RE: Electric Brake Breakaway Switch

Wayfarer · Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM

The instruction manual for my Coleman Utah says to Remove the pull pin on the Breakaway Switch every three months and lubricate with a light oil. I?ve tried to remove the switch, both when completely hooked up to TV and when unhooked, and the sucker won?t come out. I?ve pulled on the cable, pulled on the hook on the pull pin, turned the pin, and done everything but hook up a ?come along? but I can?t get the pin out. Any suggestions?

Also, The manual says to secure the cable attached to the pull pin to the permanent frame of the TV or a part of the hitch which is not removable. The only way I can figure to attach the cable is I run it through the hole in the bumper (where the hitch ball would go if I did not have a receiver hitch setup) and then hook the loop through the screw on quick-connector I use to attach the safety chains to the TV hitch assembly. Good idea? Any better ideas?

tlhdoc · Mar 09, 2003, 04:36 PM

WayfarerYou have to really pull to get the pin out. I wrap the wire cable around my hand and really lean on it. I guess it is that tight so it doesn t come out by accident. I attack the wire to the part of the receiver that the chains hook onto. If the receiver pulls off I am in big trouble.

Ab Diver · Mar 09, 2003, 06:02 PM

WayfarerChuck, it it was a Big, Fat, Greek Breakaway Switch, you could just squirt it with Windex. [

]

Since it s not, I d give it a squirt of WD-40 and see if that loosens things up a bit. Mine pulls out fairly easily: a good three finger pull on the wire. But that s more than enough to keep it in place until an emergency. If the WD-40 soak fails, call Coleman and see what they say. Chances are, if it s gunna take enough pressure to break the whole dang switch (or the wire) before the plug pulls out, it needs to be replaced anyway.

To secure the wire to the TV, I added one of those spring-loaded D-rings (caribinder clip?) to the loop at the end of the wire. Then just feed the ring over and around the main portion of the hitch and then clip the D-ring around the wire itself so it makes it s own noose. The length is just about perfect: Longer than the trailer harness, but shorter than the chains.

AustinBoston · Mar 10, 2003, 08:49 AM

WayfarerI mostly agree with the other suggestions. WD-40 and a good tug should do it. If not, it may need replacing.

I d like to add:

* Do not test the breakaway switch while tour TV is hooked up. It could damage your brake controller (including the Prodigy). Read the fine print.

* I don t think having the breakaway cable shorter than the chains is a good idea. It may prevent significant scratches or dents to the rear bumper, but significantly increases the risk of a simple disconnect turning into a jacknife and/or rollover. With all but the heaviest pop-ups, the breakaway switch will instantly and uncontrollably lock up both pop-up wheels. This irrevocably takes any possibility of controlling the trailer away from the driver. A skidding trailer is a jacknifed trailer.

Austin

Ab Diver · Mar 10, 2003, 10:10 AM

Wayfarer

QuoteI don t think having the breakaway cable shorter than the chains is a good idea. It may prevent significant scratches or dents to the rear bumper, but significantly increases the risk of a simple disconnect turning into a jacknife and/or rollover. With all but the heaviest pop-ups, the breakaway switch will instantly and uncontrollably lock up both pop-up wheels. This irrevocably takes any possibility of controlling the trailer away from the driver. A skidding trailer is a jacknifed trailer.

Austin, having the breakaway switch activate is the same thing as slamming the manual braking lever on the brake controller all the way over. The brakes come on, and slow the trailer down. This is what you do to " control" an out of control sway incident, not cause it. A jackknife is caused when the tow rig is going slower than the trailer, and the trailer pushes the rear end of the tow rig. An out-of-control sway situation that manages to put the tow rig and trailer side-by-side is another condition all together, with different causes, not because the trailer was slowing down and the tow rig wasn t.

The breakaway should activate AFTER the trailer is unhitched, and BEFORE the trailer is separated (unchained) from the tow rig. That is the most out-of-control a trailer can possibly be, short of being unconnected by the chains. I d much rather have the trailer dragging behind me, than bumping, whipping, and slamming around behind my truck because the brakes had not activated yet. (remember, the wiring harness is separated at this point, and the brake controller will not operate the trailer brakes) A friend of mine has to live with the knowledge that a trailer he was towing came off his truck and killed a hitch-hiker because the d**m U-Haul people who hitched the trailer to his truck didn t do it right. Had the brakes been activated *before* the trailer was separated from his truck, that person would still be alive.

