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benny32
03-08-2022, 04:43 PM
I had an unfortunate incident with my trailer in the fall where it rolled away from my pickup while still partially connected and it pulled the little emergency tether that I thought engaged the trailer brakes but I'm not 100% sure it actually engaged. It only moved about 10 yards and not at any real speed and I was able to hook it back up and move it safely to where it was supposed to be. I have to haul it in shortly so I was wondering if there was some way to verify whether the emergency brakes are engaged and if so how do I disengage them.
bergermaister
03-15-2022, 11:06 PM
https://youtu.be/M9l3DSsot-A
sandm
03-16-2022, 12:30 PM
cool vid berg. had no idea that's how they worked.
benny32
03-28-2022, 12:07 AM
Awesome, thanks for this!
MJHSupra
03-28-2022, 09:40 AM
Awesome, thanks for this!

Did the cable stop the trailer if it was rolling backwards?
benny32
03-30-2022, 10:52 AM
The cable broke at the clip that attaches to the vehicle when it started rolling. Scared the crap out of me. The trailer only rolled about 8 feet and stopped at the bottom of the the little dip between my shop and the street so no harm but man was I terrified.
MJHSupra
03-30-2022, 01:33 PM
The cable broke at the clip that attaches to the vehicle when it started rolling. Scared the crap out of me. The trailer only rolled about 8 feet and stopped at the bottom of the the little dip between my shop and the street so no harm but man was I terrified.

Ahhh, I see. I would be freaking too.
HFarr
03-30-2022, 02:24 PM
So did it engage the brakes?

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benny32
03-30-2022, 02:27 PM
I don't actually know. I was able to move it around after without any issues and I haven't been out to try the reset from the video. Would it be obvious if the breaks were engaged?
Zog
03-30-2022, 03:36 PM
It would be very obvious. You can see the effect if you pull the trailer light plug and try backing up. It will greatly resist your attempt to back up. Plug it back in and the solenoid locks out the brakes, making it easy to move. In the opposite direction, you will have to give it a lot of gas to move and you will hear it if the brakes are engaged.
benny32
03-30-2022, 04:18 PM
So far I've been moving it around with a powered trailer dolly so I haven't hook up to a vehicle to it but it's good to know it will be obvious.
HFarr
03-31-2022, 03:30 PM
There are also trailers with what are called "free backing brakes". These brakes allow trailers equipped with hydraulic actuators that do not have a lock out option to be backed up. I'm not sure if boatmate trailers have them or not, but these type brakes do not work in reverse. That might explain why it rolled backwards so easily with the safety cable activated, but if you have also been moving it around forward since then with the dolly too, then that's probably not the case here.

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