Breakaway switch melted! Need help

[Tom Traveler]

On the triple axle trailers, like mine and like the OP has, there are six brake coils in operation when the brakes are applied. If I remember correctly, that circuit will pull around 18 amps or so. That isn't an issue in and of itself, unless that amount of current is flowing for longer than a certain amount of time. Very likely the wiring may not be larger enough (I don't know that for fact) for extended use.....but then again, it is not intended for regular or extended use. And like I said in my previous post....if the trailer has come loose from the truck, that circuit is going to be at the very bottom of your list of worries.

It won’t be at the bottom of your list if your trailer has successfully come to a stop without wrecking and you start to see flames coning out of the front of your RV.

The 18 amp load for a triple axle is useful data. You would hope that the wire is sized for the load. I would hate to have the RV unhook going up a hill, successfully come to a stop, have the breakaway switch burn up and watch as the RV starts rolling away. Note to self - chock the RV wheels ASAP, before the breakaway circuit burns up.

[xrated]

There's just gonna be a trailer AND tool box zooming down the road.............lol

My breakaway is attached to the truck.

Even if, and that would be a HUGE if, it pulled the toolbox loose, the toolbox ain't going to get past the B&W 25K hitch that would be in the way...

[xrated]

It won’t be at the bottom of your list if your trailer has successfully come to a stop without wrecking and you start to see flames coning out of the front of your RV.

The 18 amp load for a triple axle is useful data. You would hope that the wire is sized for the load. I would hate to have the RV unhook going up a hill, successfully come to a stop, have the breakaway switch burn up and watch as the RV starts rolling away. Note to self - chock the RV wheels ASAP, before the breakaway circuit burns up.

I would think that if a 5ver broke away from the truck, as we are talking about, as soon as the front landing gear made contact with the pavement, the sparks would be flying like a fireworks show....at least until they bent or broke off, then the underside of the front of the trailer would now be scaping the ground. In the case of mine and others, all those sparks would be right under the generator/battery/hydraulic pump system compartment.

[IBEW Sparky]

Awesome! Thank you for the information. Extremely helpful. I will be able to compete repair after this. Thank you for being active and vocal on this forum

As stated by others the break away switch is not fused for safety reasons and should remain that way. I learned a similar lesson as you years ago with my previous TT when I removed my break away cable to fix a frayed section, spent 10 or 15 minutes in my garage and walked out to smoke billowing out. Besides my brake away switch needing replacement I needed to replace the wiring through the axles as they burned up as well. Bring yourself enough wire to rewire the circuit from the switch to the axles and across to the opposite side of the RV, wire nuts, tape, and some ty-raps. I was able to grab the burned off wire and pull some slack from the opposite side then use that wire to pull new wire through the axles. If needed you can temporarily ty-rap the wires to the top of the axles to get you home if needed. After everything needed is rewired jack up each wheel and spin it while someone hits the brake controller to make sure each solenoid is functioning properly... I needed to replace one brake solenoid that failed to work but can't say for sure it was working properly before my mishap.

[Casa_Woody]

I would think that if a 5ver broke away from the truck, as we are talking about, as soon as the front landing gear made contact with the pavement, the sparks would be flying like a fireworks show....at least until they bent or broke off, then the underside of the front of the trailer would now be scaping the ground. In the case of mine and others, all those sparks would be right under the generator/battery/hydraulic pump system compartment.

And the back end of the truck, top rails and tailgate, may need a little polish (after the body work is complete).

[440scout]

I may have missed if it was mentioned but, its a good idea to exercise that switch once a month by pulling that plastic pin out and verifying the brakes are working by listening for the humming sound at each wheel then push the pin back in place. The pin simply separates a pair of spring loaded contacts and if water gets inside, they can corrode.