Brakes without battery

[[email protected]]

I have a 2009 2619 and turn my battery off. Will my break away switch operate this way?

[tentcamper]

The breakaway brake most likely will not work. This is the cable that attaches to the hitch and is engaged if the trailer breaks away from the hitch, it applies the brakes so its not running all over the highway.

On both my TM's the breakaway brake switch came from back by the converter. I had to re-wire the switch directly from the battery. Your normal electric brakes will work because they are power from the TV via the brake controler you had installed.

Y

[Bill]

To restate, if you turn off the TM battery, using a switch or any other method, then the breakaway brakes will not work. Remember, the breakaway switch is activated when the pin is pulled out of it, and this happens only when the trailer "breaks away" from the tow vehicle. When the trailer breaks away, and runs off on its own, the big cord from the 7-pin connector on the tow vehicle to the TM will be torn out, so the tow vehicle can no longer power the trailer brakes. The TM battery will power the brakes ... unless you have disconnected it.

Bill

[Padgett]

BTW was pulling a big race car on an Interstate when the hitch broke. The chains held and was able to bring the rig to a stop without incident. With a proper system and separate chain mounts, breakaway would require a quadruple failure- hitch, two chains, and the nut behind the wheel. First rule in racing: never do anything sudden..

[dab1950]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

I have a 2009 2619 and turn my battery off. Will my break away switch operate this way?

When you say you 'turn my battery off', do you mean, you have a battery
disconnect switch or do you pull the 30 amp fuse or just simply disconnect
the red wires at the battery post?
Note; I said 'wires' as there are 3 red wires on my battery positive post.
The big one has the inline fuse and goes to the converter. The two smaller
wires goes to the electric brakes, one per.
If you keep the smaller red wires connected to the battery even though you
interrupt the connection to the converter, your break away switch and system
will remain at the ready if needed. However, if you disconnect all 3 wires,
then the TM is vulnerable to major damage. Albeit very remote as Padgett
explains; quadruple failure.
So, my advice, don't disconnect the smaller red wires to the battery positive
post. They have no current through them unless the switch is activated so
there won't be any drain on the battery.
Hope this helps.

[Bill]

I said 'wires' as there are 3 red wires on my battery positive post.
The big one has the inline fuse and goes to the converter. The two smaller
wires goes to the electric brakes, one per.

I'm not sure I understand this. If you have two wires directly from the battery post to the brakes, then the brakes will instantly slam on as soon as you make the connection. That can't be right.

If you meant that the two smaller red wires go to the breakaway switch, then there is no need for two wires. Only one wire goes to the breakway switch, and only one wire comes out of the breakaway switch. This wire goes to the brakes as a pair, first to the left brake, and art the brake, the second wire to the right brake is connected.

So while I agree with you that the large red wire with the 30 amp fuse goes to the converter, I have no idea what the two smaller red wires are for. Do you have an electric tongue jack? That could be one of them. You mention that you have electric stab jacks. Can you activate these as pairs (front pair and rear pair, or left pair and right pair)? Do you have solar panels?

I guess my bottom line is that very few TMs have 3 wires at the positive post of the battery. Your extras are most likely part of some aftermarket items.

Bill

[commodor47]

Bill,

Like you, I don't see how the two extra red wires could be used to power the brake away switch.

His signature indicates he has electric stab jacks. My guess is the front and back pair of jacks are wired separately to the battery. That could be the two extra red wires he is referring to in his post?

Hopefully he will reply with confirmation as to my guess.

Dick

[dab1950]

Bill and Dick,

I have no electric tongue jack and no solar panels. Maybe you are right about
the extra two red wires providing power to my electric stabilizer jacks. I need
to check on that.
But it's my understanding, the 2006 2720 with the battery mounted in the
rear storage compartment, the extra red wires are connected to the brake
actuators and the break away switch on the tongue applies frame ground when
the lanyard is pulled thus completing the circuit and applying the brakes.
However, I have a PDF of the 2008 TM Owners manual. Does the 2008 2720
have the battery in the front? On page 38 of my PDF is the discussion and
schematic of the break away switch circuit. This schematic is exactly opposite
to how my 2006 is wired(I think)(need to double check this). This PDF shows
the 12V + 'hot line' is common with the blue wire line in the Bargman connector
which is connected to the brake controller in the TV.
Where is the battery on the 2009 2619? If it is mounted on the tongue, then
the advice I gave above is very likely wrong and misleading. if that is the case,
please accept my apologies.

[Bill]

I think you are now headed down the right path. There is a +12 volt wire from the hot side of the converter (probably not directly from the battery) to the breakaway switch. Then, a single wire from the breakaway switch is spliced into the blue wire from the brake controller to the brakes. This splice is part of the mass of wiring behind the refrigerator (lower panel, removed from outside).

It is almost unheard of for a switch to actuate a circuit by applying ground, and for good reason. It is actually illegal for this to be done on 120 VAC power distribution.

I updated my TM Wiring Diagram and attached it here. It is electrically correct, but physically a bit abbreviated because it does not show all the 12-volt fuses. But it does show how the brakes are powered, where the power gets to the breakaway switch, and how it gets from the breakaway switch to the brakes. It also shows how the battery is tied into the whole system.

My guess is still that the red wires go to your stabilizer jacks. Easy to check. Just remove the wires and see if the jacks still work.

Bill

[dab1950]

Bill,

I'll check on my wiring. But just to be sure, [email protected] isn't confused,
if you disconnect the battery from the rest of the TM, then the break away
switch is isolated too. Not good.
Thanks for all you do Bill.