Possible Trailer Issue

[tharris003]

When I back up with the trailer, the brakes lock up on the least little thing, If I crawl then it will back up, uneven ground or any little incline and it locks. Is this right or does it sound like the actuator could be going bad?? and it is a BoatMate.. any info would be great....

 

[GotMyAlly]

My guess it is electrical. Do you have a 5 pin trailer harness on your truck? The 5th pin should be your reverse lights. When that goes hot, it should unlock the brakes in reverse. Check your truck wiring with a test light and make sure that 5th pin is hot when your backup lights are on. If that is OK, then check out the wiring on your trailer. You can use a short piece of wire as a jumper and wire it to one of the pins that outputs juice to your tail-lights and that should unlock the brakes if the problem is in the truck. Then make sure there are no breaks in the wiring harness back to the actuator.

 

[GFinch]

Another: is the brake material braking loose from the shoe. I had this happen reciently. Foward OK back and forth to the lake at least 3 times, 90 mile round trip, could have been more. If I backed up suddenly the brake on one wheel would lock and skid, unloaded, it would drag if the boat was on the trailer. If I crept up in speed in reverse it was fine.

A poor ground could do this also.

 

[tharris003]

Thanks for the info,

I have fire coming from the truck on the fifth pin, that is why I was wondering if it could be the actuator going bad or it could be loose or broken in the trailer, I'll check it out..

Gfinch,

that sounds like my problem exactly, how did you correct yours?