Troubleshooting Camper Breakaway Switch with Pin That Will Not Come Out
Updated 11/16/2016 | Published 11/15/2016
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Question:
Recently while driving home from camping, the brakes on the camper locked up and locked up the truck being used to pull it. We were able to get the camper off the road safely and could not figure out why it happened. Assuming the break away pin came out, however it did not and we cannot get it to come out of the connector. The road was very bumpy and hilly so not sure if plug came undone just enough for the breakway to think the camper came unhooked? Now the error message on the truck will not disappear and we still do not know how to get the pin from the connector out to reset it. suggestions?
asked by: Trish
Helpful Expert Reply:
I am glad you were able to safety return home after your camper's brakes locked up. It sounds like your breakaway switch could be corroded internally. That would explain why the pin would not come out. It is possible that same corrosion caused a short inside the switch that in turn caused the breakaway battery to apply the trailer brakes.
We can help you with a complete new breakaway kit like # 50-85-315 or the Tekonsha unit you referenced, part # 20020. We also offer breakaway switches on their own, such as Replacement Tekonsha Trailer Breakaway Switch # 420000.
You can re-charge and then test your battery to see if it will still hold a full charge. Use a charger like # CTEK56865 and then test the battery using the tester built-in to the breakaway box. If the battery takes a full charge then just a new switch ought to get things right. You can refer to the two linked articles for additional information on breakaway kits.
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