Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes Locking Up When Driving Forward

Question:

Hi, So I was driving forward and I believe both my brakes locked up, seems intermittent but resealed when I shifter into reverse then forward, locked again. But then ok... Also I have to say that I noticed after that I had forgotten to lock the trailer ball down and didn’t secure it with the light king pin. Can this be the cause the brakes locked up? I know this was a rookie move, but don’t know if I should just order new brake kits or was this something characteristical of forgetting to lock the ball?

asked by: Jaime R

Expert Reply:

Unless the trailer became completely unattached from your tow vehicle causing the breakaway pin to be pulled out, forgetting to lock the coupler to the hitch ball, while certainly something you want to double check the next time you tow, would not have caused the trailer brakes to engage during travel.

The brakes locking up when going forward was likely caused by some kind of short in the trailer wiring. I recommend inspecting the brake output wire on the trailer for any exposed portions that might be making contact with the frame or a nearby wire. Check the wiring coming from each brake assembly to make sure the connections are secure and that the grounds are attached to a clean, bare metal surface on the trailer frame.

If the trailer wiring looks good inspect the 7-Way on both the trailer and tow vehicle for any debris or corrosion inside the pins that needs to be cleaned out. Sometimes corrosion can bridge the brake output pin to a nearby pin causing a short.

If all of this looks okay and you experience this again please let me know and we can continue to troubleshoot.

expert reply by: Chris R