Interesting brake problem

[wavery]

We went to "Camp Driveway" with the grandkids this weekend.

On the way to Anaheim (about 35 miles) our trailer brakes stopped working.

My 1st thought was the trailer plug so I pulled off the freeway and pulled the plug out and plugged it back in again. That didn't fix it :confused: .

We went on to the kid's house and I dealt with it there. I checked the connector on the TV and I was getting power there when my wife pressed the brake pedal so that was ruled out. I disassembled the trailer plug and I was getting power there.

I went back to the brakes and I was not getting anything back there....HMMMMM :confused: . I started following the wires forward and right away, I found a blue wire that was cut in two. I put a wire connector on it and the brakes are fine :-() .

Now.....the reason that I am writing this thread is because I found that the manufacturer (Fleetwood) put a wire tie on the frame, just above the axle, then they ran the wire between the frame and the axle to get to the brake backing plate. At some point, I must have hit a bump and bottomed out the axle against the frame and cut the wire in 2.

The moral of this story is, you may want to check the wire running to your backing plate, to be sure that it is not vulnerable, as mine was. :sombraro:

It's an easy fix to just take a wire tie and tie it off so that it can't get between the frame and the axle. Kind of a dumb design, if you ask me.... :eyecrazy:

[austinado16]

Mmm.......nice find!!!

[Old Goat]

Some bump....seems like it would have caused a lot more damage than just cutting a blue brake wire....and the TV? it hit the same bump too....

[wavery]

Some bump....seems like it would have caused a lot more damage than just cutting a blue brake wire....and the TV? it hit the same bump too....

Funny thing is....I don't recall hitting a bump that hard. :eyecrazy:  However, there is NO DOUBT that is what cut the wire. I suppose it could have done it long ago and just been hanging in there and finally vibration separated it.

[tlhdoc]

I had the same thing happen about 5 years ago and I know a few other people that have had the same brake wire problem problem.  Glad you were able to fix it so easily.

[jdonham]

I have a Starcraft 2409 that had the same problem. I had it into the dealer 2x's for a fix and the finally had to take apart the axel and found a short. The wire did break like you described and I fixed it the same way which reset the brake controller until about 30 miles into our next trip and then the wire snapped again. Thats when I took it to the dealer and they fixed it. On the way home from the dealer the brakes failed again and took it right back. They then took the axel apart and found the short.Moral of the story is becareful that your fix didnt just reset the brake controller and also that a dodge ram 1500 has great breaks.