Explain how emergency trailer brake gets power? - Dutchmen Owners
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Old 05-12-2022, 05:39 PM   #1
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Explain how emergency trailer brake gets power?

Hello,
I recently did a wiring upgrade on my TT and it occurred to me that I don't see where the emergency trailer brake gets its power. I mean the emergency pin that gets pulled out should you have a trailer separate from the tow vehicle that should energize the trailer brakes. I had suspected that there should be a direct connection to the battery, but the only OEM connection was to a circuit breaker on the tongue which feeds the electric jack and the main 12V to/from the main power center. Does the emergency trailer brake get power from the main power center?
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Old 05-12-2022, 11:15 PM   #2
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They get there power from the controller in the tow vehicle. Part of the 9 ping trailer plug.
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Old 05-12-2022, 11:39 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chily3 View Post
They get there power from the controller in the tow vehicle. Part of the 9 ping trailer plug.
Yes, normal braking while hooked up has power supplied via the trailer plug. But in the event of an emergency where the trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle, pulling the trailer plug and emergency brake breakaway pin out, the trailer brakes are supposed to engage using a battery source on the trailer. I can't find how the breakaway switch is wired to the onboard battery. Although some research in another forum has given me some idea. The power to the breakaway switch and the power from the trailer plug are spliced together with the main 12V wire for interior camper panel within a junction box on the trailer frame
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Old 05-16-2022, 04:24 PM   #4
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To conclude this thread, the 2 small wires going into the junction box in this picture come from the back of the breakaway switch. The sun-baked red wire is the main 12V supply to the camper power control center from the camper battery. The trailer plug to/from the tow vehicle also terminates within this junction box. While I did not open the junction box, someone else described to me that the 12V supply from the tow vehicle is spliced together with the camper 12V supply wire within this junction box along with the power wire for the breakaway switch. So the camper and braking system gets power from whichever source is available to provide power -> 12V from the tow vehicle is part of the system when the trailer plug is connected and only the camper battery when not.
I confirmed a 7 amp draw on the camper batteries when I pulled the emergency breakaway pin out (trailer plug disconnected).
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Old 05-20-2022, 01:25 PM   #5
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Has anyone seen this work? Hopefully not but just curious.
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