AustinBoston · Mar 10, 2003, 12:38 PM

Ab Diver

QuoteORIGINAL: Ab Diver

QuoteI don t think having the breakaway cable shorter than the chains is a good idea. It may prevent significant scratches or dents to the rear bumper, but significantly increases the risk of a simple disconnect turning into a jacknife and/or rollover. With all but the heaviest pop-ups, the breakaway switch will instantly and uncontrollably lock up both pop-up wheels. This irrevocably takes any possibility of controlling the trailer away from the driver. A skidding trailer is a jacknifed trailer.

Austin, having the breakaway switch activate is the same thing as slamming the manual braking lever on the brake controller all the way over.

Uh, not on my rig. The max you will get out of the controller depends on the gain control. My trailer brakes will see no more than 5.9 volts from the controller, just shy of lockup under most conditions. They will see 12.5 volts from the breakaway switch. Huge difference.

QuoteThe brakes come on, and slow the trailer down.

Uh, the wheels lock up, and the trailer goes wherever it darnwell pleases. It could break the chains, so that a disconnect becomes a separation.

QuoteThis is what you do to " control" an out of control sway incident, not cause it.

Wrong. The correct procedure is to gradually apply the trailer brakes until the sway is completely dampened. Because trailer sway is not a normal traction situation, it is easier to cause the wheels to lock up. Even so, the most the trailer brakes will see in a sway control situation is governed by the gain setting on the brake controller. With the breakwawy switch, it will see the maximum 12.5 volts.

QuoteA jackknife is caused when the tow rig is going slower than the trailer, and the trailer pushes the rear end of the tow rig.

Trailer sway is (often) caused when the tow rig is going slower than the trailer, and the trailer tries to pass the tow rig. That is why 1) applying the trailer brakes helps with the sway 2) Sway is much more likely when travelling on a downslope.

QuoteAn out-of-control sway situation that manages to put the tow rig and trailer side-by-side is another condition all together, with different causes, not because the trailer was slowing down and the tow rig wasn t.

You should read the article that appeared in PUT about my rather dangerous sway incident. It was made dramatically worse by loss of trailer traction. The trailer hit the tow vehicle while the trailer brakes were on and the wheels were locked up. [link=http://www.popuptimes.com/archives/swaying.asp]Swaying Towards Disaster[/link]

QuoteThe breakaway should activate AFTER the trailer is unhitched, and BEFORE the trailer is separated (unchained) from the tow rig.

This can actually break the chains, turning a disconnect into a complete separation.

QuoteThat is the most out-of-control a trailer can possibly be, short of being unconnected by the chains.

No, there is one thing to make it more dangerous. Loss of trailer directional control.

QuoteI d much rather have the trailer dragging behind me, than bumping, whipping, and slamming around behind my truck because the brakes had not activated yet.

Bumping and slamming I agree with, but trailer brake lockup will add (or increase) the whipping (without getting rid of the banging and slamming).

Quote(remember, the wiring harness is separated at this point, and the brake controller will not operate the trailer brakes)

Only if 1) The wiring harness is too short 2) the chains are too long (which can cause the chains to break, BTW), or 3) you are out of luck. I realize that a disconnect is violent and anything can happen. If you have a disconnect, Murphy s law is in full force, but a disconnect does not (nor shoud it) automatically mean loss of electrical connection to the trailer.

QuoteA friend of mine has to live with the knowledge that a trailer he was towing came off his truck and killed a hitch-hiker because the d**m U-Haul people who hitched the trailer to his truck didn t do it right. Had the brakes been activated *before* the trailer was separated from his truck, that person would still be alive.

U-Haul trailers have surge brakes. Surge brakes can only be activated in two ways. Either with a sound ball connection (which doesn t exist during a disconnect), or through the breakaway lever. That is radically different from a trailer with electrical brakes. Beyond that, I can t comment on this incident without knowing more.

Breakaway brakes are a last ditch item to prevent a trailer from traveling down the highway at 70 MPH long after the tow vehicle has stopped.

