New Grady Owner

[Tucker]

Just completed sale on new ('99) 20' Escape. It was an estate sale and the owner isn't available. The trailer has me baffled. It has a standard 4-pin connector for the lights and a separate wire that I'm told is for the emergency brake. It appears to be some type of solenoid that applies pressure to the brakes all the time until it is energized with 12-volts. I only have a 4-pin connector on my truck that I use for the utility trailer. Is there some way to by-pass the e-brake? Hell, the boat only weights 2500 lbs; I don't think I need it. Been looking for a 4-pin to 5-pin adapter but so far no luck. Need some help guys! Thanks.

 

[yankeecause]

If your trailer has surge brakes the extra wire is hooked to your reverse lights, so when you are backing up a hill the brakes won't be activated when the master cylinder on the is compressed. there should also be a hole you could slip a bolt or rod into to do the same thing. hope this helps. Joe

 

[richie rich]

yes, the extra wire is for the surge brakes that activate when you brake your car, which surges the trailer forward and compresses the piston in the coupler and activates your brakes....so your cars brake pedal doesn't activate the trailer brakes electrically, its the forward motion that does it.......that same motion occurs when you put the car in reverse and push against the trailer...that motion compresses the piston in the trailer coupler and locks up your brakes...so when you go in reverse to dunk the boat your wheels are locked up......so they make a "T" connector that taps into the rear tail light harness of your car and the 5th wire is attached to the solenoid on the trailer coupler.....when you put the car in reverse, the electrical power from your back up lights energizes the solenoid an disconnects the brakes from activating allowing you to dunk or park the trailer backwards....without it, you will skid across the parking lot....you should be able to get the T connector from any local or internet trailer parts supplier or just tap into the right wire, if you have a schematic to your car, and make your own reverse lockout.

 

[GOA]

Tucker
Had the same problem...added a "blue" 5th wire to handle the brakes...worked fine but eventually became a pain in the neck so I rewired with a 5 prong round connector.
GOA

 

[Tuna Man]

I had the same problem when I first got my last trailer. Needed to back up into a parking lot (on a busy street of course) and learned the hard way that the reverse solenoid was not getting 12 volts. Stuck a block of 2x4 wood to prevent the coupler from getting pressed and locking up the brakes. The 2x4 had to be held in position with a bungee cord or it would have fallen out. Worked great and used this method anytime I had to back the trailer and the vehicle did not have the five prong plug (once or twice).

 

[Tucker]

Thanks guys, I found a 4-pin truck to 5-pin trailer. The yellow wire on the truck side get's spliced in to the backup lights. Am I on the right track here??
Was thinking about just not hooking it up. After reading about the guy that had to back on a busy street; thought I'd just do it right.

 

[richie rich]

How does a 4 pin off the truck drive the 5 pin on the trailer? You have 2 color sets of wires driving the 2 trailer lights...4 wires total for the lights....the 5th wire, usually blue, is the one that gets spliced into the back up harness and connects to the reverse solenoid....I'm may not be understanding where this yellow wire comes from? Do the instructions with the new plug say to splice the yellow into the back up light harness?