moomba boatmate trailer brake lock-up

[windermere_moomba]

Please help ! For some reason (I think maybe the kids yanked the break-away brake cable) I cannot figure out how to reset the trailer brakes on my Boatmate swing-away tongue trailer. I can go forward, but I am locked up in reverse. Has this happened to you? Kinda hard to get my Mobius LS in the water driving in truck first :(

[kipp]

There are two things you can do. There is a metal filler that came with the trailer which fits in the track that the actuator slides. So pull the trailer forward so that the pin of the actuator is in the forward part of the groove insert the filler piece which will need to be held in place by someone while you back up. This piece will not let the brake actuator engage.
The other thing you can try is take the electrical 5 pin from the trailer put the last pin (furthist from the ground) in the second pin of the vehicles harness and turn on your lights.
The last pin on you trailer harness de activates the disc brakes.
I have had this problem , if I tow with my truck everything is fine but if I tow with my Saturn outlook the brakes won't let you back up.
I hop this helps
kipp

[smokedog2]

Yep, the second pin trick works is someone has taken your five pin and left you with a four - move the whole thing over two - worked for me.

Kipp, are you a pilot?

SD2

[james yarosz]

I think if the kids had yanked the cable you wouldn't be able to go foward eather. If you don't have the metal circle that goes in the hole in the side of the tounge to keep the brakes from actuating a nickel and some duct tape works.

[windermere_moomba]

Thanks for your suggestion ... you saved the day today for wakeboarding. I stuck in a nut the size of nickel and duck taped it in (I never travel anywhere without a roll of duck tape). I'm very mad at my dealer; I bought the boat new and the dealer never mentioned this feature, nor did he give me the very high teck lock out mechanism when he did my walk through. I will go pick up a 7 to 5 pin adapter today. Obviously my 7 to 4 pin adapter I tried to use does not work. Thanks again guys.

[zegm]

windmere,

The towing vehicle's back up lights activate a solenoid in the trailers mastercylinder to bypass the system when you are going backwards in reverse. This is a mechanical surge brake, when you hit the brakes on your tow vehicle the mass of the trailer pushes forward on the coupling causing the brakes to apply. The beauty of the system is they are self balancing. At first the trailer is going faster than the tow vehicle causing it pushes on it's own mastercylinder until the speed is balanced between the two. Now when you are in reverse you are pushing on the brakes hence a need to de-activate them and the back up light are used for this purpose as they are only used while in reverse. Your use of ducktape was great I would not suggest that ANYONE stand behind the vehicle while backing up to hold the anything in there to deactivate the brakes.

[kipp]

I'm not a pilot. I was in the industrial supply business in Cincy. I live in Cincy the boat is in Michigan.
kipp

[kaneboats]

That was an engineer's topic explained in everyman language. Nice job!

[Sled491]

That bypass clip should have been in your Moomba owners case, you know the black one with the zipper on top. Works very well. My brakes have been acting up for a better part of this season so this has been working well for me. I don't travel much so I'll let it go until I need to take the boat back to the dealer, but seems like you worked your way through it anyway.

[aerophoto]

Here is the trick In the first photo I have the wires attached the right way to drive the Blue wires are the reverse lights they also release the brakes on the trailer when power is applied that is when your reverse lights come on. Note no connection no power the brakes will lock if you back up. In the second photo note how I placed the pins The brown wire is to your headlights and trailer lights when the headlights are on there is power in that wire (I always drive when towing with my headlights on then the trailer wont drag its brakes when you hit a bump) Yellow and green are signal, white ground. So when you reverse the pins and turn on your headlights as in the second photo the brakes on the trailer will release and you can back up. You might need to go forward a couple of feet to get the cylinder to release. But it works so when I get to the launch I reverse the pins and release the tie downs at the same time when I leave I tie down the boat and place the pins back into the correct position. ( DO NOT DRIVE WITH THE PINS REVERSED as your signals will be opposite ) HEADLIGHTS MUST BE ON FOR THIS TO WORK you will notice that your white trailer reverse lights will be on when you turn on the headlights also. This way you wont need the clip mine is in the boat but my dealer said as soon as you stop backing up it will fall out and usually that is into the lake and you lose it anyway.

Bill

[smokedog2]

Kipp,

Wow, you drive to Michigan to boat! That has to be further than Norris.
I heard it has some very nice lakes but that sounds tough, especially the trip home. I knew a Kipp in college that flew for the Air Force – I think.

Did you buy from George or up in Michigan? There is getting to be enough of these tow boats on my lake I’m happy to see a few go to Michigan :)

SD2

[kipp]

I bought from George.
Matt has taken really good care of me.
Our family has been going to Leland for 80 years or so, built a house in 1941. The drive is 500 miles.
My 08 LS allows us to put our 1964 20' Chris Craft Super Sport into easy life, cocktail cruises etc. I'm able to spend about a month or more each summer, going back Aug 1 for 10 days.
Kipp