HELP trailer brake trouble, long trip on Sunday. - Diesel Forum

skibarefoot · 03-04-2006, 01:11 AM

I have a Drawtite Activator II. The problem I am having is intermittant. The controller will go up to the limit I set. Once it hits the limit OL is displayed and the brakes release. They will then activate again and OL displays and the brakes release. OL indicates overload or short. I looked at and wiggled all trailer wires while the brakes on the truck where being applied and my wife watched the controller display. I could not duplicate the problem with the truck stationary. The brakes on the camper do not have this trouble.

Oh one more thing. It does not matter if the trailer is empty or loaded.

Thanks,
Craig

Derag2 · 03-04-2006, 01:49 AM

well if you camper doesn't have the problem but you other trailer does then, you've got it pinpointed to the trailer and not the truck..... Most of the time you have to be moving for the brakes to work thou, so you might wanna try driving around with the camper...... Check you wire connections to you brake controller

CaptRon · 03-04-2006, 09:17 AM

I bet one of the wheel magnets on the trailer is worn into the winding and is shorted so that the other magnets are receiving the full current.

The circuit breaker in your truck is tripping and reseting.

A quick test would be to hold a compass next to each wheel in turn and have your wife apply the brakes with the controller slider. The needle on the compass should swing indicating that the magnet is energizing. If you find a wheel that the needle doen't swing then pull it to find out why.

If you find a worn magnet on this wheel then chances are that the others are worn as well, so do a complete brake job on the trailer.

Good Luck,
Capt Ron

LongRider · 03-04-2006, 02:28 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I bet one of the wheel magnets on the trailer is worn into the winding and is shorted so that the other magnets are receiving the full current.

Capt Ron

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="green">To be more clear, when a magnet wears through to the copper winding, it creates a dead short at that magnet and kills the entire system.

So long as one magnet is bad, none of them will work.

I have about as much use for electric brakes as I have for flourescent lights.

Vacuum-over-hydraulic is the only way to go, unless you have air-brakes. </font>

FatDog · 03-04-2006, 02:36 PM

[ QUOTE ]
... I have about as much use for electric brakes as I have for flourescent lights. ...

[/ QUOTE ]
alright, i tried as hard as I could not to ...... but,
whats up with the flourescents?
Mike [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

LongRider · 03-04-2006, 08:28 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
... I have about as much use for electric brakes as I have for flourescent lights. ...

[/ QUOTE ]
alright, i tried as hard as I could not to ...... but,
whats up with the flourescents?
Mike [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ] <font color="green">

You obviously haven't tried to keep a big shop full of flourescents working all the time without being up on a ladder with a screw-driver in your hand, replacing ballasts, bulbs, bulb sockets, etc., etc.

Then, they buzz and humm and flicker constantly; and, for no reason, decide to go out for a couple of hours when you need them the most; and, when they decide to, they will come back on for a while.

As time and money permits, I have been systematically replacing the flourescents with good old no-nonsense incandescents.

Maybe they burn a few drops more electricity, but they are cheaper in the long run.

</font>

skibarefoot · 03-07-2006, 01:23 AM

Well, Saturday I took all the drums off because all that was left where the magnets. One magnet was worn through to the windings. I did not check the magnets first because they looked OK when I changed the brakes last month. Now the trailes has new magnets too. Oh, well next time the brakes get changed I will get the wholes backing plate with everthing on it.

Thanks to all. I have been away from the computer due to my trip with the trailer.

CaptRon · 03-07-2006, 11:02 AM

Glad to hear that you found the problem, you're right about replacing the entire brake backing plate out. That's what I did when my brakes failed in Pa last year. Cost me $800 for the four wheels and I changed them out in the RV dealers parking lot. Best thing I ever did for these brakes.

Capt Ron