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STEP 3
Checking the Breaksafe 6000 brand for this DIY displays the low or
red light when the test button is activated. This indicates either a flat
or dead battery. You can by all means hook a 12V charger to the red/
black terminals and wait a few hours for the battery to charge. Modern
battery chargers will advise the owner if the battery will take charge or
it’s no longer serviceable.
As suggested earlier it's always best practice to remove and check
the battery voltage, and at the same time check for loose or broken
terminals, corrosion etc.STEP 2
The breakaway battery system in this image is a Breaksafe 6000 with
in-built battery. Note the self-test press button and red and black
terminals. The self-test will display a green LED Light indicating the
battery is OK, and red if not. The battery within this Breaksafe brand is
charged by the towing vehicle's electrics; however, if your caravan/ trailer
hasn’t been used for months or even years it's highly likely the battery is
flat (requires charging) or completely dead and requires replacement.
The red/black terminals in this model allow the owner to connect one
stand-alone 12V battery charger (the same one used to charge a car
battery) and we recommend this is done periodically to keep the battery
fully charged. Alternative methods of charging this battery are coming
into play and include solar or mains power etc.
STEP 1
Allcaravansandtrailersover2000kgTareweightonly,orTareweightplusa loadmustbeinstalled
witha safetybreakawaysystem.Thesafetysystemisdesignedtoslowlyenergisetheelectric
wheelbrakesintheeventa detachmentoccursbetweenthetowingvehicleandcaravan/trailer.
Whilsttheconceptofthissystemhasmerit,thedownsideisthatveryfewownersactuallycheck
toensurethesystemisfullyoperational.Ownerscancheckthesystembypullingouttheplunger
locatedontopoftheA-frameasa pre-towingchecktheneithertryandmovethecaravan/trailerby
pushingorbymovingforwardusingthetowvehicle.If you'reunabletomovethecaravan/trailerthe
systemisOK.Replacetheplungerbackintoitsholsterandthewheelbrakeswillreleasesoyou’re
readytogo.Conversely,if youcanmovethecaravan/trailerthenthereisanissuewiththeBreaksafe
systemandthisiscommon.ThefirstcheckistolocatetheBreaksafebatterysystemwithinthe
caravan/trailerandcheckthebatteryvoltageasa flatordeadbatteryaccountsformanyfailures.
Somesystemshavebuilt-inbatterymonitoring(12Vbatteryandmonitoringsystem)liketheone
inthisDIY.Someversionsmayjustusetheon-boardhousebatterywithnoadditionalbattery
monitoring.Werecommendthatregardlessofthedesignorsystemyoumayhaveit'salways
bestpracticetocheckthebatteryvoltageusinga 12Vmultimeter.Inthisimagea universal12V
breakawaybattery(removedfromitsmonitorcontrolbox)andmultimeterwilldothejob.Battery
voltageshouldbenolessthan12.5V.TECHNICAL
DIy Self-testing a
breakaway battery systembe done via the tow vehicle auxiliary line
(Breaksafe black wire) or by connecting a
small battery charger (8A maximum) to the
red and black terminals on the front of the
Breaksafe box.
The orange charge light next to the red
terminal will illuminate when the Breaksafe
battery is connected to 12V for charging. The
charging system in the Breaksafe unit is a
trickle charge circuit only and it may take
several hours for the battery to fully recharge.
A common fault with breakaway systems
is the failure of the breakaway switch due to
being exposed to the elements such as rain,
mud and sun; corrosion builds up inside the
switch causing the mechanical contacts to
rust together or lose tension. Unfortunately
the time you find out is when the breakaway
system fails!
For this particular DIY, we tested and
replaced a Breaksafe Series 6000 which has
many new features, including easy access to
the battery compartment for servicing and a
fully enclosed internal circuit board case for
better water resistance.
NB. These images and step-by-step captions
depict the simplicity of this testing of a 12V
Breaksafe breakaway battery system (Series
6000, to suit two- and four-wheel trailer
brakes) performed by The RV Repair Centre
foreman, Paul Hewat, in Bayswater, VIC.