Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes Not Working on 1984 Trailer

Question:

Trailer brakes not working. Vehicle. 2016 Chevy 2500HD Diesel RV. 1984 Avion 30P. 2 Axles. 4 brakes. Help please see if I need new brake plate assy’s.

asked by: Hart T

Expert Reply:

There are a few things to check before we get to new brake assemblies (although that may be the case as well). It would also help to know some context too like if the brakes have worked previously, if this is a new-to-you trailer and you're trying to get everything operational, or even if you've owned the trailer for a long time but haven't used it for a long time. Here are the preliminary steps for you to take:

Start by checking to see if power is getting to the brakes. Connect your trailer to your truck and use the manual override on your brake controller to send power back to your trailer brakes. You should hear a buzzing as the magnets engage but if you don't hear that then you need to check with a tester like part # PTW2993 for power. If you see no power then you need to trace the wiring all the way up to your trailer 7-Way and look/fix any places where you see damage or exposed wiring. It will also help to test the 7-Way on your truck (5 o'clock pin location) in the same manner to make sure your truck isn't the problem.

After you test these functions and look at all of the wiring and any fuses in the system let me know if you're still having issues and we can continue on from there.

expert reply by: Jon G