Trailer brake issues

[Bootsy]

Hopefully someone here can help me out. My double axle trailer has mechanical brakes, replaced last year after I learned they were not functional. Now when I back up with the boat on the trailer, the brakes lock up. The trailer has a lever on the tongue area that says "brakes off-towable" when in the rear position, and the front position is no longer legible. This lever is attached to the break away wire. I have attached a pic in the hopes that someone here has seen my type of trailer before and can offer some help. Fist time posting a pic, so I likely messed that part up!

 

[tains]

When the sliding part of the tongue is all the way out is there a hole you can stick a pin in? This should keep the tongue from sliding back in while in reverse. The breaks won't lock up then. Some times i put a block in front of the wheel and pulled forward to allow the tounge to slide out.That's what I did on my surge break trailer before I switched to elec over hydraulics.

 

[ryanb]

Like tains said there should be a slot for a reverse lock out pin. The break away lever won't help you. My trailer has a solenoid tied to the reverse lights that locks out the brakes in reverse. You can retrofit these to most trailers, but you will have to do some wiring work. Saves you having to get out of the truck every time you want to reverse.

 

[gunnerlove]

Or they make drop shoe backing plates that only offer 10% braking effort in reverse.

 

[Newf]

Like tains said there should be a slot for a reverse lock out pin. The break away lever won't help you. My trailer has a solenoid tied to the reverse lights that locks out the brakes in reverse. You can retrofit these to most trailers, but you will have to do some wiring work. Saves you having to get out of the truck every time you want to reverse.

I have the solenoid on my surge brake actuator but still can't back up unless I manually lock it out with a pin so obviously my harness and plug combination is not wired correctly to activate the solenoid when in reverse. With your set-up can you back up a steep incline without issues??? If you can, then I would look into the proper wiring set-up because it's a pain when I forget to pin it and get to my house and can't back up the trailer. Thanks

 

[ryanb]

Yes no problem. The trailer has a 5 pin connector and I use a 7 to 5 pin converter since my truck only has a 4 or 7 pin connection and it works great. I did not install the solenoid myself, it came that way.

 

[Newf]

Yes no problem. The trailer has a 5 pin connector and I use a 7 to 5 pin converter since my truck only has a 4 or 7 pin connection and it works great. I did not install the solenoid myself, it came that way.

Thanks ryanb. I will check out my connectors and see if I can get it working.. Mine came with the solenoid already installed as well so it may be a simple fix for me.