OOPS Moment!!

[Rick and Mindy]

So, I'm a little embarrassed to speak of this but if it saves someone from the moment I experienced than it is worth chuckle everyone else may have. I had just finished rerouting a wire from the Titan Disc brake actuator per Ron's recommendation, and decided I needed to test drive the rig to make sure the brakes still worked. My wife and I ran down the highway, checked the brakes at different speeds and they worked as expected. When we arrive back to storage facility we have to turn right from a major highway onto a blacktop road with an incline goin up over the railroad tracks. We've done this turn a million times. As we make the turn everything comes to a dead stop, the truck doesn't want to move and my dash message says "trailer disconnected"! What! I jump out of the truck , half of the Redwood still in the highway, my truck blocking the blacktop road, and look at the Hitch and it seems ok. A guy behind me asks me if I need help. Well I manage to get the truck moving very slowly and get it off the blacktop road into the entrance to the storage facility but it feels like I'm pulling a building. I pull over and I can hear the actuator working so I disconnect the trailer wire plug from the truck and the brakes seem to still be locked up. I'm thinking this is bad, really bad! The man that offered to help me starts looking around and says "here's the problem" and shows me that the Breakaway cable has pulled out from the fifth wheel and the brakes are doing exactly what they are supposed to do! I knew we were only going down the highway for a short distance so I hooked the cable to the hitch handle. Normally I hook it to a chain attached to my hitch rails at the base of the hitch. When we made the turn, the cable got hung up on the hitch and pulled loose. Problem solved! Of course then we had to make another run just to make sure everything still operated properly. Success! It's hot and humid and I am beat!! We learn something new every day.

[r time soon]

Rick, You are not the first to have the breakaway cable pull out. Happened less than 3 blocks from our home when leaving once. Cable got caught between the plate and the hitch. I solved that by getting a new break-away switch with the full length wire leads on it. Moved from the rear of the pin box to near the front. Purchased the red curly wire lead piece and mounted a bracket onto an open hole on my hitch. It retracts out of the way to not get caught but will pull out if the time comes.


Chris

[RV4us2]

I had a Mobil repair service tech suggest I connect my breakaway cable to the bed of the truck. I do that now as it was a tip toe reach to the hitch.

[Char & Steve]

About a year ago I did the same thing. Hard right turn out of our driveway and everything locked up. I was a newbie and stuck blocking the road. Figured it out quickly but when I plugged the cord back in what a huge bang and jump. Guess the pressure on the breaks did it. Char jumped over the center console and hit the breaks out of a panic. I was laying in the bed saying that is something I won't do again.

Steve

[Ford truck guy]

Yup , my very first trip with my very first fifth wheel was to Hershey PArk with 6 other campers... We were the last to arrive , as we pulled into the site ( with everyone watching) Mine pulled out and locked everything up....

Took me a little bit to figure out over everyone crowding me...

I got over it

[dieseldave]

I had the same problem almost every time I backed into my driveway since I have to make a 90 degree turn. I bought this: https://www.amazon.com/Fastway-80-01...th+pin%2C+6%27

No more problems with it coming out. I slide the clip over the handle to my hitch which makes it easy to reach.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rosey]

Ditto....... happened to me last Dec. while making a sharp right turn out of the camp ground. LOUD BANG than my Dually's drive wheels spinning freely on the dirt gravel. Jumped out of the truck scratching my head. Wife asks "what happened"? I reply "I don't have a clue"....... d*mn brakes must have locked up somehow !! Crawled underneath the Redwood looking around..... sat down pondering who I should call for assistance then a "lightbulb" went off in my head.........check the breakaway switch!! Yep...... I'm a member of this club too

[spindrift]

I was in the middle of an intersection when it happened to me.

So Rick, I hope you don't feel so bad now.

[Piper Guy's Gal]

Originally Posted by spindrift

I was in the middle of an intersection when it happened to me.

So Rick, I hope you don't feel so bad now.

We're members of that club as well. Happened to us as we made a turn onto Main Street in downtown Bedford, PA. If you're not familiar with Bedford, it's one of those charming, small, old towns. Emphasis on small. And on old. With small, old streets. And well, you get the picture.

[Foxfire]

We did it as well. Picked it up from the dealer. Drove 50 miles to the campground probably all lefts. Stayed there for a month. We went to leave and took a hard right turn. There we stayed locked up. You can't open the basement door to see whats up because your literally jackknifed.
When I found it and plugged it back in the rig rolled backward a few inches. My wife thought I didn't put it in park and was trying to hold the trailer in place until I got back in the cab. LOL

[mstan]

yessir!! i had it happen also. Felt so silly when a young Boy playing in his front yard came out to talk and help me. He, while I am freaking out and seating, hold the cable and ask. What does this go to? Duh!!!! Don't feel bad. There are only two kinds. Them that have had it happen and those who will have it happen. Sort of like forgetting to lower the tail gate when hooking up. LOL!

[Rick and Mindy]

Thank Y'all for the kind words. I do feel a little better, as for the tailgate, well let's not bring up any issues that are not there yet. All I can say is Close, very close!!