Austin

mike4947 · Mar 10, 2003, 01:21 PM

WayfarerSorry Austin, But when that trailer comes loose you don t have time to " apply the brakes gently to control the trailer" . Been driving one and riding shotgun once on disconnects and without the trailer brakes being activated tightening the chains we (in both cases) would have had no directional control on the trailers.
Also if you can " pop" the safety chains by applying the trailer brakes (locked up or otherwise) you d better get some new chains.
Dig around and you ll find it s recommended by the brake manufacturers and PU manufacturers to set up the breakaways to activate BEFORE the safety chains break. That way the drag caused by the brakes on the trailer hold the chains tight and the TV pulls the trailer. The desired condition for mantaining directional control. Like you said, if the trailer s going faster than the TV you re setting up conditions for sway.
Of course you also have to have your safety chains at the correct length and crossed to basket the trailer tongue in case of a disconnect.

Wayfarer · Mar 10, 2003, 01:27 PM

WayfarerMike:

What is the " correct length" ? How is the length determined?

Chuck

AustinBoston · Mar 10, 2003, 02:00 PM

Wayfarer

QuoteORIGINAL: Wayfarer
Mike:

What is the " correct length" ? How is the length determined?

Chuck

Correct length for chains is just enough so that when properly crossed, the tighter chain doesn t quite reach maximum extension at the point of maximum turn. If they re dragging, they re far too long.

Austin

AustinBoston · Mar 10, 2003, 02:18 PM

mike4947

QuoteORIGINAL: mike4947
Dig around and you ll find it s recommended by the brake manufacturers and PU manufacturers to set up the breakaways to activate BEFORE the safety chains break.

After about 20 minutes on Google, I found exactly one site that said it should activate in the event of a " complete disconnect" , and exactly one that it should activate just before the chains reach full tension. Since neither site specialized in trailers, hitches, or trailer brakes, I don t consider either a reliable authority.

I found several sites that said the breakaway switch should activate when the trailer becomes disconnected (not necessarily totally disconnected) and several that said it should be activated when the trailer becomes separated (not necessarily totally separated). I found inconsistent use between the words " disconnect" (which in this conversation has meant coming off the ball) and " separation" (which in this conversation has meant complete and total separation). Because of that I felt the sites that I found that used those words were also unreliable sources...for either side of the argument.

The Coleman manual says nothing about it, beyond saying that you need one. The Tekonsha paperwork for the breakaway switch says nothing about it (only how to hook it up). The Dexter manual (manufacturer of my trailer brakes) says nothing about it (only that you need one). If anyone has (or can find) a link to a reliable authority I would appreciate it.

Until then, this has to be filed under the heading " Opinion" .

Since rule one is " Be Safe" , I d rather know conclusively what is right (or better).

Austin

mike4947 · Mar 10, 2003, 02:19 PM

WayfarerAustin s correct on the length but I d add that you should replace those " S" hooks that usually come on safety chains with screw closing D rings. They re available at most large box hardware stores near the chain.
IMHO I ll bet that 95% of the trailers out there have incorrect safety chains. Even the trailer manufacturers do some silly (and IMO unsafe) things like hook both chains to a 3/8 bolt on the side of the tongue where it almost certainly gaurantees they ll pull the trailer sideways if it seperates or just break the bolt off.

Wayfarer · Mar 10, 2003, 11:44 PM

WayfarerBack to the original question about the breakaway pin. As TlhDoc suggested, I wrapped the cable around my hand and yanked real hard. It came out, but also broke off one of the " prongs" that provide pressure to keep it in. Now I know that it does come out...and seems snug enough to stay in after I stuck it back in it s hole.
Figured with only one of the two pressure thingys to hold it in I didn t need to add any oil. Now if it will just hold in until I get another and I ll not be driving down the highway and get my head jerked off[: (]

Thanks for all the info...and then some!

Red neff Barchetta · Mar 11, 2003, 12:02 AM

WayfarerMine comes out with a pretty firm yank. (What in the world am I describing, lol?) I also bought a spare from my dealer just in case.

Anyway, this brings to mind my most memorable SPUT; We arrived at the cg (20 miles West of Truckee, CA) for our 2nd. ever dry camp and I unhitched. We were camping with my SIL and her family (3 little kids) and their 5th.-Wheel. All 5 of the kids were running circles around the PU and were so excited to see the Utah pop-up that I got a little flustered and pulled out the brake cable and stored it in the stepper-door compartment with the tow chains so they wouldn t pull it and carry it off into the Sierra s over the w/e. By 7:30 that night the battery was totally drained so I hooked up the 2nd. (& last) battery and went back to relaxing thinking how terribly the battery had charged during the 4 hour drive (stupid dealer, ha). Well, at 1:00 in the morning the LP detector is going off and we have no power! Needless to say we spent 6 hrs. with a generator running the next day charging up the batteries while I sheepishly plugged the brake cable back in once memory finally returned to my brain.
Btw, I now have 3 batteries and a 1K generator (which I ve only ever used twice), lol.

