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

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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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.

Reply

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 and ground contacts on the trailer's plug (see photo please) or to an individual…

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Answer 2

Thank you for the photo of your trailer hub/drum assembly which shows its diameter to be 10-inches. More than likely the drum depth dimension is 2-1/4-inches since 10 x 2-1/4-inch hubs are quite popular. Please refer to the photo I linked for you.…

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Answer 3

The best brake line kit for a single axle boat trailer is the Kodiak Hydraulic Brake Line Kit part #18SI-BLKIT which works with boats that have torsion or leaf spring axles as well as those with disc or drum brakes. The Kodiak Hydraulic Brake Line…

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Answer 4

Brake lines don't have to be difficult to run. I recommend the Kodiak Hydraulic Brake Line Kit - Single Axle - 18' #18SI-BLKIT. This will give you one 18 foot flexible line and one 7 foot line and one 1-1/2 foot long line along with the tee…

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Answer 5

The best solution we have is going to be a new surge coupler like the #099-175-00. Some of the Dico and Titan parts are interchangeable in recent years but since your trailer is almost 30 years old it's tough to say what all would still work.…

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Answer 6

Yes. As long as you have a 3" wide channel tongue, you can use the Demco Hydraulic Trailer Actuator #DM72VR as a replacement for your current actuator. For new brake lines you'll want to use the Kodiak Hydraulic Brake Line Kit #18SI-BLKIT…

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Answer 7

Since your tandem axle trailer only has brakes on one of the axles, you will just need a single axle kit like the Kodiak Hydraulic Brake Line Kit #18SI-BLKIT you were looking at. This kit includes an 18 foot, 7 foot and 1-1/2 foot long flexible brake…

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Answer 8

The #20TA-BLKIT brake line kit you referenced is indeed compatible with the #AKUBRK-35-D Hydraulic Brake assemblies you'd looked at, the line kit is compatible with bolt disc and drum brake systems. The brake assemblies will be compatible with…

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Answer 9

To find the load capacity for your axle you should look on the trailer VIN plate or sticker that lists the VIN number. The weight rating of the axle should be listed on that same plate or sticker. Also, the axle could have a tag or plate on it that…

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Answer 10

The bolt pattern of your Dexter axles for the mounting of the brake assemblies is a 5 bolt pattern like what the part #AKEBRK-6 has. If you wanted assemblies for both sides of your trailer this kit will work great. I attached a picture that shows the…

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Answer 11

There are a number of reasons why the brakes on your trailer may not be working. Lets start with the easiest things to check. First, check the vehicle and trailer connectors for corrosion. This can cause a short inside the connector and the brake…

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Answer 12

To check the pins on the vehicle side 7-Way, you can use a circuit tester or the volt meter. The circuit tester will show you if a signal is coming through on the pin you are testing while the volt meter will tell you that and how much voltage is…

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Testing Electric Brakes on Trailer without Connecting to Tow Vehicle

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