Testing Electric Brakes on Trailer without Connecting to Tow Vehicle

Question

Question:

Hello: I want to test the function of my electric brakes...without plugging it into my vehicle. Can I just apply 12vdc and gnd to the brake input wire leads and be able to hear it activate?

asked by: Jeff C

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Absolutely! If you would rather not connect the trailer to your tow vehicle, you can simply use a separate car/truck 12V battery to test the electric brakes on your trailer. You can apply power to the appropriate brake input pin on the trailer connector (or the wires directly at some point behind the connector) and that will send power to the brakes.

expert reply by: Chris R

1

John B.

7/29/2020

...and that means the brakes will engage? I'm moving a trailer by hand on a flat spot at the top of a hill. It'd be nice to be able to engage the brakes, just in case!

Reply

Jon G.

8/6/2020

Yes, applying 12V power to the trailer brake circuit will engage the trailer brakes. I don't know how easy that will be since you'll be moving it by hand but if you can find a safe way to do this then go for it.

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Bill

6/3/2024

Hi, I bought the 47 pin conversion kit for trailer brakes and ran the extra powerline from the battery to the fuse back to the plug and I wanna make sure that my trailer breaks are correct and proper to use, but I don’t have the trailer yet is there a way I could check that and also is it already set up for a seven pin connection to a RV trailer or is it set up for utility trailer? Thank you.

Reply

Chris R.

6/4/2024

@Bill Hey Bill! You could use a circuit tester on the brake output pin while holding down the manual override on the brake controller - as long as you get 12V power at that pin while doing it, you should be good to go. Don't forget you do still need an actual brake controller in the vehicle's cab. As for a utility trailer or RV/camper, it shouldn't matter as long as you're mating a 7-Way with a 7-Way.

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Answer 1

You can indeed test a trailer's electric drum brakes by directly applying +12V power from a fully-charged battery. You can apply this power to the hot contact on the trailer's plug (see photo please) or to an individual brake assembly's…

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Answer 2

All the brake controller needs to sense a trailer connection so that you can test it is a slight amperage draw on the output circuit. For that you can use a circuit tester like the part #PTW2993 with one pin grounded and the other on the output pin.…

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Answer 3

Yes, there is a measurement you can take to determine what size brakes you need and if they will fit your existing drums. You will want to measure the diameter of your drums. I have included a diagram detailing the dimensions you will need to find.…

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

In the USA a tandem axle utility trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 7500-lbs should have brakes installed. Any trailer over 3000-lbs must have brakes on all wheels in most states, but laws do vary. Some states require braked axles…

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Answer 7

In regards to the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit part #20400, there are only two wires with the black being power so it should be run to the positive battery terminal and the blue being brake output so it should be run to the…

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Answer 8

On this page (typically below the product links) there is a helpful link section that will have the install instructions fo the Hopkins Breakaway kit part #20400 that you referenced. I also attached an install video that shows the kit installed as…

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Answer 9

First I recommend using the Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate #RM-521453-5 on your 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe. This will pair with their Roadmaster Nighthawk All Terrain, Non-Binding Tow Bar #RM-676. You will need to measure the height of the receiver…

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Answer 10

Electric brakes have 2 wires located at the back. One is for power and the other is for ground (it doesn't matter which is used for which function). The ground wires should be connected to the trailer frame. The only other place that would carry…

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Answer 11

The ideal solution to level a vehicle that is sagging when towing a trailer is weight distribution and not helper springs. I can recommend both but for weight distribution you need to go by the total tongue weight. This is the tongue weight of the…

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Answer 12

The difference between the two trailer tire sizes is that the letter D in the first size you listed ST205/75D15 stands for bias ply and the letter R in the tire size that they put on your vehicle stands for radial. Radial tires are preferred over…

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Testing Electric Brakes on Trailer without Connecting to Tow Vehicle

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