Ab Diver · Mar 11, 2003, 12:57 AM

WayfarerAustin, you have been, are, and will remain, one of best sources of pop-up information on this board. But I can see we have opposing views on this subject. So, let s tackle this without getting angry. (not saying you are, or I am, just wanting to make sure it doesn t turn into another " 500 members" thread [

] )

Ok, now, *if* the pop-up becomes unhitched, the safety chains had better not break, period. That s what they are there for: to keep the trailer connected to the tow rig so it doesn t roll off the side of the highway and kill someone. Believe me, the lawyers who wrote the law requiring the use of safety chains couldn t care less about whether or not your trailer tears up the back of your tow rig if it becomes unhitched.

If the tires lock up, fine, let em burn rubber. That s what a breakaway switch is for: to apply the brakes. It s not designed to gracefully slow the trailer down, it s designed as an emergency tool to slam on the brakes so the trailer stops as quickly as possible " if" it s separated from the tow vehicle. Until something akin to having an inertia-sensing " Prodigy Breakaway Switch" comes along, it s the only game in town.

A jack-knifed rig caused by out-of-control sway, and one caused by the trailer pushing the TV from behind, may have the same result, but are not the same animal. Witness the multitude of tv reality shows that picture a big-rig slamming on his brakes to avoid an accident in front of him: the trailer pushes the tractor from behind and the rig jack-knifes. If you ve ever seen this in real life (I have), trust me, it ll scare the cr*p out of you. The same effect can happen if you hit the brakes while towing a trailer 1) without brakes, or 2) the trailer brakes are not adjusted properly, or 3) if the trailer pushes you from behind cuz the brakes didn t work at all. It can have nothing to do with sway, but it can easily happen if the trailer becomes unhitched and either the trailer brakes or the breakaway switch don t do their job.

I have read your article about sway, and to be honest, you are lucky to be alive (and I m glad you are). The fact remains that you tried to " test for sway" , but you did it 1) with half a tank of fresh water onboard the trailer, 2) at full highway speed, and 3) on a somewhat less than deserted highway, with cars " slamming on their brakes to avoid being hit by me." Not good, Bro... you could have hurt somebody else that day. I would have suggested draining the tank, picking a deserted country road, and working up in speed from about 25 mph, but you ve probably already told yourself that a " number" of times. [

]

Now, my 98 Coleman manual says on page 3, " Pre-trip Preparations: A physical check should also be made as per this checklist. Be certain that: ... Item 4) The safety chains are attached (chains must crisscross)."

And on page 29, " Breakaway switch: ... It automatically applies the trailer brakes if the tow vehicle and trailer become uncoupled while in motion...."

Now, I think we both agree that the chains are crisscrossed to catch the tongue and keep it from contacting the ground in the event it comes off the ball. But if the tongue is resting on these crisscrossed chains, the trailer has already become *uncoupled*, and according to the Coleman manual, the breakaway switch should be engaged at this point. The trailer s brakes are applied in a manner in which the breakaway switch is designed to perform: full power to the brakes, tires locking up, the whole nine yards.

The trailer wiring harness will probably be severed/pulled out. If it isn t-- great! Apply the brakes with your foot pedal and pull to the side of the road in a controlled stop. But if the trailer is whipping around from side to side and pulls the wiring connector loose, or the tongue has ripped the wiring off as it became uncoupled, the breakaway switch had better be activated in the next instant. It s the only thing slowing the trailer down besides the back end of your tow rig, and you need to concentrate on keeping the TV under control first. This, together with the information in my Coleman manual, is what convinced me that the breakaway switch wire should be shorter than the safety chains, and both should be longer than the wiring harness (so the breakaway switch doesn t activate while the wiring is still connected). Of course, proper length to allow for turning/backing, and ground clearance, must be observed as well.

Mike is correct about those lousy S-hooks. They should be replaced with screw-closing D rings of an appropriate strength. For some strange reason, the S-hooks are illegal in Calif. to have on the *trailer* end of the safety chain, but not *TV* end (or so I was informed by a towing professional). Huh... go figure.

So, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I m sure we ll both check our rigs to make sure the trailer is properly hitched to our TV, in order to avoid ever having the trailer become uncoupled while in motion. But, *if* it ever happens to either of us, I ll probably have tensile-tested chains to go along with the two bald spots on my trailer s tires, and you ll probably have a dented bumper on your rig. We ll both probably have to change our underwear. Let s hope that, if it ever happens to us, these are the very worst of our problems. [

]

AustinBoston · Mar 11, 2003, 08:59 AM

Ab Diver

QuoteORIGINAL: Ab Diver

Austin, you have been, are, and will remain, one of best sources of pop-up information on this board. But I can see we have opposing views on this subject.

Actually, our views might be closer than you think. [

]

QuoteSo, let s tackle this without getting angry. (not saying you are, or I am, just wanting to make sure it doesn t turn into another " 500 members" thread [] )

That s not one I participated in [

] but there have been others. [>:]

QuoteOk, now, *if* the pop-up becomes unhitched, the safety chains had better not break, period. That s what they are there for: to keep the trailer connected to the tow rig so it doesn t roll off the side of the highway and kill someone. Believe me, the lawyers who wrote the law requiring the use of safety chains couldn t care less about whether or not your trailer tears up the back of your tow rig if it becomes unhitched.

I agree. However, there are circumstances in which the breakaway brakes could actually cause the chains to break. (Stay with me to the end here, or you might miss this). Imagine the chains have been hooked up with a bit too much slack. Now imagine the the breakaway switch having no slack. The rig goes over a bump, the coupler gleefully hops off the ball, and the breakaway brakes take hold. The trailer will slow significantly before taking up the slack. Bam. Two chains rated for 3,500 lbs. each are not going to hold a 2500 lb trailer through that impact. Total separation results. Now there are some issues with this. It is important not to have slack in the chains, and this is not the only reason, but it s a darn good one. It s important to have some slack in the breakaway switch line, so that it comes on just before the chains engage. (I think you said this in your first post.) My point is there are circumstances where the breakaway brakes can actually cause chain failure.

QuoteIf the tires lock up, fine, let em burn rubber. That s what a breakaway switch is for: to apply the brakes. It s not designed to gracefully slow the trailer down, it s designed as an emergency tool to slam on the brakes so the trailer stops as quickly as possible " if" it s separated from the tow vehicle. Until something akin to having an inertia-sensing " Prodigy Breakaway Switch" comes along, it s the only game in town.

In those circumstances, I don t give a hoot about the tires either. I also don t care very much about my tow vehicle bumper, or the trailer tongue, or the chains themeselves (as long as they hold, I ll gladly replace them afterwards). What I am concerned about is staying in the lane, keeping the trailer behind me, and not snuffing anyone out.

QuoteA jack-knifed rig caused by out-of-control sway, and one caused by the trailer pushing the TV from behind, may have the same result, but are not the same animal. Witness the multitude of tv reality shows that picture a big-rig slamming on his brakes to avoid an accident in front of him: the trailer pushes the tractor from behind and the rig jack-knifes. If you ve ever seen this in real life (I have), trust me, it ll scare the cr*p out of you.

I ve never driven a big rig, and I ve never seen a jacknife in action, but I have plenty of experience. There are four family members with CDL s. Two of those have been long-haul truckers for decades. One used to haul gasloine, so safety was of extreme importance. (He eventually switched to Orange Juice and now doesn t haul at all). PJay s family operated a huge towing business for over 70 years. I have been on dozens of tow calls, things that often took hours to clean up. There is one thing they will all tell you. The worst thing that can happen is to loose traction on the trailer. Jacknifed tractor trailers are much more likely to be empty than full. About 10 times as likely. If they are full, then there is traction. If they are empty, the wheels lock up, and they slide wherever they want. It s NOT from the trailer pushing the tractor. It s from loss of traction. If a full trailer does lock up the wheels, it can still jacknife. But it is much less likely to lock up in the first place.

QuoteThe same effect can happen if you hit the brakes while towing a trailer 1) without brakes, or 2) the trailer brakes are not adjusted properly, or 3) if the trailer pushes you from behind cuz the brakes didn t work at all. It can have nothing to do with sway, but it can easily happen if the trailer becomes unhitched and either the trailer brakes or the breakaway switch don t do their job.

I think I have proven my point. Turning wheels do not easily travel sideways. Skidding wheels don t even know they are travelling sideways.

