Surge brakes, break-away cable: this is only a test!

Mellow_Yellow

Short story: my campsite was double-booked (on a long weekend) and I had to relocate to another site under duress. I was in a rush, made a mistake and pulled the TV away from the RV with everything detached except the surge brake, break away cable. The break away cable frayed and broke and did not apparently engage the surge brakes. 
I spoke to my RV dealer when it happened and their advice was that as long as the RV wheels are turning freely, it would be safe to tow it and drop it off for them to have a look. 
Could someone confirm how the breakaway cable is supposed to function? Are you supposed to be able to reinsert the cable, disengage the surge brakes and be safe for travel again?
I recently purchased this 2014 T@B 320 S used from an RV dealer. The surge brakes are overdue for an overhaul and I've just had a lot of other financial priorities lately. I did get a full maintenance check this past week on the TV, including brakes.
Had I known then what I know now... I would have made the sale conditional on a full overhaul of the surge brakes and wheel bearings. The T@B was under-used and sat stationary for 4 out of 6 years with the previous owner, so I'm pretty sure the brakes are not worn out. 
As upsetting as this was, the trailer was not in motion when it happened and I'm thankful for the learning experience and an opportunity to make sure the failsafe is functioning before I actually need it. 

 

Sharon_is_SAM

“ Could someone confirm how the breakaway cable is supposed to function? Are you supposed to be able to reinsert the cable, disengage the surge brakes and be safe for travel again?”

The first linked article explains how surge brakes and the break away brake works.  If your TaB rolls forward, then the brakes are not engaged and it is safe to tow.  It sounds like the cable actually pulls a lever and it requires a tool to disengage it and release the brakes.  When they checked your brakes they should have engaged your break away brake lever to test it.  Hopefully you don’t have too far to travel to your dealer.

https://www.brakebleeder.com/surge-brake-troubleshooting-tips/

https://www.championtrailers.com/hydraulic-brake-coupler-warnings/

Denny16

It appears the cable goes through the breakaway lever tab and is then swaged back on to its self, forming a loop, like the replacement cable shown with the loop.  Or you could try pushing the loop on the spare cable,through the Tab and pull the other end of the cable back through the loop.  

Cheers

Mellow_Yellow

Thanks so much @Sharon_is_SAM and @Denny16 - I think the surge brakes need to be serviced and tested. Hopefully I wasn't dragging the trailer home today and didn't cause any damage. It's out of my league to check, so I'll leave it to my RV dealer.

Mellow_Yellow

Update: all systems go. verified by my RV dealer. whew!

Sharon_is_SAM

@Mellow_Yellow - did they test the break away brake?  Did they show you how to engage the lever?  Does it require any maintenance?

ChanW

Here's an image of the parts breakdown, not very clear about the cable. And I've attached the owner's manual for it, again not very clear.

Sharon_is_SAM

Thanks @ChanW - I put your resource in the User Manual file.

Geo

@ChanW,  Just to be clear - this is not the AL-CO surge brake used on the Dutchman built T@B's

Marceline

Geo said:

@ChanW,  Just to be clear - this is not the AL-CO surge brake used on the Dutchman built T@B's

Right. It's the Atwood surge brakes used on 2013 & 2014 T@Bs. Thanks for posting @ChanW.

Mellow_Yellow

Thank you @Sharon_is_SAM, @Marceline and @ChanW! I confirmed with the RV dealer that the surge brakes did not lock up when I pulled the TV forward and broke the breakaway cable, because the trailer was stationary at the time. Had the trailer been moving when the cable was pulled, the locking mechanism would have deployed and locked the surge brakes.
The RV dealer, from whom I purchased the used trailer, topped up the oil in the surge brakes and double-checked the wheel bearings and lube, so I am good to go until I get a both systems overhauled.
Also a word on: wouldn't it just be nice to be able to enjoy the trailer without fretting over one thing or another? I hope to do just that this coming week! And before you ask @Marceline... I haven't tried out the solar panel yet because after 6+ nights boondocking, the new lithium battery is still 100%. I'll try harder to drain the battery (a bit) on the next trip and let you know!
@ChanW - I'm so relieved to know another 2014 owner!!! (aren't they great?!!!)

ChanW

Mellow, you bet!
We love ours!

Sharon_is_SAM

@ChanW just an FYI - the Yahoo TaB group has been taken down.  All the info was lost as far as we know.  (Edit:  not true - see below.)

Geo

@ChanW,  Yes I am aware of the difference - just trying to clarify.
@Sharon_is_SAM,  Yes the Yahoo web site is gone - but all the content was saved by Sandra and transferred to tabtrailers@groups.io | Topics.  Any DM owners could join that group to supplement the info that can be found.  Sharon perhaps you could list this group in the files.  

ChanW

@Sharon_is_SAM, I'm still getting postings from them.... ☺️
We have Sandra to thank!

