Troubleshooting Weak Trailer Brakes on 2014 Coleman Expedition Trailer

Question:

Ever since I got my 2014 Coleman Expidition back from having its bearings re-packed, the brakes are weak. They activate but are not sufficient. Even when I pull the break-away pin the truck can pull the small amount of braking at idle speed. I took it back and they adjusted the brakes while I watched and it was only a little better, but I don’t think they did it right. They tightened them until they had an inconsistent drag, instead of thightening them until the wheel wouldn’t turn and then backing off. Does this sound feasible to you? I know how to thighten them myself and I’m thinking of doing that to be sure before I take it to another shop. What do you think? Other things I’ve checked is the voltage at the tow vehicle side of the connection plug, cleaned the connection plug, installed a new ground connection on the trailer. I even installed a new break controller.

asked by: Marc

Helpful Expert Reply:

The brake controller and amount of power from the tow vehicle is not the issue because the breakaway pin being pulled should fully engage your brakes. It did initially sound like a brake adjustment issue, but the way in which they adjusted them sounds close to accurate. You should not tighten the brakes until they don't move and then back off a little, but you should have a slight drag on the drum and not an inconsistent one. It could be that your brake magnets are going bad. I've attached an article to assist with testing them. I recommend checking your brake magnet ground and then if needed test the magnets. While in there check the brake assemblies for proper function.

I recommend putting a circuit tester like # PTW2993 on the brake wire to ensure you are getting proper power all the way back to your magnets. When you hit the manual override on your brake controller, you should be getting an increasing brightness on that incandescent bulb in the tester as you increase the braking power on the slide.

expert reply by: Jason S