Hi guys,
I just bought a Triton with a dual axle traler and surge brakes. I tried to back the boat into my garage but the surge brakes keep engaging preventing the trailer from moving. I looked everywhere on the trailer for an on/of switch but could not find one. I looked at the operating manual and it does not address the problem either. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
BTW, my driveway is not steep at all. Barely an incline.
Thanks Wayne
Is your trailer wiring harness a 5 pin or 4 pin? If it's a 5 pin your trailer needs 12 volts going to your blue wire, this is your back up lights. When you put your vehicle in reverse, this applies 12 volts to this wire which disengages the solenoid and prevents the brakes from being applied as you are backing up. Good explanation:
http://www.etrailer.com/faq_wiring.aspx
2008 Z520/Yamaha 250
I have 5 PIN and according to the link you provided, if the car brake is on or if the car is in reverse, the surge brake disengages. This is not happening when I back up. I have the car in reverse and I can see tha back up lights but the surge brakes are still on. What if I unhook the 5 pin connector?
Wayne
Ig u unhook the connector you definitely wont have any power. Make sure their is power to the blue pin when in reverse. As a standby there should be a place on the trailer tongue somewhere right behind the hitch area for a manual lockoput for the solenoid. If you do have power to the blue pin then I would guess its a bad solenoid
If you bought the trailer new within the last 2 years, call me at 760-535-6178...
I bought it yesterday from a dealer but it's an '03. The dealer is closed for the weekend so I can't asked them what to do.
I will try again today with all you advice. I'll keep you posted. Thanks
WS
there should be a slot on the side of the tongue where you can fit a nut or a metal "key" so the actuator won't slide back.
behind this slot while trailer is hitched up
Fishindoc,
Is that was is happening? That thing slides back and forth?
I just tried backing up again and it still does not work. This is getting frustrating. This time I did not hook up the lights and still the brakes went on preventing me from backing up.
The connector on the SUV is a 4 pin and the connector on the trailer is a 5 pin. When plugged in all the lights work and I think the surge brakes works too (I can feel them work on the freeway driving home).
So what is the extra pin for that is not plugged in? Do I need to convert them so they are both 4 pin or both 5 pin?
Wayne
You have to have the 5th pin in order the back the boat up to disengage the brakes. The 5th engages the reverse lights and causes the brakes to not lock up.
you need 5 pin from the truck to deactivate the surge break when the truck is in reverse. You can try flipping the plug so the head light circuit from the truck is in the 5th hole on the trailer then turn the truck lights on to make the trailer think its the back up lights. the wire is for allowing a trailer to back up,it doesn't make the brakes on the trailer work.
The trailer brakes work on pressure inside the coupler, with a nut behind that post in the slot i showed the actuator cant slide back. but long term you need a 5 flat connector from the truck. I had to do the same thing. there is a blue wire somewhere in the harness to connect the fifth crcuit. I found mine after unwrapping all the tape to take off the 4 flat connector on my truck
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wildkat7 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have to have the 5th pin in order the back the boat up to disengage the brakes. The 5th engages the reverse lights and causes the brakes to not lock up.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah, what he said. the key in the slot will let you back up. but you cant keep it in there or you won't have trailer brakes.
Also the trailer has back up lights and they won't go on without the 5th pin. If you reverse the plug like i said, the back up lights on the TRAILER should come on when you turn on the truck HEADLIGHTS.
So why is it that new vehicles only have 4 pin? I have a 2008 Sequoia and it has a 4 pin. I have a Dodge 3/4 ton truck and it's a 4 pin. My buddy's 2007 GMC 3/4 ton Sierra is a 4 pin. So all these vehicles will have to be converted to 5 pin if they pull a trailer with surge brakes? Does not make sense but I believe you. I will bring my trailer and tow vehicle in this wek to have it converted. I hope that solves the problem. It would be so much easier to have a switch on the trailer tongue.
WS
most utility trailers and smaller boat trailers use 4 pin. My old Nitro 700 had a 4 pin.
Did you try to "flip" the plug to at least get it in the garage? or see if the back up lights come on when the head lights are turned on?
Tried that, did not work.
So what would happen if I converted th Triton trailer to 4 pin? I have larger heavier boat that I trailer with my truck and it is a 4 pin and the trailer also has brakes. It's worked fine for 12 years.
Why I'm considering that is sometimes my friends trailer with their trucks for me and I don't want to have to pay to get all their trucks converted just for this Triton. I'm still does not make sense to me that vehicles made for trailering still only have 4 pin. There is something to that that I'm not understanding.
WS
well, i don't know for sure what all would happen, but I don't think you could back it up unless you disabled the surge brake.
wayne -
sent you an im
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by waynesyn »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Tried that, did not work.
So what would happen if I converted th Triton trailer to 4 pin? I have larger heavier boat that I trailer with my truck and it is a 4 pin and the trailer also has brakes. It's worked fine for 12 years.
Why I'm considering that is sometimes my friends trailer with their trucks for me and I don't want to have to pay to get all their trucks converted just for this Triton. I'm still does not make sense to me that vehicles made for trailering still only have 4 pin. There is something to that that I'm not understanding.
WS</TD></TR></TABLE>
It worked for 12 years because your other boat had DRUM brakes which can be easily defeated when backing up by adding enough power. Your Triton trailer has DISC brakes - you can NOT defeat them when backing by adding power - they just lock tighter. You MUST add that 5th wire to your truck connector.
Oh, and for the record - my '04 GMC Yukon XL with trailer tow package came with a 7-pin round trailer connector factory installed. All it took to use my Triton trailer was a 7-round to 5-flat adapter.
SSgt, US Air Force, 1967-75
Veteran - a person who at some time in their life wrote a blank check payable to "The United States of America" in the amount of "up to and including my life".
I had the exact same problem. To temporarily back up I had to take my 4 pin (from truck) and plug it into the 5 (from boat) without the ground. When pluggedin like that, the 4 pin ground will be beside the 4th pin on the 5 and the ground is left open. Try that.
The Dink Dominator
You can hook up one of these type things:
http://www.etrailer.com/pc-A~47515.htm
Or you can go to a Toyota dealer and get the factory wiring adapter to give you a proper plug set up. It should be plug and play.
Do it right the first time. Brakes aren't anything you want to fail suddenly.
7 round plug is best. You can buy an adapter to tow anything. Most vehicles that have a tow package include the 7 round.
Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day
Teach a man to fish, he will complain that you stole his fishing spot.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Toypuller »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can hook up one of these type things:
http://www.etrailer.com/pc-A~47515.htm
Or you can go to a Toyota dealer and get the factory wiring adapter to give you a proper plug set up. It should be plug and play.
Do it right the first time. Brakes aren't anything you want to fail suddenly.
7 round plug is best. You can buy an adapter to tow anything. Most vehicles that have a tow package include the 7 round.</TD></TR></TABLE>
+1...If you are going to take the time to re-wire your vehicle, put in a 7-round connector. You can buy adaptors that will fit anything you will ever tow. I have three different adaptors for my Silverado. Luckily mine came with it ready to go so no extra work for me.
Reply With Quote
