Return to: RV Trailer Improvements
If your trailer has its own breaks, it likely also has a breakaway switch. This is a safety feature that turns on the brakes of your trailer in the event it becomes detached from your vehicle while towing. This is also why it’s mandatory (depending where you live) to have a properly functioning battery in your trailer. The battery powers the brakes when the trailer becomes disconnected from the towing vehicle.
In order to test your breakaway system, find a place where there’s no traffic and you can safely park and drive your vehicle and trailer. Ideally somewhere on a gravel road.
To enable the breakaway system, you need to do 2 things:
- Disconnect trailer plug from the vehicle
- Pull the pin straight out of the breakaway switch
Very slowly drive your vehicle forward just a little bit. This should engage the trailer brakes at full power. If it doesn’t, something isn’t working correctly.
Push the pin back into the breakaway switch and reconnect the trailer plug to the vehicle.
Return to: RV Trailer Improvements