Posted 2015-07-30 7:27 PM (#164300) Subject: Smoking breaks help needed
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Chicago
I have a Featherlite 9407 dual horse trailer that is two years old with less than a thousand miles. The trailer has electric breaks. I don't actually have the trailer, my daughter who is away at school 350 miles away has the trailer.
She is moving between apartments at school and has furniture in the trailer for the move. Prior to this, the trailer has sat at the stable for 9 months.
She had a friend with a Chevy Avalanche move the trailer about three miles. When they arrived, she saw a small black plastic box which is attached on top of the trailer tongue, was smoking. I assume this is a control for the brake???
I know zip about trailers. She wants to move the trailer to the new apartment but I told her not to move it as smoking boxes cannot be good.
Posted 2015-07-30 8:22 PM (#164301 - in reply to #164300) Subject: smoking
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448 Location: Los Angeles, Ca.
Sounds like the breakaway switch..Google that and you can see what it looks like. If it is smoking, the lanyard holding the key in the switch may have been pulled thereby activating the electric brakes....not a good thing.
Posted 2015-07-30 8:24 PM (#164302 - in reply to #164300) Subject: RE: Smoking breaks help needed
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
It sounds as if the emergency brake's tether was pulled, or the hot lead from the battery inside, is inadvertenly grounded. The tether can be reinserted into the switch, but by now the battery will be dead and you won't notice any difference. This situation should be resolved before any livestock is hauled on the open road. Moving furniture around town shouldn't be a problem. This emergency braking system is only used if your hitch fails, then the safety chains also fail, leaving only the electric brakes as a last resort to stop an errant trailer from rolling down the road.
Smoking breaks help needed
