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Trailer Towing-Close Call (Long Post)
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Posted by N. TX Tim on November 29, 2005 at 21:09:49 from (12.106.223.124):
The "Lost My Load" post made me decide to post this recent episode and the lesson I learned from it. Over the course of a couple months I have rented a trailer from a well known trailer mfg company to haul my JD 4430 to a mechanic about 25 miles away. The 3rd time I rented the trailer, I had noticed that my electric brake controller was not making a connection to the trailer brakes. I checked this and that...then when I wiggled the plug I got a good connection. This happened a couple of times. Since everything on my truck seemed to be in order and I had never had a problem with my controller or trailer plugs since 1999 when I installed them, I decided there must be a problem with the plug on the trailer...the wires also seemed a little loose going into the plug. When I returned the trailer, I mentioned to the guy who seemed to be in charge of the shop that I suspected that he had a loose wire or something else wrong with the plug on the trailer...and he assured me that he would check it out. The last time I rented the trailer, I had to make 2 trips to haul 2 tractors. I was bringing my 4430 home as well as a 4450 w/725 loader that I had bought. I was nervous about the 4450 the most since it was larger and much heavier than the 4430. I picked it up and got it home without any problems at all. All systems were a go. On my trip back to the mechanics to pick up the 4430 with the empty trailer, I was slowing down to make a turn and flipped on my turning signal...and things went crazy. All of a sudden the trailer brakes started pulsing...what felt like full on and full off. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a huge cloud of blue smoke and pieces of rock chips and possible rubber flying all over the place. I tried applying and releasing the brakes with no avail...the connection light on the electric brake controller kept flashing...so I just came to a complete stop right in my lane. The cars behind me took the burm and went on around me...the on coming cars also took the burm on the other side. Luckily, I was not hit nor did anyone loose control of their vehicles. I jumped out of my truck and unplugged the trailer plug and pulled the whole rig to the side. I was relieved that I did not cause a major accident...and that I was empty at the time...how much worse it could have been if I was loaded. When I pulled the trailer plug apart later, I found that several of the wires were loose on their terminals...but the worst was that the brake wire was completely pulled off its terminal and resting above the clamp screw...and shifted over touching the right turn signal terminal. Apparently I had hit a bump that jostled the wire over to the turn signal terminal and when I turned on my blinker...it started pulsing the brakes full on and full off.
Someone else who rented the trailer must have pulled away from the trailer and forgot to disconnect the plug... Lesson learned for me...don't trust someone else to do something...check it yourself. Several people told me to raise a stink with the rental company and try to get my rental fee refunded...but I didn't...told them what happened and that I had fixed the problem...figured I had enough to be thankful for and let it go at that... Happy trailering! Tim
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