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

ScottG

Gus said:

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?

@Gus, even if the battery is left on, the electric breakaway brakes will only draw power if the pin in the switch box is removed.

That said, there are other good reasons to turn your battery off when parked. Just be sure to turn it back on before departure for the reason Sharon noted above. 

Marceline

Mellow_Yellow said:

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.

I’ve owned a CS-S on the same frame for nearly 5 years and I’ve never used that lever. Per the manual, it should be used when backing up on a hill or on soft ground (presumably because the trailer would be pressing hard against the ball, causing the brake to engage). I haven’t messed with it since I bought the trailer in 2017. 

Mellow_Yellow

Update: the lever is stuck because the rubber boot that actuates the surge brake cylinder has degraded and is all bunched up. I'm really glad I had this looked it because the brakes are currently compromised.