See what our Experts say about this Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit

• Parts Needed to Add Disc Brakes to Trailer with Dexter 12K Axles w/ Electric Drum Brakes
  The Kodiak # K2R1258L12 Disc Brake Kit is compatible with a 12K Dexter axle with a 7-bolt brake mounting flange. Your current wheels/hubs should have an 8 on 6-1/2 inch bolt pattern. You'll also need an electric over hydraulic brake actuator, a brake line kit, a break away system and a brake controller that's compatible with electric over hydraulic brake systems. For the electric over hydraulic actuator, I'd recommend going with the Hydrastar # HBA16. Our install techs have found it to...
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• Converting Military Trailer Air Over Hydraulic Drum Brakes to Electric Over Hydraulic
  You are correct, there are 4 electric over hydraulic braking systems, from 3 manufacturers, that can be used to eliminate the air over hydraulic actuator on your M200A1 trailer. These systems all require a breakaway system to meet DOT safety standards. I will detail each system for you so you can select the one that will work best for your truck and trailer setup. First, the Dexter Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator, # K71-650, would be a good choice because it will work with the OEM...
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• Wiring the Breakaway Switch to Dexter Electric Over Hydraulic Drum Trailer Brake Actuator
  The orange/black wire does connect to the positive battery terminal on the breakaway battery from kit # 34-285. The blue wire connects to the yellow wire on the actuator, # K71-650. I have included a picture showing how everything gets wired up.
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• What is the Purpose of the Black Connection on the Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit # 34-285
  The black piece on the Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit # 34-285 is simply a place where the power wires connect to. It is more of a housing than a connection point really. This kit can be used with trailers that just have electric brakes and not electric-over-hydraulic. If you check out the attached photo you can see how this will install.
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• Troubleshooting EOH Actuator That Will Not Release Brakes
  If your EOH brakes will not disengage the problem could either be mechanical, as in a malfunction with the master cylinder, a clog in the hydraulic lines or broken parts in the brake assemblies themselves. Or it could be electrical in origin, meaning that electrical power is reaching the actuator when it should not. Troubleshooting this type of problem is easiest if you disconnect the trailer and test the tow vehicle and trailer separately. If the brakes release when you unplug the trailer...
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• How to Remove Trailer Break Away System Cable From Vehicle When Unhitching Trailer
  You won't want to remove the break away pin from the switch, as this would activate the trailer brakes and run down the break away system's battery. You'll want to remove the cable from the safety chain loop on the vehicle. The easiest way to do that would be to remove and discard the existing break away cable like # 34-285 and install the # FA80-01-2140 Fastway Zip Coiled Trailer Breakaway Cable. Attach the split ring to the break away pin and the carabiner to the safety chain loop on...
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• Troubleshooting Dexter DX Series EOH Brake Actuator Holding Brakes After Brake Pedal Is Released
  It sounds like you are needing the Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit # 34-285 for your Dexter DX Series Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator # K71-650. The actuator needs to be mounted close to the battery supply for normal operation and by operating it off your charge line without a battery will cause it to malfunction.
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• Conversion of Air Over Hydraulic to Electric Over Hydraulic Brakes
  Thanks for including a picture! Actually, the electric over hydraulic actuators have their own reservoir as the brake line connects directly to the unit. The integrated brake controller you have isn't compatible with electric over hydraulic because it won't activate the actuator properly. If you provide me the year of your Ram, I will be more than happy to recommend a brake controller. However, one of our most popular brake controllers is the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 # 90885. It includes a...
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• How To Install and Operate Dexter Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator
  To install the Dexter Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator, part # K71-650, you would need to install a brake controller that is compatible with a electric over hydraulic brakes and then part # K71-650. To install part # K71-650, you must use at least a 9 amp/hour breakaway kit, like Dexter Breakaway Kit, part # 34-285. To hookup part # K71-650, you will connect the Yellow wire to cold side of breakaway switch, which is the wire that is hot when breakaway occurs. The Black Wire connects...
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• Trailer Breakaway Kit Recommendation with 9 amp Hour Battery
  We don't have a 9 amp hour battery to swap into the battery box of the Engager but I do have a great solution for you. The Dexter Breakaway Kit part # 34-285 is a kit that comes with a 9 amp hour batter and a box large enough to fit the battery size.
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• Why do Trailer Electric Over Hydraulic Brakes only Operate if Break-Away Battery is Fully Charged
  Your Dexter Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator # K71-651 will need your breakaway battery to be fully charged to operate as you've figured out I'm sure. It sounds like the problem is that your 12 volt power circuit on your 7-way is no longer functioning and its not charging the battery so its dying. Most likely there is a blown fuse on your 12 volt trailer circuit and because of that the breakaway battery is dead and your electric over hydraulic actuator is no longer working. The amperage...
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• Can Dexter Breakaway Kit for Electric Over Hydraulic Actuators be Used with Regular Electric Brakes
  Not to worry because you can use breakaway kit # 34-285 with regular electric brakes too. I called Dexter and they confirmed this. So you are good to go you would just omit the electric over hydraulic actuator part of the diagram for installation.
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• Troubleshooting 2017 Ram 3500 and Belshe Trailer EOH Brakes Staying On and Disconnecting Trailer
  As with any wiring issue that only occurs on occasion it sounds like you have a short in your wiring. This short could be on either your 2017 Ram 3500 or the Belshe trailer. If you tow with any other trailers but the issue is only on the Belshe trailer then your issue will most likely be found on the trailer. With the actuator staying on it is a sign the brake wire is getting power from another source when you release the brake pedal. The trailer disconnected is typically a sign of a loose...
