My breakaway switch cable just snapped. No warning.
I always have it to OVER the safety chains, so it won't drag on the road and cause sparks or just get worn down. I do NOT wrap it around the safety chains, since I don't want it to snag and accidentally set off the breakaway switch on the interstate. It is long enough to allow slack for turning, etc... but no too long.
Any ideas on why this might have broken? It just snapped. I don't remember it being frayed, but why would it just snap? There's never any pressure on it. It always had plenty of slack. The only friction would be against the top of the safety chains.
Thank god the trailer didn't come loose the same day this cable snapped.
For a new one, just go to any RV store? Camping World?
My breakaway switch cable just snapped. No warning.
I always have it to OVER the safety chains, so it won't drag on the road and cause sparks or just get worn down. I do NOT wrap it around the safety chains, since I don't want it to snag and accidentally set off the breakaway switch on the interstate. It is long enough to allow slack for turning, etc... but no too long.
Any ideas on why this might have broken? It just snapped. I don't remember it being frayed, but why would it just snap? There's never any pressure on it. It always had plenty of slack. The only friction would be against the top of the safety chains.
Thank god the trailer didn't come loose the same day this cable snapped.
For a new one, just go to any RV store? Camping World?
If it had been pinched at some point, maybe between the hitch and the ball bar, or some other pinch point, it could subsequently snap at the weak spot where it was impacted.
Donna, I swear, you are just full of......oh, yeh,.....great ideas. What a cool tool. Gotta get one of those cause I'm sick of fighting that thing.
Thanks,
EKW
I ordered one of those zip breakaway cables. You just attach it with a ring to the old plastic piece that snaps in. Instantly compatible. And won't drag.
Odd how things happen. Just last Tuesday I unhooked in Rawlins, WY to have my tahoe looked at, then hooked up and drove to Lander, Wy. While unhooking, I realized that I had forgotten to hook up the safety cable and it drug all the way to Lander. Needless to say, it was a frayed mess. So, off to ACE Hardware I went and fashioned a new one.
I'm ordering one of those Donna recommended ones too.
I too am sick and tired of worrying about accidently snaring my cable on something and coming to a dead stop! And I keep cutting my fingers on the fraying pieces of metal.
Here's a couple of images of the Fastway® Zip Breakaway Cable
I just bought the Fastway Zip 4 FT cable at a local So Cal dealer. They are selling it for $11.95 (vs $14.00 at Fastway). They also carry the full Breakaway system. Really nice shop.
You can save a couple of dollars by checking them out on the Web:
Was that a picture of my trailer at the Oregon gathering. Wink wink I could not find how to add a little graphic in the reply mode with the revamping of this site.
Didn't notice if you had a Fastway zip but everyone coming by my campsite during trailer tours was interested in the Fastway Zip. I told them to do a search on this site because I had added to a post a few months back and it's been advertised in Trailer Life magazine.