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  Discussion on Surely I'm not the only who didn't know this...
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Member:
gldilox

Posted on Friday, Feb 9, 2007 - 7:39 pm:

I want to preface this post by saying that I am an engineer so I am not totally in the dark about how things work. Of course, I'm a traffic engineer not a mechanical engineer so that may say something.

It's only been the last year or so that I've had to learn to drive my truck and horse trailer. Before, my horse trainer DrOve us everywhere, using my rig. But the trainer moved to Ocala and I was faced with a trial by fire. I have become pretty proficient and have even started hooking up the trailer myself, instead of waiting on my husband to do it.

This past Saturday, I wanted to drive about 75 miles north to a dressage clinic. This involved crossing state lines and driving up I-95 (Death Alley, as we call it). I hooked up the trailer as usual, checked to make sure I had all my paperwork, and headed to the interstate. About the time I entered I-95, a warning light came on the dash that read "the trailer is unhooked." Now, it's obvious that the trailer isn't unhooked because I'm looking at it so I figured there must be a problem with the brake controller. I made a hasty exit from the highway and pulled over. Jiggling the brake controller (where it plugged in at the bumper) made the warning light go away but only temporarily. I called my husband and went over the procedure for hooking up the trailer.

There is a cover on the bumper that fits over the slot for the brake controller plug. He asked if I had made sure that the tab on that cover was snug into the slot on the plug. What? You don't just slide the plug into the controller? Apparently not. No one ever mentioned that to me. He says it should be intuitive but, again, I'm not a mechanical engineer.

So, for the record, there is a plastic tab that sticks out from the cover. You have to get down on your knees to look under the cover to see it. Make sure that it locks into the slot on the brake plug to hold it in place. Once this was fixed I had no more problems. And, for the record, had an amazing lesson at the clinic.
Member:
corinne

Posted on Friday, Feb 9, 2007 - 9:31 pm:

Martha, glad you were all okay! I too got a mile down the road before have the same experience my first time hooking up by myself. Luckily we were still on the flat and had no trouble stopping. The barn manager who was tutoring me got out and showed me the tab, never made that mistake again! But just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Too bad there aren't many learning to trailer courses out there like some dealerships have when you guy.
Great to hear you had a great lesson. You should post in the dressage section I would love to hear about it. Off to a judges view point clinic in the morning myself. Have a good weekend.
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