In Arizona it's illegal to operate with the break away disconnected.

 

I'm sure that is because it leaves too much rubber on the roadway! (OH!! This too is a feeble attempt at joking)

 

Along with shutting off the propane tanks on my trailer I usually shut off the fuel tanks on my truck too.

 

I know that Steve. our resident RV Guru, commented about Propane being on when going down the road. I confess I have done it more than once. In fact, I thought it was the way to do it until he mentioned propane on and having a wreck and etc. Then I thought about pulling in to fill with fuel at a busy Pilot or J, at the RV pumps and next to me they are pumping gasoline and spilling it! Oh my that could be a "scorching" experience also. I have now convinced myself to turn off the propane, make sure he Fridge is off so it does not reset and the pizo ignitor is sparking and also keep my 12 volt connected. So if the 12 volt is on, then I might as well get a 1k continuous, 2k peak, Pure sine wave inverter and allow the fridge to use that while going down the road in the summer. And now I have been reading about 5th wheels and Travel Trailers not being grounded proper via the hitch and the breakaway brake "still" not working. So I go and check mine after I got home from work and I will be dang, it did not work till I took it off, cleaned the rust and paint from around it and put it back on. Now it works....Holy smoke folks, we need to be more vigilant on these things...

 

I run the propane and fridge while going down the road. I fill up at the diesel only pumps with the truckers.

I don't think there is going to be anything to worry about the diesel.

I will shut it down though if we have to go through a tunnel or something.

 

This is a good reminder! The break-away is supposed to be tested monthly to make sure it is working.

Steve

 

Tested with the 7 pin disconnected. No sense smoking a brake controller.

The dot checked that with the flatbed when I got stopped last year.

Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup

 

great idea�� hope folks take heed and do the procedure.

 

I think this is a good caution, but I have found the newer controllers handle the pin being pulled without going to heaven. Not sure about all of them of course.

Steve

 

Someone at work smoked a Prodigy by back feeding from the breakaway switch. I haven't had any experience with newer than that.

I do recall that they had me disconnect the trailer plug and then pull the breakaway. Then put the truck in gear and make sure it holds

 

I think your recommendation is very well taken and would encourage folks to follow it.

My only thought here was not to immediately assume a controller is bad if something is amiss. Mine simply gives a trailer fault message, but otherwise seems to suffer no ill effects (I didn't pull it on purpose. That was when my break-away cord got stuck on my hitch after a tight turn.

Steve

 

If the brake cord is pulled and the brakes don't engage , the trailer brakes need to be serviced as they are out of adjustment.

 

This is great info as trailer brakes may not be self adjusting or it is froze up. Most used a screw driver but there is an angled tool to do it more easily. I check mine about twice a year,probably should check more often.
Once a year I jack up the axle and spin the wheel, adjust till it barely, and I mean, barely hear it rubbing then try and back off a tic or two. I then have the DW manually engage the brake controller to make sure it is engaging. I just never thought about checking that dang breakaway brake until we all started talking here. Getting ready to leave for Colorado, this info and the reminders are invaluable.

 

I run down the road with the propane on, and 12v on. I do yank the brake controller and give a test pull before heading out, usually right before the walk around to make sure all the lights are working, which "reminds" me to plug the trailer back in after the test pull, one of the last "checks" before loading kids/dogs/wifey and hitting the road.