Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger - Top Load

Ask the Experts about this Hopkins Trailer Breakaway Kit

• Will The Breakaway Switch Draw Power When Disconnected From Tow Vehicle
  When you unhook the trailer from the SUV you are not going to pull the pin of the breakaway switch to activate the trailer brakes. The only time the breakaway switch is going to pull power is if the pin is pulled from the breakaway switch which activates the brakes. The other side of your breakaway switch has a cable that attaches to the vehicle's frame or hitch while towing. Most people use a clip to attach the loop at the end of the cable to the vehicle's frame or loop it through the...
  view full answer...
• Can Breakaway Switch By Itself Be Used If Trailer Already Had Battery
  If you have a battery already on your trailer that's getting a charge and would be adequate to hold the brakes of your trailer in the event of a breakaway you could wire just a switch from it to your brake output circuit and you'd be fine. For that you'd only need a switch like the # FA80-00-2040 for a kit with a coiled cable or part # 2005-P for a kit with a straight cable. The battery setups like the part # 20099 would only be needed if you also needed a battery to power the system.
  view full answer...
• Electric Trailer Brakes Engaging
  Thanks for the nice words and all that information! It certainly isn't normal that your trailer brakes are engaging without a brake controller though there are a couple of reasons why this can happen. My guess is a wiring issue on the trailer where the wires are making contact and 12 volt power is getting through to the brakes. So I recommend going over the wiring from your brakes and tracing it to see if there is an issue there. If need be you can replace with 10 gauge wire # 10-1-1. Or...
  view full answer...
• How To Wire Hopkins Engager Trailer Breakaway Kit To Trailer
  Unfortunately you cannot wire the battery charger to battery of the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger # 20400 as it will not keep the battery charged. You will need to wire the battery charger to the constant 12v wire coming from the trailer harness. I included a video of the Hopkins Engager # 20400 being installed for you to take a look at.
  view full answer...
• Mounting the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit on Horse Trailer
  It's pretty easy to mount the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger # 20400 on your horse trailer; the kit actually comes with self-tapping screws so you simply need to use those to mount it on an available space on your trailer. If you are having trouble finding an area to mount the kit you can also use the Weld-on Trailer Frame Mounting Plate for Hopkins Engager Breakaway Kit # HM20407 which you can weld onto your trailer frame to mount the...
  view full answer...
• How To Wire Up Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit
  In regards to the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit part # 20400, there are only two wires with the black being power so it should be run to the positive battery terminal and the blue being brake output so it should be run to the brake output circuit. I have attached a wiring diagram you should use below.
  view full answer...
• Testing Vehicle 7-Way for 12V Power Signal for Charging Breakaway Battery
  Some vehicle's 7-way will have a 12V power circuit that remains active at all times (even with the key off) while others will have this circuit off unless the key is in the accessory position or the engine is running. This is not consistent between auto makers nor vehicle models. If an aftermarket 7-way was added to a vehicle it could have been set up either way. If you have a circuit tester like # PTW2992 you can test your specific vehicle to see under what conditions that 12V auxiliary...
  view full answer...
• 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.
  view full answer...
• Power Draw On Tow Vehicle Battery to Charge Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Battery
  The Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger part # 20400 has a maximum power amp draw of 2 amps to charge the breakaway battery. The power draw is so low is will not drain the tow vehicle's battery. It will also only charge when the trailer is connected to the tow vehicle and the 12V circuit is active. On some vehicle's that does require the ignition to be turned on.
  view full answer...
• Installation of Breakaway Kit Switch for Electric Trailer Brakes on Gooseneck Trailer
  Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger - Top Load # 20400 can have the pin mounted on the coupler. The angle should be as aligned as possible with the point you are connecting to and be slightly shorter distance than your safety chains. The pin will pull with force so the pin is designed to withstand that without breaking as is the cable. The length and angle are important because you want the trailer brakes to activate when the trailer becomes...
  view full answer...
• Trailer Breakaway System Operation And Troubleshooting
  The brakes shouldn't necessarily lock up, but the brakes should quickly bring the trailer to a safe stop. The weight of the trailer shouldn't matter if the breakaway kit and the trailer brakes are working properly. All trailer from utility to RV with a much larger weight capacity than the 5,000 lbs you mentioned use breakaways like the Hopkins # 20400. If it isn't functioning to a safe level, there is a need to fix something. It may be a ground, it may be a brake magnet, it may...
  view full answer...
• Comparing Trailer Breakaway Switch Kits
  Some different brand names of trailer breakaway kits do originate from a common source, and this is also true for items like jacks, landing gear and steps. There really is not a lot to distinguish one from another, since their component parts are virtually identical: a battery, a box, a charger and a switch. The one part that can make a difference is the battery itself. A higher output battery can power brakes on more axles. Hopkins Engager Trailer BreakAway Kit # 20400 can handle 1 or...
  view full answer...
• Replacement Breakaway Pin for Hopkins Breakaway Kit 20400
  We have a replacement pin for the Hopkins Breakaway kit # 20400 with the part # HM20051 which is what you'd want to go with. We've never tested the combination you mentioned and since they are different brands it most likely wouldn't fit.
  view full answer...
• How to Tell If Your Breakaway Switch Is Powered By Trailer Battery or Auxiliary Battery
  If you already have a breakaway switch and trying to find its power source, It is possible that someone could have wired the breakaway switch directly to the main battery on the trailer but it does not come like that from the factory. The breakaway switch should be wired to a separate battery. Most Breakaway switches come with their own battery and some come with a battery charger. The breakaway box is essentially a plastic box with a battery in it that powers the breakaway switch. When...
  view full answer...
• Troubleshooting Shorted Out Brake Controller Connected to Breakaway System
  I'm sorry that this happened to your brake controller. I am happy to do research to help get this issues resolved. If when testing the breakaway system and the pin was pulled with the battery connected backwards. This would compromise the brake controller. When reaching out to my contact at Tekonsha we agreed that there may be a wiring issue someplace in the breakaway system. The combination of the wiring issue, combined with pulling the pin would certainly cause frying of the brake...
  view full answer...
• Wiring Diagram for Trailer Breakaway Kit
  On this page (typically below the product links) there is a helpful link section that will have the install instructions fo the Hopkins Breakaway kit part # 20400 that you referenced. I also attached an install video that shows the kit installed as well as a diagram for trailer breakaway wiring as well. The white wire is the ground wire.
  view full answer...
• How to Wire Break Away Switch on Hopkins Engager Break Away System
  The black wire from the break away switch will connect to the blue wire from the break away box, as shown in the provided diagram. By 'brake wires' I'm assuming you're speaking of the wires connected to the brake magnets on your brake assemblies. One wire exiting the brake magnet could connect to the brake output circuit, usually a blue wire and the other would ground to the trailer frame. It doesn't match which goes where.
  view full answer...
• Breakaway Battery Kit for Sundowner 2 Horse Trailer
  The Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger - Top Load # 20400 will absolutely work with your Sundowner 2 horse trailer. I've attached some videos to assist and have also attached the diagram and an article to assist.
  view full answer...
• Will Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit # 20400 Get Damaged from Sun Exposure
  We have not heard complaints from customers regarding Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit # 20400 like what happened with your old system. You could limit direct exposure to the sun somewhat by using # 20099 which is designed to mount with the panel facing to the side rather than up (though it doesn't have to be mounted that way).
  view full answer...
• Where is the Best Place to Install Engager Trailer Breakaway Kit
  The Engager Trailer BreakAway Kit # 20400 can be mounted to either a trailer's frame or jack. The recommended method is to use the weld on bracket part # HM20107. It does not come with U-bolts but it does have holes in the mounting brackets to allow it to be attached. No mounting hardware is included so you'll need to get that separately.
  view full answer...
• Maintaining a Breakaway Trailer Battery in a Cold Colorado Winter for 6 Months
  I recommend a battery charger like # CTEK56674 which has a cold weather mode (-4 degrees F) and you can leave it connected for extended periods of time without damaging the battery or charger. If it gets colder than minus 4 degrees then taking the battery inside to charge would be the best idea. I have included some helpful links on battery chargers for you.
  view full answer...
• Breakaway Battery Recommendation for Triple Axle Trailer
  I have a couple of breakaway battery kit options for you, but the Hopkins Engager Trailer BreakAway Kit # 20400 is not compatible with your triple axle trailer. The # 20400 is only designed for use with single and tandem axle trailers. For your triple axle trailer, you will want to use a breakaway battery that is designed to work with triple axle trailers. I recommend using the Tekonsha Push to Test Breakaway Kit with Premium Integrated Charger # 50-85-313 because it has the same great...
  view full answer...
• Why Does Amber Light Illuminate on Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit
  The amber charging light should not be always on so you are going to want to verify that the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger # 20400 is wired correctly. You will want to make particularly sure the ground wire is attached directly to your trailer frame. It may also be possible that somehow moisture got in the battery box and causing a short.
  view full answer...
• Will A Breakaway Kit Operate Properly Without An Auxiliary Battery
  It is possible to operate a breakaway switch from the trailer's main battery but it is not recommended. The breakaway kit may not function properly in emergency situations because the trailer's main battery has other accessories powered from it which may drain some of its power. The auxiliary battery that comes with breakaway kits such as part # 20400 will be kept at a full charge from the trailer wiring 12 volt power because it has a built in battery charger. Most states require by...
  view full answer...
• Does a Breakaway Battery that Sat for 3 Years Including Winters Need to be Replaced
  It is entirely possible that a breakaway battery that has sat for 3 years including winters could now be bad. A local auto parts store might be able to test it to see if the battery is bad or not. But If it were me I would just replace the battery with a new one that you know isn't going to have any issues. If your existing battery is 3-1/2 inches by 2-3/4 inches by 4 inches then you can use # HM20008. As a matter of fact, all of the breakaway batteries we have are this size, see link.
  view full answer...
• What Causes a Melted Circuit Board on Trailer Breakaway System
  I am sorry to hear about the issue you are having with your new snowmobile trailer. I cannot say for certain that I know exactly what issue caused the circuit board to melt but I suspect there was an issue with power jumping circuits most likely due to improper soldering connections on the board itself. In order to really narrow down what the cause of the issue is, it would be wise to take the trailer into a service center for diagnosis. However, the fact of the matter remains that...
  view full answer...
• Do You Carry the Pin for Engager BrakeAway Kits / Systems?
  We do carry replacement pins for the Engager Trailer Breakaway Systems. Item HM20010 has 7inches lead wires, and item number HM20014 has 44 inches lead wires. I will link you to both items below.
  view full answer...
• Breakaway Battery Continually Goes Dead
  The small breakaway battery shouldn't be going dead unless the breakaway switch is being pulled, there's a short in the system somewhere or the system has been incorrectly wired. The battery should be receiving a maintenance charge from the 12-volt power feed from the trailer connector on the tow vehicle. I would not recommend bypassing or altering the system at all. The breakaway system should have its own dedicated battery. I'll link you to an FAQ article that shows how the system...
  view full answer...
• Is the Lid with Tester for Hopkins Engager Top Load Breakaway Kit Replaceable?
  The Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger - Top Load # 20400 does not have a separate lid as a replacement part. The Breakaway switch is replaceable as is the battery, but to get that particular lid you need to replace the entire kit.
  view full answer...