Sharon_is_SAM

YEAH!  Great news!  We thought that info was gone for good!  @Geo - thank you and I will list that info under the category “Dutchman Archive”.

Gus

Newbie here. As Mellow-Yellow stated, I pulled away from my parked Tab and the breakaway cable became disengaged. Still has the white plastic end and I was wondering if I can reconnect to the trailer or does that need to be performed by the dealer? If I can, where is the receiver for that plastic tab? With many thanks from the still learning camper.

pthomas745

What year and model is your trailer?  The longer your switch is disengaged, the more your battery is being drained.

pthomas745

@Gus I see you have a 2021......this thread shows the basics of where the breakaway control box is, and where the "plug" at the end of the cable should go.  Look on the passenger side of the tongue.  The breakaway brakes use about 6 amps per hour, which is a considerable drain on the battery when the plug is pulled.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/10749/phantom-5-amp-draw-brake-away-brake-switch-deployed/p1

Gus

pthomas745, many thanks for your helpful response. When you write "The breakaway brakes use about 6 amps per hour, which is a considerable drain on the battery when the plug is pulled." are you referring to the 12 volt battery or a separate battery for the emergency brake? Thank you, too, for the long to another thread.

dragonsdofly

@Gus, @pthomas745 is referring to your t@b battery or your t@b battery bank. There is no separate battery for the emergency breakaway brake activation. At 6 amps per hour, if you don't have that plastic pin back in by now, your t@b battery is probably completely dead. It will draw down until the battery becomes toast. Hope you have this handled. -Denise

Mellow_Yellow

Interesting @dragonsdofly... is there also drain on the battery when the breakaway tab is pulled on the older trailer with surge brakes like mine? Or are surge brakes a strictly a mechanical/hydraulic braking system?

dragonsdofly

@Mellow_Yellow, to be honest, I am unfamiliar with the oler Dutchman t@bs and their surge brakes, but the husband and me both worked for Eagle Trailers in the 80's, 90's and into the milennium and we built custom boat trailers. The older trailers were built with surge brakes and they had no electrical involvement. Boat trailers don't have battery systems for braking. The surge brakes were, as you described "strictly a mechanical/hydraulic braking system". When the breakaway cable is pulled out, even if the cable breaks, a "pin" applies full force to the piston, immediately engaging the brakes. This happens without any electrical input. I am assuming (and that can sometimes be problematic) that the Dutchman surge brakes operate in a similar manner.

Verna

@Mellow_Yellow, the surge brakes operate solely through inertia. They feel the stopping and apply the brakes as the pressure increases. No battery power is needed. 

To go a bit further, the 7-pin plug is still needed for the charge wire from your tow vehicle’s battery, but no braking wire is used for the surge brakes which is why you do not need a brake controller.

Geo

@Mellow_Yellow,  The DM T@B's are just a mechanical system (except a few of the last run [hydraulic] built units).  The breakaway cable just pulls on the actuating mechanism, similarly as the surge piston does when the brakes are applied. No electric connection is involved at all.
@dragonsdofly,  Your description is accurate, except their is no pin that pulls out of an electronic control box as the electric brake units have. 
IMO the simplicity and ease of use with the hand brake is better than the systems that use electric brakes.

Sharon_is_SAM

So @Geo - on the DM TaBs, the TaB battery is not effected at all if the break away cable pulls?

Geo

@Sharon_is_SAM,  Correct !

dragonsdofly

@Geo, I was describing the breakaway brake system for the boat trailers both my husband and I built through Eagle Trailers. And as I said, I assumed the Dutchman t@bs had surge brakes that operated in a similar fasion. Boat trailer braking systems are meant to be submerged frequently, surge brake rv trailers are not and therein probably lies the slight differences. But, yes, I surmised there was no electrical involvement in the Dutchman t@bs breakaway braking system. And, thanks for the clarification.

Gus

Thank you all. Your responses help this newbie a great deal and are very much appreciated. I remain unclear on one detail. If the battery bank has been turned off (parked in driveway), might I safely assume the break away draw from that bank is not existent and hence no diminished battery bank?

Sharon_is_SAM

@Gus   If your battery switch was turned off, no power flows from the TaB battery when the break away pin is pulled.  That is why it is so important to always tow with the battery switch turned on.

Mellow_Yellow

Thank you everyone! Technically, my T@B is a NuCamp with a black hitch, not a DM with a silver hitch, and is one of the earliest built by NuCamp with LED lighting and the Alde (August 2013). Around this time, NuCamp was switching over from BAL hitches with surge brakes to a newer hitch with electrical brakes (I think BAL stopped making the surge brake trailers?). I consider myself lucky to have one of the last T@Bs with surge brakes
That said, I'm currently having a problem with the manual brake reverse lockout switch, that seems to be frozen, meaning I cannot disengage the surge brakes when backing up the trailer. I have it in at a service center now, hoping they can resolve it. I don't back up that often or for very great distances, but still, I'd prefer if it were working.