QuoteI have read your article about sway, and to be honest, you are lucky to be alive (and I m glad you are). The fact remains that you tried to " test for sway" , but you did it 1) with half a tank of fresh water onboard the trailer, 2) at full highway speed, and 3) on a somewhat less than deserted highway, with cars " slamming on their brakes to avoid being hit by me."

I ve let this pass until someone brought it up. You are the first. I did not write that line and it does not represent what I wrote or what happened. It was a change Dave made (without my knowledge) in an incorrect interpretation of what I did write. When I went back to my original, it was unclear, so was an easy mistake to make, and I let it pass. There were skids and there was smoke, but it was all mine. I did wait until I had all three lanes clear near me. I am sure it saved some lives.

QuoteNot good, Bro... you could have hurt somebody else that day. I would have suggested draining the tank, picking a deserted country road, and working up in speed from about 25 mph, but you ve probably already told yourself that a " number" of times. []

It s not an incident I am proud of.[>:] But I am a firm believer in learning from other people s mistakes (and prefer to do it that way), so I do bring it up from time to time as my contribution for those who share my philosophy.

I do regret that I brought it up here because it confused rather than clarified my point.

QuoteNow, my 98 Coleman manual says on page 3, " Pre-trip Preparations: A physical check should also be made as per this checklist. Be certain that: ... Item 4) The safety chains are attached (chains must crisscross)."

And on page 29, " Breakaway switch: ... It automatically applies the trailer brakes if the tow vehicle and trailer become uncoupled while in motion...."

OK. I have it now. And I m with you. Coupled (in this context and to me) means fully and properly connected. So uncoupled would mean anything less than this, including loss of ball connection without chain compromise.

QuoteNow, I think we both agree that the chains are crisscrossed to catch the tongue and keep it from contacting the ground in the event it comes off the ball. But if the tongue is resting on these crisscrossed chains, the trailer has already become *uncoupled*, and according to the Coleman manual, the breakaway switch should be engaged at this point. The trailer s brakes are applied in a manner in which the breakaway switch is designed to perform: full power to the brakes, tires locking up, the whole nine yards.

The trailer wiring harness will probably be severed/pulled out. If it isn t-- great! Apply the brakes with your foot pedal and pull to the side of the road in a controlled stop. But if the trailer is whipping around from side to side and pulls the wiring connector loose, or the tongue has ripped the wiring off as it became uncoupled, the breakaway switch had better be activated in the next instant. It s the only thing slowing the trailer down besides the back end of your tow rig, and you need to concentrate on keeping the TV under control first. This, together with the information in my Coleman manual, is what convinced me that the breakaway switch wire should be shorter than the safety chains, and both should be longer than the wiring harness (so the breakaway switch doesn t activate while the wiring is still connected). Of course, proper length to allow for turning/backing, and ground clearance, must be observed as well.

You win. Actually, we both do, because I would rather be right than win the argument. safety is too important.

QuoteMike is correct about those lousy S-hooks. They should be replaced with screw-closing D rings of an appropriate strength. For some strange reason, the S-hooks are illegal in Calif. to have on the *trailer* end of the safety chain, but not *TV* end (or so I was informed by a towing professional). Huh... go figure.

Some states require clips to keep the S-hooks from falling out. The DOT has rules about how the S-hook is supposed to be hooked. Clearly, they are a problem. On my first set of chains, the S-hooks were significantly heavier than the chain, but I still feel they would have bent straight before the chains would break.

QuoteSo, I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

You give up too easily!

QuoteI m sure we ll both check our rigs to make sure the trailer is properly hitched to our TV, in order to avoid ever having the trailer become uncoupled while in motion. But, *if* it ever happens to either of us, I ll probably have tensile-tested chains to go along with the two bald spots on my trailer s tires, and you ll probably have a dented bumper on your rig. We ll both probably have to change our underwear. Let s hope that, if it ever happens to us, these are the very worst of our problems. []

This is a very important topic. Although I can t find a reference, I can remember reading that one in 25 people who tow an RV or tow with an RV will experience a disconnect at some point. (This didn t mean one in 25 times you tow...just that a disconnect will catch up with one in 25 people who do tow.) There have been at least a half dozen disconnect stories on this board over the roughly three years I have participated. So it is important for all of us to practice and preach getting it right.

Austin (shortening his breakaway cable now)

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