Emergency brake lockup, I think?..

[eightwt]

Was going on a weekender and didn’t get more than a mile or so from home when other vehicles started motioning/honking at me. Got pulled over and discovered that my driver side wheel on my single axle travel trailer was smoking profusely and extremely hot. Long story short, the wheel had locked up, from what I think is an e brake, but not sure as I’m an idiot at this point. Had to get a wrecker to get trailer home. There are electric wires that go into the back of the wheel, brake drum? Also, after looking things over , discovered a breakaway switch on frame. On further reflection, I remember a steel wire that always hung near the hitch that was not there when I hitched the trailer to leave. The trailer had not been used for some time. I’m thinking that missing wire was attached to breakaway switch? and that was what triggered the brake to engage? How do I fix this issue? Would the heat have ruined bearing? Any help appreciated

 

[8Muddypaws]

The breakaway switch should have locked up all of your trailers wheels, if they were adjusted properly.

The little steel cable connects to a plastic ‘key’ that pushes the electrical contacts in the breakaway switch apart, preventing it from completing the circuit that energizes the electromagnets in the brake actuators. Find that switch. If there is no cable and no ‘key’ that was probably your problem.

Chances are trailer brakes are shot now. But maybe only the one, but that’s a moot point because it’s rarely a good idea to replace only one.

Good luck with this
Russ

 

[Rene T]

That steel cable Russ talked about, connects to your tow vehicle and if for whatever reason the trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle, then the cable pulls out that pin sending power to your trailer brakes. When hooking it up, you need quite a bit of slack so it does not pull the pin out when making a sharp turn

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Have you checked to see if a wheel bearing froze up?/that will heat and act the same as a brake locking up >>>Dan

 

[Kirk]

That steel cable Russ talked about, connects to your tow vehicle and if for whatever reason the trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle, then the cable pulls out that pin sending power to your trailer brakes.

This is what it looks like before installation to the RV. You will need that cable and plastic plug and you should check all of the brakes and wheel bearings. You should at least repack the bearings. Chances are the other was hot too.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Since the trailer hasn't been used in some time, a seized wheel bearing is more likely than a brake issue.And it would certainly yield a hot, smoking wheel hub.

As was mentioned, a failed disconnect should have locked both trailer wheels, not just one. And failure of an electric brake is more likely to prohibit any braking rather than lock up the wheel, but with so few clues anything is possible.

 

[John From Detroit]

Agreeing with Gary. The way the brakes work after a long sit they are more likely to not work than to lock up.. However the bearing. Well odds of failure unless re-packed go up up up .

 

[Lou Schneider]

Since the trailer hasn't been used in some time, a seized wheel bearing is more likely than a brake issue.And it would certainly yield a hot, smoking wheel hub.

As was mentioned, a failed disconnect should have locked both trailer wheels, not just one. And failure of an electric brake is more likely to prohibit any braking rather than lock up the wheel, but with so few clues anything is possible.

The usual routing is to take a single electric feed to the brake (or brakes) on one side of the trailer, then run a jumper over to the brake(s) on the other side. A failure of this crossover wire will leave you with brakes on only one side of the trailer. I'd check the operation of all brakes because as Gary said they all should have locked up when the disconnect was activated.