# Emergency Brake Switch Cable



## SDCampers

The cable that goes to the brake for emergency brake away is snaked through the chain and to the hook at the end of the chain. Should this cable be shorter than the chain to set the brake in the event the trailer comes unhooked? Should the cable be out of the chain links and routed seperate to be hooked to the tow vehicle? Is the brake supposed to be set when the trailer comes disconnected with the chains still hooked to the vehicle? If so, I would think the cable should be shorter than the chains.
I ask my dealer on this and wasn't too confident in their answer. They told me to leave it snaked through the links on the safety chains. That just doesn't seem right to me. Plus he kind of stammered for an answer which led me to think he wasn't too sure.
Thanks for any input on this.


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## CamperAndy

There are a couple of considerations.

The brake cable should be tied to the TV at some point other then the hitch in case of total hitch failure.

When the chains are fully extended the brake cable should be right at the point of activating. There are two schools of thought here, one is the emergency brakes should operate if the trailer comes off the ball and the other is they should operate if the trailer and chains separate from the TV. I am in the second school of thought. That said you have to maintain control of the trailer brakes even if the hitch is off the ball but the chains are still connected, so you must make sure the wiring pigtail will stay connected with the chains connected and fully extended.


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## Ghosty

CamperAndy said:


> The brake cable should be tied to the TV at some point other then the hitch in case of total hitch failure.
> 
> When the chains are fully extended the brake cable should be right at the point of activating. ....
> 
> .... they should operate if the trailer and chains separate from the TV.


1. You should run the brake wiring through the chains to prtect the wire from daily accidents like getting pinched and cut...
2. You should hook the wiring to the end of the chains itself so that you don't forget to hook up the brakes (you are more likely NOT to forget to hook the chains than you are to REMEMBER to hook up the electrical brakes).
3. If my trailer is going to BREAK away from my vehicle, I want my trailer to completely BREAK away from me and then STOP on its on -- I do NOT want some out of control beast flailing around back there and me try to control it and my TV at the same time!!! Chains rarely maintain the trailer once they break away except at slow speeds...

The chains need to be ALMOST stretched prior to the BRAKE engaging...


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## sunnybrook29

I have had my travel trailer come loose on two occasions. Both times it was controlled by the chains. I let off on the foot brakes and coasted to a stop . No damage !
Both times some one [ me ] had not flipped down the camber lock on the hitch. I believe if you hit your brakes you would not only have damage to both vehicles but it would been hard to control. It is not much harder to steer the TT , hitched or not ! 
But the question was about the brake switch, My self I would rig it so the breakaway brakes did not switch on until the hitch or chains were away from the tow truck.
I have also had a 35 foot fifth wheel drop onto the tailgate at slow speed. I brought it to a slow stop with no damage to the trailer. I had to replace the tailgate on the truck and put aluminum stripes on the bed rails. 
Not only am I stupid , I am very lucky !


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## Carey

Since I haul rvs for a living I fall under DOT rules.

The cable must be free of the chains.
It must be shorter than the chains. This can be done by looping around a snap hook and then putting the cable loop thru the snap hook after looping. I picked up a cheap snap hook at the hardware store. I leave it hooked on my hitch. 
The cable end must be hooked to a ring like a snap hook. The actual loop needs secured thru something. Pull the actual pin and loop it thru the cable end. This is also legal if you dont have a snap hook/ring.
The cable must be free of any obstuctions in use. 
It can be hooked to the hitch if the hitch exceeds the trailer weight GVWR. I use a class 5 hitch. 
If the trailer breaks free from my vehicle thru any mechanical or other fault of my own. I get a large ticket.

One more... An actual lock must be placed in the hitch lever hole. If you use a locking pin in the reciever and a lock on the hitch lever, your chances of ever losing a trailer is nill. Autozone sells an actual offset hitch lock for 6-8 bucks. If you always use a lock, you will never forget to latch the hitch locking lever. This also provides a cheap effective deturant to moving the trailer when its parked. Just use the lock when the lever is moved back. That prevents the lever from being latched.

On 5ers.. If you place a snap hook in the front 5er hitch mounting rail this provides the perfect distance for the cable. I lay the cable over the pull pin mechanism. I have a good 100k 5er towing miles using this method. Works great. I take a pic sometime.

Carey


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## Nathan

Interesting to hear the DOT rules. With my OB, I tried to get the brakeaway cable the same length as the light wire. That way I figured, the Truck would control the brakes until I lost the umbilical connection and then resort to the worst case lock em up.









Of course with a 5'er and no chains, once it is free, it is free, so there I try to make sure the cable is run so it doesn't accidentally pull on a turn.


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