Breakway wire intertwined into safety chains

[cmcguire48]

I have ran across many campers who have their breakaway wire running thru their chains loops. I quickly tell them thats a no no. Many of them tell me thats the way RV shops recommend and I quickly tell them the RV shop is wrong and should be told that. Your breakaway should be free and not too tight to do the job it is there for

[soonerdave]

Originally Posted by cmcguire48

I have ran across many campers who have their breakaway wire running thru their chains loops. I quickly tell them thats a no no. Many of them tell me thats the way RV shops recommend and I quickly tell them the RV shop is wrong and should be told that. Your breakaway should be free and not too tight to do the job it is there for

Never ceases to amaze me the advice some so called "professionals" give to people, like air your tires up to whatever it says on the sidewall, that's what the tire is designed at. Yeah right!!! The mother of stupid is always pregnant!!!

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by soonerdave

Never ceases to amaze me the advice some so called "professionals" give to people, like air your tires up to whatever it says on the sidewall, that's what the tire is designed at.

Special Trailer ( ST ) tires? That's what I've been doing for the last 25 years or longer, without one trailer tire problem in hundreds of thousands of towing miles.

But first I upgrade the trailer tires (and wheels if required) to at least the next size bigger. For example my trailers that came with ST205/75R15C on 5.5" wide rims were upgraded to ST225/75R15 D or E on 6" wide rims. My newer smaller TT came with ST205/75R14C and I upgraded to ST215/75R14C. I would prefer load range D or E, but I couldn't find any 14" ST tires with higher than C load range. And my favorite trailer tire with less than 16" wheel diameter, ST225/75R15, were too big to fit in the wheels wells of my itty bitty TT.

Those heavier-duty tires pumped up to the max PSI on the sidewall assures that the trailer tires won't get overheated, which causes blowouts. And very few people will "wear out" the tread on a trailer tire before the tire gets too old to continue using it.

LT and P-series tires on tow vehicles have different rules. For those, add 10 PSI to the max PSI for the weight on the tire per the Tire and Rim Assn (TRA's) load/inflation table for that exact size and type of tire. Yes, you have to weigh the rig to know exactly how much weight is on each trailer axle when the trailer is wet and loaded for the road. Then find the TRA weight/inflation table, then use your noodle to properly apply the weight/inflation table.

So proper tire inflation on the tow vehicle is a lot more complicated than simply "air your tires up to whatever it says on the sidewall", or "go by the PSI required by the door sticker". Under-inflation will cause heat-related blowouts, and over-inflation will cause higher treadware.

The vehicle manufacturer won't spend the time necessary to explain how to find and use the TRA load/inflation tables, so they settle on a load that most folks will rarely have, but will have overinflated tires for most of the miles on the vehicle. The OEMs don't worry about excessive tire wear caused by over-inflation.

Commercial truckers use the load/inflation tables religiously. The DOT assures that they are not overloaded. That's why most big truck stops have certified automated truck (CAT) scales. And their pocketbook is incentive enough to not put up with excessive treadwear caused by over-inflated tires. So truckers use the load/inflation tables, but most RVers and POV owners don't.

[Tony Lee]

So truckers use the load/inflation tables, but most RVers and POV owners don't.

Interesting because I doubt whether a trucker with a heap of wheels is going to adjust the pressure just because he is running empty or part loaded. My impression is they use 100psi give or take as a compromise and never change it. Might be different if they have auto-inflation systems fitted but otherwise ....


Probably an all-time record for the minimum number of posts to get completely off-topic - one post

[sundancer398]

Smokey, even if you did stray off subject, it was good information and an interesting read.

[Bob_C]

I use the slinky type cable..........never gets hung up.....

[JazzyPigs]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

I use the slinky type cable..........never gets hung up.....

What do you use we are looking for one... slinky cable not tires lol

[MLiljen]

Well, dang...learn something new everyday on here. I have the slinky type but have not installed it yet. My break away cable has been snaked through the chains since we left the dealer :(

I'll change it tonight. We leave for a 12 days on the coast early tomorrow morning.

Thank you! Timely info.

grumble grumble another item on the to do list.

[Whitewolf]

I run the break away wire through the left safety chain. I have a Reese Goosebox. The tongue weight on our 5r is 2175 empty. We've been on roads that compare to the best rodeo without a problem.

[JIMNLIN]

Going through scale house with a GN trailer/safety chains or a level 1 inspection dot/inspectors recommend the cable through the chains.
Several reasons given but the best one I saw the results was a 4500 truck/trailer operator hit a deer which entangled the cable on his pintle hitch trailer and jerked the brakes on causing the truck and trailer to jackknife and cross the two oncoming lanes and crash into the ditch rolling the truck under the heavy trailer. One lucky operator. He was released from emergency within 3 hours.

No thanks but my cables stay inside my chains...and the cable is a bit longer than the chains. I do not want my trailers brakes locking up at speed just because the trailer came off the ball or a failed hitch system.
You folks can set yours up the way you like.

[Bob_C]

Originally Posted by JazzyPigs

What do you use we are looking for one... slinky cable not tires lol

Google breakaway safety cable

[Desert Flyer]

SmokeyWren, interesting info on tires. Never heard of TRA. This looks like a pro website. Any non-pro info or tables you can share on P-Metric and LT tires?

[mrgrayaz]

I guess the argument is - if the ball breaks do you want to ride the chains to a stop?
That was my understanding of the system:
1. Hitch breaks under acceleration (unlikely)
2. Chains keep the trailer connected, and prevent it from veering into oncoming traffic
3. Lanyard is pulled (being shorter then the chains), engaging trailer brakes fully and pulling the trailer hard against the chains
4. As the chains are taut you have some measure of control - and the trailer brakes will slow both rigs to a stop.

If you have it intertwined into the chains....that doesn't happen.

1. Hitch breaks under acceleration (unlikely)
2. Chains keep the trailer connected, and prevent it from veering into oncoming traffic
3. Lanyard is NOT pulled (being same length as the chains)
4. As the chains are potentially loose - and the nose of the trailer can sway further
5. Operator must manually engage Tow vehicle or trailer brakes via controller to slow to a stop...

[mrgrayaz]

In fact having towed boats for many years with surge brakes - I would say its a terrible idea to have it in the chains.. You dont have a brake controller, and the only way to automatically engage the trailer brakes is when that cable is pulled.....and I still think you'd want the Trailer brakes fully engaged on hitch breaking.