Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockout.

[Philster]

Okay... my new boat is part of boat/trailer combo #6 that I've towed. All six rigs I have owned I just backed the heck up when I wanted to.

So, to reverse the new trailer, even over level ground, I have to get out and remove a pin and insert it in some other slot? WHAT?

So, it took me to get my sixth boat/trailer combo to wind up with a contraption like this?

I don't get it. Am I missing something?

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Phil,

I believe it's has something to do with the surge brakes? My buddy's Stroker bass boat has the same set-up and it sucks backing it up as it locks up the brakes unless you do what you've described. I'm not aware of any by-pass system...

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

A lot of trailers with surge brakes have a lockout solonoid that does it automatically. Or like my trailer - the brakes have never locked in reverse requiring the pin unless I backed a tire into a hole.

 

[Philster]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Yeah, my last trailer had surge brakes, but never stopped me from reversing.

Sooo... I should be looking at a solenoid setup, which I would guess is triggered by my backup-lights or something? :redface:

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Is this your first set of surge brakes that are disc?

http://www.championtrailers.com/REVERSING_SOLENOID_VALVES.HTM

 

[dingbat]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Backing solenoids suck. I don't understand why they even sell them.

You want a solenoid that bleeds off the pressure on the trailer side of the valve. Otherwise, you’re constantly fighting the residual pressure downstream of the valve. Backing up even the slightest hill is next to impossible w/o a bleed type solenoid

Yes, they work off your back-up lights

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Good to know...I will pass that along!

Thanks!

 

[Philster]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Well, guys... Count me if for that bleed-off setup. I do too much trailering to be fussing around with that pin.

Brakes work great though. Haha.

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Phil, you have a new trailer so I'm sure it has disc brakes just like mine. The trailer wiring is probably a 5-pin connector, different from the 4-pin connector you've been using in the past. The 5th pin on the trailer connector must be mated to a 5th lead in the vehicle side. The vehicle side is connected to your back-up lights so whenever you shift into reverse you'll energize a lock-out solenoid in the coupler. This will let you back freely.

I had to get a factory wiring diagram to figure out where to tap into my car's back-up light circuit.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

You did see the bleed solenoid in my link right?

 

[Philster]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Doug: Yes, first 5-pin connector I've used. Trailer is a 2010. My Ram has a 4-pin outlet and the 7-pin outlet (?) so I have an adapter from the round 7 to flat 5-pin setup.

Bruce: I saw the solenoid in the link. Thank you.

Doug and others: You're basically saying that when I acquire the proper solenoid, my trailer is already configured to trigger it -- correct? Truck into reverse; reverse lights get juice; juice to 5th pin, too... and solenoid is activated, as it will be wired to receive juice from the that wire.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Doug and others: You're basically saying that when I acquire the proper solenoid, my trailer is already configured to trigger it -- correct? Truck into reverse; reverse lights get juice; juice to 5th pin, too... and solenoid is activated, as it will be wired to receive juice from the that wire.

Well, you might not be ready to go. Your coupler needs to have a tapped hole in the fluid reservoir to connect the bleed line from the solenoid. Many disc actuators come with the hole but a lot of them do not. Not a hard thing to do, but something you should be aware of.

You also might want to think about getting rid of that adapter. They have a tendency to walk and they’re twice as prone to failure than a single connection. The first thing I do with any trailer is to cut off that silly 16 gauge wire pigtail and install a real cable with a real connector (7 pin) on it.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Philster, check the truck first. Some are wired up but no relay and/or fuse installed from the factory. If it came with trailer tow then they just give you a box with the parts, an owner plug and play setup. When the truck is working then look at the trailer again.

I'm betting the solenoid is already there. Look for the wire by the master brake cylinder on the trailer, the newer trailers have a the cylinder and solenoid almost combined. If there is a wire then your good to go and just missing the power from the truck.

Great looking boat, very interested in how it stacks up to the Scarab.
huts

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

... first 5-pin connector I've used. Trailer is a 2010. My Ram has a 4-pin outlet and the 7-pin outlet (?) so I have an adapter from the round 7 to flat 5-pin setup.

...You're basically saying that when I acquire the proper solenoid, my trailer is already configured to trigger it -- correct? Truck into reverse; reverse lights get juice; juice to 5th pin, too... and solenoid is activated, as it will be wired to receive juice from the that wire.

If your trailer already has the 5 pin connector it may already have the solenoid installed.
They are not very big, easy to overlook.

Be sure you do not have one, before you buy another!
Trace out the 5th wire on the trailer.

The 5th pin goes to the Center pin on a 7 pin round RV connector.
Your tow vehicle may not have the Reverse lights connected to the Center pin.
RVs do not generally use the backup lights.
The center pin is spec'd as "Reverse/Auxillary" and could be anything or nothing.

Verify that the Center pin is wired to the backup lights.

 

[Philster]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Got it. Will check this weekend and follow up.

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Phil, I'd bet a ride on your new boat that your trailer is already set up correctly. You only need to confirm you have voltage at the fifth pin on the vehicle side when in reverse.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Well, you might not be ready to go. Your coupler needs to have a tapped hole in the fluid reservoir to connect the bleed line from the solenoid. Many disc actuators come with the hole but a lot of them do not. Not a hard thing to do, but something you should be aware of.

You also might want to think about getting rid of that adapter. They have a tendency to walk and they’re twice as prone to failure than a single connection. The first thing I do with any trailer is to cut off that silly 16 gauge wire pigtail and install a real cable with a real connector (7 pin) on it.

Just converted my trailer from drum brakes on one axle to Kodiak disc brakes on both axles. Luckily, the unbraked axle had the flanges on it already. Needed new disc brake master cylinder (had no return port) and had to drill / tap 1/8" NPT port hole for return line from solenoid (I, too, like the normally closed bypass type solenoid instead of the normally open blocker type).

Rewired the trailer to use the molded 7 pin connector / cable assembly and used an off the shelf trailer connection box to terminate the connector wiring harness to standard trailer wiring. Other than that "homemade change" on the MC, everything was a piece of cake. I did use racing style S/S (Jegs) AN braided brake lines on all 7 flex connections to the calipers, axles and master cyl.

Trailer stops sooooooooooo much better now.

 

[Philster]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Phil, I'd bet a ride on your new boat that your trailer is already set up correctly. You only need to confirm you have voltage at the fifth pin on the vehicle side when in reverse.

Deal. Keep ya posted! I'll be crawling all over the boat and trailer today.

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

Deal. Keep ya posted! I'll be crawling all over the boat and trailer today.

Any update, or are you going to have to go down the ramp truck-first?

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Have I been spoiled and lucky? Backing up trailer The stupid pin/reverse lockou

If the trailer is not wired to enable the solenoid perhaps you should have the dealer correct it (at their expense). After all, with what you've spent on the package it should function correctly.