Trailer Brake Cable

Passport

I have had a problem connecting the trailer emergency brake cable to the tow vehicle.  How do the rest of you folks attach the cable?  To the hitch?  Pin that hold the hitch in place?  Or maybe to the bumper somehow?  I can't figure the best way.

Denny16

I hook the safety brake cable in the safety chain hook on the tow vehicle.  you want a connection point that is on the TV frame, not the hitch, in case the hitch pin fails.
 Cheers 

Passport

That's where I hooked the cable!  So I'm somewhat normal!

jimcenname

I hook mine to my bumper.

Bayliss

@Passport, how you make the connection depends on how your hitch receiver is set up and connected to your tow vehicle.  You may want to add that information, plus a photograph of your set-up will help with getting applicable responses.

Like @Denny16, I connect mine to the safety chain hook that is part of the hitch/receiver.  I use a "quick-link" connector to attach the brake cable (see photo.)  I personnally would not connect it to the bumper.  You want a good solid connection to the tow vehicle frame and/or receiver (that is itself securely attached to the tow vehicle frame.)

PNWtabber

I connect mine like @Bayliss.  But in my case it is a snug fit to get that quick link connector onto my safety chain bracket.  See photo for similar tow hitch to mine:



A friend has suggested I get one of these "stretchy" cables that attaches with a carabiner.  I am wondering if anyone has swapped out their breakaway cable for one of these?

[Deleted User]

I switched mine out for a stretchy one.  The 4ft size is should be the right size unless you have some sort if hitch extender.

PNWtabber

TabbyShack said:

I switched mine out for a stretchy one.  The 4ft size is should be the right size unless you have some sort if hitch extender.

Good to know, thanks!

subkron

When I picked up my tab in Feb dealer recommended this since the droop on a standard cable was very low.  He wanted to charge me for it, but I said if I'm paying $40k for this trailer they should throw in it for free.  They obliged, and it is nicer than a regular cable. I must say it is extended quite a bit but it has not released the pin.

tabiphile

At face value the "stretchy" cable might seem like a great idea, but if it prolongs/delays the release of the breakaway switch it is not. Before jumping on the stretchy band wagon make sure that you measure the length of your breakaway cable in its (TV) mounted location. Check to see how much slack there is in it and measure that total length. The cable should be long enough to allow you to turn and maneuver but short enough to actuate the breakaway as quickly in a decoupling situation. You should not be dragging the hitch and have the chains tensioned before the breakaway is released. If you have ever seen the results from a high speed decoupling you'll know why that is.
From my experience (depending upon your mounting locations) a 48 inch cable is too long. A shorter custom cable may easily be made using the included standard cable and steel wire clamps you may buy at Lowes or Tractor Supply. 

manyman297

I bought a stretchy cable version and it was too short. I felt like the tension caused by the coils could possibly pull the pin inadvertently so I just went back to the OEM cable on the trailer. I need to shorten it though.

falcon1970

Try pulling the pin out by hand.  You will find it doesn't come out easily.   The four foot cable should be sufficient.  The six foot cable may not pull the pin early enough.  I went to the coiled cable after my original cable was cut in two as I left a parking lot.  There was enough of a slope that the bottom of my
 hitch hit the ground.  The original cable had drooped enough to be under the hitch when it hit the ground.  I drove about 300 miles to the next campsite and only then discovered what had happened.

PNWtabber

Ouch, @falcon1970!!  Glad you discovered the problem before it became a problem!!!
My trailer gets towed by two different vehicles, I'll have to do some measuring.

AnOldUR

tabiphile said:

... You should not be dragging the hitch and have the chains tensioned before the breakaway is released ...

If I understand what you're saying, I believe you are incorrect. A little research found the below quote saying that the emergency brakes are meant to activate after total disconnection from hitch and chains. The long stretchy cables will accomplish this. I believe that the main purpose of the emergency brakes is to keep a free wheeling trailer from continuing down the road and causing a hazard to other traffic after disconnection.

Breakaway brakes are the second line of defense because, ideally, the safety chains will keep the trailer from detaching in the event that the coupler comes off the ball. If the safety chains can’t hold, the breakaway system is the last line of defense against a runaway trailer and potential injury or damage.

edit to add that I would think that if the emergency brakes activated while the chains were still attached the sudden braking would force the chains to break and reduce your chance of bring the rig to a semi controlled stop. If your 7-pin cable is long enough you'll still have trailer brakes when just connected by the chains.

GigHarborTom

Take all precautions. Lost a retired Doctor friend and his lady ( Our GoldWing Motor Cycle Club) many years ago, when a runaway farmers trailer killed both of them. Very ugly.

tabiphile

@AnOldUR..... as noted, if you have ever seen a unit unhitch at speed you might reconsider your options. The decoupling is not an elegant sequential event with the chains gently stretching themselves until taut. The hitch ball drops, the chains jerk and slam tight, hopefully your hitch and frame do not spear the pavement. You may adjust yours as you chose, mine will have it's brakes applied immediately. Please picture decoupling at 60 mph, not 5 mph in a campground parking lot.
@GigHarborTom. that is a very sad story. Farm wagons do not have brakes so a hitch or chain failure is an uncontrolled situation.