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• Is a Parking Brake Required for an Electric Over Hydraulic Trailer Braking Setup
  It would not be required that your trailer have a parking brake when using an electric over hydraulic braking system. You may be thinking of a breakaway system that will stop the trailer in the event of it becoming uncoupled from the tow vehicle. The Dexter Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator, part # K71-651, for the disc brakes will require a minimum 9 amp/hour breakaway kit like the Dexter Breakaway Kit, part # 34-285. This breakaway kit is designed to work with the Dexter electric...
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• Troubleshooting Electric-Over-hydraulic Brakes On Trailer
  There might be an easy way to solve this issue. Is the display on your brake controller red? If so, then it is probably the older Prodigy model and will not work for the electric-over-hydraulic system you have on your new trailer. That would explain why it works on your horse trailer with electric brakes. It still receives the current from the brake controller, but the controller is not designed to work with electric-over-hydraulic systems. If you have a blue display, then you probably...
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• Troubleshooting Locked Brakes on 2013 Forest River Salem Travel Trailer
  If the electric drum brakes on your Forest River Salem travel trailer are locked up then the first thing you can check is the breakaway switch and battery which provide emergency braking in the event of a vehicle/trailer disconnect. it is possible that your breakaway switch has been tripped/damaged or that there is a wiring issue in that system that is sending power to the brakes. First, disconnect the trailer plug from the tow vehicle socket to prevent any chance of your vehicle's brake...
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• Recommended Replacement Breakaway Key for a Dexter Breakaway System
  Hey Joel, to answer your first question I'm not entirely sure what you can do temporarily considering that the key that fits into the Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit # 34-285 uses a special shape that wouldn't be easily replaceable. I'd just recommend waiting until you get the Replacement Breakaway Switch with Cable and Pin for Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit # K71-691 before towing your trailer again. Also, since the delivery times can change I'd recommend just checking what on the product...
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• Electric Trailer Brake Conversion Recommendation for a 2004 Ranger Trail Boat Trailer
  Hey Richard, thanks for reaching out! You likely have 3,500 lb axles on your boat trailer, and if this is the case you'll need the following parts: - Trailer Brake Kit # AKEBRK-35-SA (1 per axle) - Hub/Drum Kit # AKHD-545-35-EZ-K (2 per axle) - 10 Gauge Wire # 10-1-1 (sold by foot - needed to run from coupler to brake assemblies) - Breakaway Battery Kit # 34-285 - Junction Box # 3430001-JBK - 7-Way Connector # H20043 You only need the junction box and 7-Way connector if you don't...
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• Replacement Battery for Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger
  For the Dexter Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger # 34-285 there is no specific replacement battery. This uses a 12-Volt lead-acid battery so for a replacement you just need to find the same kind of battery with dimensions that will allow it to fit inside of the case. The case dimensions are 6-5/16" long x 3-3/4" wide x 5-3/4" tall.
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• Can I Use the Dexter DX Brake Actuator To Convert Drum Brake to EOH On Triple Axle Trailer
  The Dexter DX Series Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator for Drum Brakes part # K71-650 will work well to actuate your drum brakes on the triple axle trailer when you switch over to electric over hydraulic brakes. You will also need a brake line kit. The longest brake line kit we have available is HydraStar Hydraulic Brake Line Kit - Triple Axle - 25' Long, 3/16" Main Line part # HS496-253. I do not believe this line kit will be long enough but I do not know how far back your axle. If...
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• Break Away System Recommendation for 4 Axle Trailer
  I don't offer a breakaway system that's compatible with a 4 axle trailer that provides the test lamp function, but we do offer a breakaway system that would be compatible. The Tekonsha # 2028 Shur-Set III will work on trailers with 1-4 axles. The kit includes a battery charger that's tied into the 12-v feed from the trailer connector, so it'll keep the battery topped off at all times as you're towing.
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• Complete Trailer Breakaway Kits and Replacement Parts
  A trailer breakaway kit like # 34-285 will apply full power to your electric trailer brakes in the event of the vehicle and trailer suddenly being uncoupled. Such kits consist of a breakaway switch and cable, a breakaway battery and a box to contain the battery. I linked two articles on installing and testing such kits. I also linked our page for all such kits, such as the popular Hopkins # 20099, and a page showing individual breakaway kit replacement parts.
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• Does Dexter 1600 psi Disc Actuator Require 2 Batteries?
  No. I have never heard of needing 2 breakaway batteries for a single trailer. Because all the systems are rated for 12v, adding a second breakaway battery would only help the battery to hold the brakes longer because it doubles the capacity not the output voltage. Your Dexter DX Series Electric Over Hydraulic Brake Actuator for Disc Brakes - 1,600 psi # K71-651 will only use one breakaway battery like # 34-285. If you look at the product page you will see the attached diagram showing...
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• Will Existing Break Away Kit Work When Converting Electric Brakes To Hydraulic Disc Brakes
  The break away kit you have on your trailer should be fine if you have at least 9 amp/hour on your system, as this is what is required by the Dexter Brake Actuator, part # K71-651. It sounds as though you should be okay with two batteries hooked to your system now. If you are using the trailer connector for your batteries, they will only have the charge maintained, and will not increase the charge of the batteries. I have attached a link to our product page for battery chargers. If your...
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