break controler and towing car trailer

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

173dave

Active member
Joined
May 29, 2012
Posts
40
Location
Oregon
I have a Prodigy break controller on my DP. I just bought a new flat bed car hauler. I drove it about 20 miles and all of s sudden the trailer breaks locked up and took all of the tread off the tires in patches. Has anyone had such a problem and what do you think causes it?

Dave
 
The easiest answer is that the trailer breakaway switch got pulled or shorted somehow.  A second possibility is a short in the trailer brake wiring that sent power directly to the electric brakes. It doesn't seem likely the problem is on the tow vehicle end - even if the Prodigy saw a false brake trigger signal from the tow vehicle brakes, the inertial sensor should keep it from locking up the heels.

Presumably you came to a screeching halt. Were the trailer brakes still locked up? What did you have to do to release them?
 
Did you have your foot on the brakes, was a car on the trailer, did you adjust the brake controller to lighter settings if trailer was empty,was it a faster or quicker stop then usual?
 
I can think of a few things.. First, had the break-a-way been pulled or shorted or other electrical fault I would hope the Prodigy would have told you about it.. But since I do not have one I can't be sure of that.

However it is also possible the brakes themselves may have a problem.. Was the trailer new or used (Used if it sat around they may have done strange things)

If the prodigy did not alarm, testing it is fairly simple, most RV dealers should be able to do it in ... Well takes longer to write the service order than to do the test.

If it's the trailer.. The dealer is where  you need to be for that one too less you know how to do it.

And to end this post: If you happen to be near southern lower Michigan.. So is Tekonsha.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
131,981
Posts
1,388,593
Members
137,727
Latest member
Davidomero
Back
Top Bottom