Will Curt RVibrake Shadow 2 Activate Brakes If Breakaway Pin Is Pulled While Disconnected From RV
Updated 04/24/2026 | Published 04/19/2026
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Question:
Once the shadow 2 is installed in a towed vehicle, does the emergency brake cable pin need to be present while driving the towed vehicle around town while disconnected from the RV? In other words, if I am driving around the towed vehicle and remove the emergency brake cable pin, will the shadow 2 system engage the brakes, or is it smart enough to detect that the tow bar is disconnected and it should ignore the presence/absence of the emergency brake cable pin?
asked by: Steve R
Expert Reply:
Hey Steve! You need to leave the breakaway pin installed in the Curt RVibrake Shadow 2 # RVI94FR. The breakaway operates independently for safety, so even if you're disconnected from an RV it will activate the vehicle brakes. The only way around this is to use a portable system like the Curt RVibrake 4 # RVI44FR since the brakes can't be activated when it is removed from the vehicle.
What vehicle are you setting up?
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Product Page this Question was Asked From
Curt RVibrake Shadow 2 Flat Tow Brake System - Wireless Monitor - Proportional - Fixed
- Flat Tow Brake System
- Brake Systems
- Proportional System
- One-Time Setup
- Vehicle Battery
- Fixed System
- Air Brakes
- Air Over Hydraulic Brakes
- Hydraulic Brakes
- Wireless Display
- CURT
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Mark
4/24/2026
You need to keep the breakaway plug in at all times. You can pull the fuse for the shadow box to turn the whole system off. I just leave it on (fuse in) the system works pretty good only issue I have is the check valve for the brake booster gets stuck. Once you hook everything up the compressor should only run about 10 to 15 seconds. If it keeps going the valve is stuck (should be able to tap on it to free it up