Trailer brake trouble ... any advice?

(john211) · (john211) **Join Date: Aug 2008** 05-13-2010, 11:43 AM

Last Wednesday I pulled the boat out of the locker for first trip of the year and, I definitely had a brake locked up on at least one of the tires. Luckily, the locker premise is also a dealership, so I had instant access to a mechanic. The mechanic jacked up the trailer on each side, one side at a time, and learned that all 4 tires were locked. So he guessed that there might be a problem with my trailer’s master cylinder. The woman who runs the service department advised that I just leave the boat there in the garages and they’d look into it further.

She called back today, and told me that everyday since I left it, someone has moved that trailer around (probably by tractor with a hitch on the nose). And no one has been able to get the problem to repeat.

They’re now wondering if it might be something with my RV plug. Is this possible? When I go out there this afternoon, what sort of diagnostics would be a good idea?

(Matt) · (Matt) **Join Date: Mar 2010** 05-13-2010, 12:27 PM

Check your brake away cable... I've had them lock up the brakes & when the batterie goes down it will stop(nev'er on a boat thou) Have them hook it up to a truck for a few hr then try it...

(john211) · (john211) **Join Date: Aug 2008** 05-13-2010, 3:07 PM

Thanks Matt. We’ll check that. [Battery in what? The tow vehicle? Or trailer? (Really pretty sure this trailer has no battery.)]

Anybody else? Any other ideas? (Stormy day here and I did not get out there yet.)

Would it be worthwhile to talk them into taking my tow vehicle (SUV) for a day, and have them test it?

(Matt) · (Matt) **Join Date: Mar 2010** 05-13-2010, 4:30 PM

My trailer has a 12 volt battery that controls the breakaway brakes.. It's about the size of a can of Spam.

(olskooltige) · (olskooltige) **Join Date: Mar 2007** 05-14-2010, 12:31 PM

Were you going forward or in reverse when your brakes engaged?

The break away cable is probably a mechanical connection to the master cylinder piston. Most are.

(john211) · (john211) **Join Date: Aug 2008** 05-14-2010, 2:44 PM

I towed it about 1/4 mile away from the dealership before I decided that the trailer tires were rolling with too high of a degree of friction. So the total trip was about 1/2 mile forwards, fifty feet reverse, and same high degree of friction in reverse. We could smell the brakes. And when the mechanic jacked up the trailer to see if it was one or all, we could not turn any of the tires by hand.

Still not fixed. I drop my vehicle off Monday morning so they can run more tests.