was also manufactured out-of-round according to a local, very reputable tire shop[/i:bb99ccffff])

In the end, I ended up mounting a dash cam on the underside, then loaded the trailer to as close as I could get to max payload without going over. Made one trip down the driveway and back again. Video clearly showed the axles bouncing way up past where they "should" have gone, which now explained some very severe dents in the under-frame I-beams.

Sent video to the manufacturer and, as the trailer was bought in Arkansas and they had no dealers up here, I bought replacement springs and installed them, thereby correcting that problem. Their stock 3,500 lb. leaf springs just couldn't handle their own capacity when driving less than 10 MPH down the driveway!! Ended up replacing with 5,200 lb. springs which gives a bouncier ride when empty, but handles GREAT with a load!! Bought the replacement springs off of eBay.

The trailer before that was a 22' PJ deckover trailer. Lost the trailer in an accident when the trailer brakes failed. I had a bad feeling about the brake setup on that particular trailer, but there was a lot going on then (Dad had just passed away) and didn't take the time to check things first.

GeoTn-Ln, my ''special charger'' must not be workin, all the little batteries on my trailers are dead

How old is the trailer?

I wouldn't expect the batteries to be much better than a riding mower battery, and many of them don't last more than one season - which seems really stupid for such a safety item!

Both trailers are 6. Dump uses same battery
for dumping and brakes.
Implement trailer used a wheel chair type
lead acid . I pull brake away cable to test
it while I'm on gravel drive. Both trailers
are getting charged from truck.

How often do you test your battery and
break away switch?

"[i:af865ba3cc]How often do you test your battery and break away switch?[/i:af865ba3cc]"

Well George, I gotta tell you, of the two trailers I have now, only one has brakes. The other 16' tandem axle is so old that electric brakes were considered "not necessary" at the time. As for the one with brakes (the enclosed), it has sat in one spot for over a year now, full of "stuff" from Mom & Dad's place in Arkansas. We keep nibbling away at it trying to get the thing emptied out, but I'm leaving that ALL up to the wife! If I had my way I would've thrown out about 4 tons of "stuff" many years ago. So when's the last time I checked the breakaway cable or battery? Well, not since before that load, that's for sure! *lol*

Sometimes it really is troublesome to live so far away from humanity. .....but it's so QUIET out here! :mrgreen:

Is that break-away thing supposed to do something? My gooseneck trailer has one. I've never tested it. Only way the trailer will come unhitched is if I failed to secure the hitch ball, and then the safety chains would come into play. Only way to fail after that is if the entire goosenech hitch came out of the truck, and for that to happen would require a MAJOR collision.

I have had good success with ebay my self. If I am not in a hurry I buy a lot of my parts there. My brake away switch may come out too easy. I had it pull out on a bumpy road. At least I know it works. Talk about screeching tires. Stan

Yes brake away switch is to apply 12v to
electric brakes if trailer gets
disconnected from truck. Pull the cable and
see what happens. Better lock up all
wheels. Remove power cord in case 12v back
feeds into controller.

(quoted from post at 10:28:18 08/20/17) Bret,
I use a Primus IQ Brake Controllers
from Tekonsha. It has a digital display that flashes
a C when it connected to brakes, NC when it not. It
flashes OL or Sh when it sees an overload or a
short.

I don't move if I don't see a C and look for problem
if it flashes a Sh or OL.

My truck can easily handle a 6k load but stopping it
without electric brakes is insane, especially with
people that change lanes without using turn signals
and cut you off. Stopping is always on my mind.
Never had an accident at age 68 may say something.
It may say my luck could run out any time.
geo

Click to expand...

George, I have no doubt you are one of the few in that "rare breed" column!

(quoted from post at 17:18:22 08/20/17)
Is that break-away thing supposed to do something? My gooseneck trailer has one. I've never tested it. Only way the trailer will come unhitched is if I failed to secure the hitch ball, and then the safety chains would come into play. Only way to fail after that is if the entire goosenech hitch came out of the truck, and for that to happen would require a MAJOR collision.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's supposed to do something and it's supposed to pop out and activate the brakes BEFORE your chains come tight. #1 Out Of Service violation on trailers with electric brakes is the break away tether not being correctly attached. I've seen them run through the chains, so long they couldn't possibly pop the plug, etc. Just take a look at it and apply a little common sense.

(quoted from post at 06:10:35 08/21/17)

(quoted from post at 17:18:22 08/20/17)
Is that break-away thing supposed to do something? My gooseneck trailer has one. I've never tested it. Only way the trailer will come unhitched is if I failed to secure the hitch ball, and then the safety chains would come into play. Only way to fail after that is if the entire goosenech hitch came out of the truck, and for that to happen would require a MAJOR collision.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's supposed to do something and it's supposed to pop out and activate the brakes BEFORE your chains come tight. #1 Out Of Service violation on trailers with electric brakes is the break away tether not being correctly attached. I've seen them run through the chains, so long they couldn't possibly pop the plug, etc. Just take a look at it and apply a little common sense.

Click to expand...

Seems like no one has a sense of humor these days.

Sometimes it's hard to tell when someone is joking. When I joke, I try to use a lot of *lol* or emoji characters, etc. ...Still doesn't seem to help sometimes.

I got a set of 4 complete trailer brakes on Amazon, just had to bolt them on on and connect the wires.

(quoted from post at 10:56:20 08/21/17)

(quoted from post at 06:10:35 08/21/17)

(quoted from post at 17:18:22 08/20/17)
Is that break-away thing supposed to do something? My gooseneck trailer has one. I've never tested it. Only way the trailer will come unhitched is if I failed to secure the hitch ball, and then the safety chains would come into play. Only way to fail after that is if the entire goosenech hitch came out of the truck, and for that to happen would require a MAJOR collision.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's supposed to do something and it's supposed to pop out and activate the brakes BEFORE your chains come tight. #1 Out Of Service violation on trailers with electric brakes is the break away tether not being correctly attached. I've seen them run through the chains, so long they couldn't possibly pop the plug, etc. Just take a look at it and apply a little common sense.

Click to expand...

Seems like no one has a sense of humor these days.

Click to expand...

Like the other guy said, without those smiley face things, how do you tell if it's a joke? :wink: :lol: :shock: :lol: 8) :roll: