Do I Need a Breakaway Battery Charger for My Trailer

Question

Question:

When and how do I know if I need a breakaway battery charger? How exactly does it work? Thank.

asked by: Diane O

0

Expert Reply:

You need an electric breakaway when you have electric brakes on your trailer. A breakaway system is required by law in most states for trailers that are equipped with electric brakes and have a GTW of at least 3,000 lbs.

Hopkins Engager Breakaway Kit with Built-In Battery Charger # 20400 would provide you with everything you need for a single or tandem-axle trailer. The battery and breakaway switch mount to the trailer. The battery is charged through the 7-way connection from your vehicle. The pin attaches to the vehicle with a cable and is inserted into the breakaway switch. In the event that your vehicle and trailer separate while driving, the pin that is attached from the vehicle would be pulled from the breakaway switch. When that happens, the battery sends power to the brakes in order to engage them and slow/stop the trailer.

I have attached an installation video of the breakaway kit for your reference.

expert reply by: Robin H

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Answer 1

No, but your local and state laws may require one. You will need to check anywhere you will be towing the trailer to determine if a breakaway system is required by law. They are also just a good idea in general because they will stop a run away…

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Answer 2

I had one of the #C52042 push to test break away kits pulled from inventory, and found that the bolt pattern of the #C52042 measures 5-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches. I've linked though our in-stock systems and haven't found a push to test break away…

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Answer 3

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 4

Hey Bryan, that's a good question. The pricing can definitely be misleading, but I wouldn't use it to judge the quality of the tire. A lot of that comes down to promotions, inventory, and whether you're looking at a tire by itself or…

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Answer 5

The 5.30-12 tires, being wider, are going to make more contact with the road. This means that the noise, and heat build up will be higher than a 4.80-12 tire but the rolling resistance will actually be less because the tire is larger diameter. The…

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Answer 6

The difference between an load range C and load range D tire in the same size is the capacity and psi rating. The two tires will still have the same dimensions and fit on the same wheel. The D rated tire has a higher capacity. For a ST175/80D13 like…

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Answer 7

It sounds like you are speaking of the wires for the brake magnets. If this is correct, you will need to connect one of the wires to the brake controller output wire on your trailer connector and the other wire will need to be grounded to a clean…

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Answer 8

The two sizes you mentioned are pretty similar and fit many of the same 15 inch wheels. The 205/75-15 fits rim widths of 5 inch to 6 inch whereas the 225/75-15 fits widths that are 5 inch to 6-1/2 inch. The 205 is 27.1 inches tall and the 225 is 28.4…

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Answer 9

I apologize for any confusion on what the proper torque specs are for 1/2 inch lug nuts on trailer wheels. I attached a picture of a chart to the right that details what the proper torque specs are for a trailer wheels lugs based on lug size, wheel…

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Do I Need a Breakaway Battery Charger for My Trailer

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