Shorelander Reverse Lock Up

[walleyeguy13]

Shorelander tandem axle trailer with surge brakes. Has worked fine since I bought this thing in September. Of course yesterday morning at 5:00 am as we were heading to the landing for a local fishing tournament the brakes decide to lock up when I back the thing up. Pull forward, back up a little way and lock up, rinse, repeat.

Finally do a little engineering with electrical tape and bolts to keep the tongue from sliding backwards to engage the brakes.

So now I know a few things, but would love to hear some thoughts on why this is happening and what to try.

My understanding is that the five-prong plug is there so that when I go in reverse, power is delivered to some mechanism in the trailer braking system that keeps the brakes from being applied. So I can only assume that something has failed with this particular mechanism. I have trailer lights when I plug in the trailer, so I don't think I have a short or ground issue.

We just washed the boat and trailer at the car wash just before this happened, so I wonder if something went haywire after the washing.

I now know that there is supposed to be a key that came with the trailer to keep the tongue from sliding back when I back up, so I need to purchase another since the original must be missing. But I really don't want to have to use that every time I need to back up the trailer.

Anyone out there that has dealt with this particular issue before?

[perchjerker]

do the reverse lights on your tow vehicle work?

thats the first place to look

[walleyeguy13]

Originally Posted by perchjerker

do the reverse lights on your tow vehicle work?

thats the first place to look

Lol... I hit the post button on my initial message and after reading it had the big "duh" moment. Car wash, water, short... I had my son watch as I put the truck in reverse and had no lights. Checked the fuse under the hood... blown.

Mystery solved.

Thanks Perchjerker... you were right on the money.

[perchjerker]

Originally Posted by walleyeguy13

Lol... I hit the post button on my initial message and after reading it had the big "duh" moment. Car wash, water, short... I had my son watch as I put the truck in reverse and had no lights. Checked the fuse under the hood... blown.

Mystery solved.

Thanks Perchjerker... you were right on the money.

a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while

glad its fixed.

[markgk]

this happened to mine also and after asking some questions at my local dealer the trailer guy told me to check the wire in the hitch that does this operation and sure enough there was green crud in the conection . After redoing the conection with a new butt connector i'm good to go. good luck!

[chico]

Originally Posted by walleyeguy13

Shorelander tandem axle trailer with surge brakes. Has worked fine since I bought this thing in September. Of course yesterday morning at 5:00 am as we were heading to the landing for a local fishing tournament the brakes decide to lock up when I back the thing up. Pull forward, back up a little way and lock up, rinse, repeat.

Finally do a little engineering with electrical tape and bolts to keep the tongue from sliding backwards to engage the brakes.

So now I know a few things, but would love to hear some thoughts on why this is happening and what to try.

My understanding is that the five-prong plug is there so that when I go in reverse, power is delivered to some mechanism in the trailer braking system that keeps the brakes from being applied. So I can only assume that something has failed with this particular mechanism. I have trailer lights when I plug in the trailer, so I don't think I have a short or ground issue.

We just washed the boat and trailer at the car wash just before this happened, so I wonder if something went haywire after the washing.

I now know that there is supposed to be a key that came with the trailer to keep the tongue from sliding back when I back up, so I need to purchase another since the original must be missing. But I really don't want to have to use that every time I need to back up the trailer.

Anyone out there that has dealt with this particular issue before?

I carry a ratchet clamp in my battery compartment now after losing the key twice,blown fuse backing in the water just when everybody is watching.The ratchet clamp has to be large enough to go around the tongue to stop the brake from sliding back,costs a couple bucks but saves a lot of language.Tight lines Chico

If this happens - a quick and free fix is to just disconnect the pigtail and re-connect ONLY one pin..... plugging the TAIL LIGHT prong from the vehicle side into the REVERSE prong (the 5th wire) on the boat-said pigtail. Then turn your taillights on....you will have power to the anti-braking part.

If that isn't clear - envision the two ends of the pigtail at right angles to each other - not in-line. You just need steady juice to the 5th wire in order to be able to back up without the brakes locking.

It is quicker than monkeying around with clamps and straps - and will get you out of a jam.

[perchjerker]

My coupler has a hole in it that I can put a phillips screwdriver or a bolt in that prevents the movement of the actuator in reverse.

that works no matter what.

[reddog]

For what its worth, the wire that feeds the reverse lights to the trailer and actuates the lock out, is the center connection on the round 7 prong plug... Anon gave good advise.. this will work in a jam also, should you decide to take your boat with someone elses tow rig, that may not have the 5th wire live..