MarkAl

I thread the cable through a few links to remove excess length, then use a climber's snap link to secure it on the hitch. I believe it's similar or the same as @Baylisspic. It keeps the connections in a similar place for easy hoop up when departing. I find this discussion fascinating I figure this is one more situation I hope never happens to me. 

AnOldUR

@tabiphile your theory is interesting, but if it is based on any verifiable studies please link to them. Until then I will personally stick with what appears to be the standard per my previous quote and logic stated, If what you’re claiming is true, our litigious society would have multiple lawsuits against the makers of the coiled cables and they would no longer be sold.

tabiphile

@AnOldUR.....the coiled cable is a red herring in this discussion. The key point here is the actuation (pulling of the pin) in a decoupling. My point is that you/we must all make 100% certain that the correct length cable, be it braided or coiled, is used. For my setup, I want the pin to pull immediately when the hitch (and let's pray it doesn't) decouples Why? Because I know that I want the brakes on the trailer to engage. Why? Because when this happens, if it does, I doubt that I will have the presence of mind to carefully reach down to my controller and slowly apply the brakes while I gradually apply the brakes on the TV. I expect that my reaction and probably almost everyone else reading this will be to jam on the TV brakes. In your setup, if you do as I suspect you will, your free running trailer is going to slam into the rear end of your TV, probably multiple times as you try to figure out how and where to stop. I'll be coming to a relatively controlled stop without driving the trailer tongue into the back of my TV.
All of that said, let's point out what we are expected to do if this happens. The rig decouples, calmly reach  down (or find your handheld) for your emergency button, give it a squeeze to carefully apply the trailer brakes while you carefully apply the TV brakes while looking for a place to pull over and stop.

Sharon_is_SAM

The Purdue University publication discusses this topic:

PNWtabber

Thanks for sharing this, @Sharon_is_SAM.

tabiphile

Thanks @Sharon_is_SAM. That sums it up perfectly. I feel strongly both ways. As As has been noted, what we should do and what we will do in such a situation is something we may not know until we are faced with the choice. Will we have the presence of mind to calmly reach down to carefully apply the brakes on the trailer while slowing the TV? Hopefully it won't be necessary to find out. 

Richard_R

I'm new to trailering (at least with a trailer that has brakes) and I spent a ton of time "researching" this question on the interwebs. There are very strong opinions on both sides, as evidenced by this very thread. The Purdue article probably takes the right approach: be as informed as possible and do what you're comfortable with. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), there doesn't seem to be any real-world evidence about what actually happens in a full or partial attachment failure for either approach and, importantly, at various speeds, at least that I could find.

FWIW, I keep my cable shorter than the chains. The "last resort" scenario just doesn't hold up in my mind; i.e., if the trailer becomes completely detached at 60 mph, it's going to go flying all over the place regardless of whether the trailer brakes are engaged or not. On the other hand, if the trailer brakes engage before complete detachment, it seems like that would give the driver at least a slightly better chance to get the situation under control.       

I guess the real answer is this: never exceed the capacity of your rig (GVWR, GCWR, hitch rating, etc.), make sure your equipment is always in good working order, and always double-, triple-, and even quadruple-check all of your connections. I submit that if you do all that faithfully and conscientiously, you'll never have to worry about the length of your breakaway cable.  

EDIT: I forgot to mention that Jordan over at nucamp recommended that you keep the breakaway cable shorter than the chains. As he put it, "This way the trailer starts to brake before all control is lost."

EDIT #2: Here is a pretty good discussion of breakaway cable length, among other things: https://mechanicalelements.com/natm-answers-trailer-safety-awareness/ 
This guy, whose opinion I really respect, "leans" towards having a shorter breakaway cable. 

Mickerly

From what I can tell the rules are by state. Rules for RVs in many states appear to be separate from rules for freight. Not being a lawyer, this is above my head. Having friends in the NTSB, I have some concepts. If the trailer is attached properly to the ball, it shouldn't come loose. If for some reason you become "unhitched," The chains should be short enough and cross under the hitch to catch the trailer tongue. This allows the driver to slow and move off the road while remining attached to the trailer. If the chains brake, the emergency brakes should activate to prevent the trailer from continuing down the road solo. We went with the coiled e-brake cable from etrailer. It's about longer than the chains. I don't want my brakes going off when they shouldn't. Just remember, we are discussing a third level defense; the coupler latch is first, chains second, e-brakes is to prevent the trailer from damaging others. Good luck.

Richard_R

@Mickerly: That's really an excellent way of putting it: "a third level defense". There are lots of opinions, but just not enough information about what actually happens in an unhitching event -- with a breakaway system and/or with crossed chains -- particularly at higher speeds. I think at slower speeds (e.g., <30 mph), the crossed chains would probably do what they're supposed to do, and the breakaway cable would probably work well whether it was longer or shorter than the chains. I just really shudder at the thought of any of this happening at speeds >60 mph...

Mickerly

I agree completely. That's why I spend so much time making sure the hitch latches without any binding. If the hitch works, the rest doesn't matter.  ; )