www.iFourWinns.com

I went to the lake again this weekend and everything went as usual backing the trailer in the water, backing the trailer in again to take the boat out. However, when I tried backing it into the storage shed, the trailer brakes locked up. I have a five pin connector that disengages the brakes when the tow vehicle is put in reverse. I cleaned and blew out the connector pins but still no luck. I ended up having to take the pin that goes right behind the 2" ball that keeps the latch from popping up and inserted it into the lock out hole in the top of the tongue that prevented the tongue from moving back. it worked but this pin wasn't meant for this and it bent the pin, but I was desperate. So I have two questions: 1) Where should I look to fix the problem? and 2) What are you supposed to use for a pin to lock out the trailer brakes in an emergency?

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05 230 Horizon 350mag Bravo III

try putting the 5th pin into the 1st female connector which is your headlights.
turn on your lights and see if the brake will disengage. I bet the 5th wire isnt connected on the tow vehicle.

not sure why the pin bent...that is what the sticker on the trailer says to use.

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2005 Funship 214 5.0GXi/DP | 2006 Yamaha FJR1300

There is a manual disengage for the plunger style trailer brakes. If you look on the tounge of the trailer by the ball receiver, you will see like a thin bar sticking out the front. What you do is lift up and push back on that bar. That will disengage the brakes. You have to make sure though that the brakes are disengaged before tring to slide it up and back.. Here is a pic to help out.

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2001 FW Horizon 190 w/ 5.0GL PEFS

i dont have that on my trailer,
each trailer has diff ways to manage the breaks.

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2005 Funship 214 5.0GXi/DP | 2006 Yamaha FJR1300

I'm assuming you have disc brakes. apply 12 v to the 5th wire (should be attached to the reverse lights of the tow vehicle) and check to see if you feel the solinoid clicking when power is applied. If not, replace the solinoid after you verify it is acutally getting power.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Aquaholic - My trailer is also much different than the picture you show but thanks!

Great idea about the switching the 5th pin to the headlight female and turning on the lights. I'll give it a try. If that doesnt work it could be the solenoid as you suggested jvalich. I do have disc brakes. Is the solenoid located on or near the brake calipers?

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05 230 Horizon 350mag Bravo III

not too sure of location, but here are the parts...
http://www.fourwinns.net/partbook/2005/ ... h=DO230/05

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2005 Funship 214 5.0GXi/DP | 2006 Yamaha FJR1300

The solenoid should be located were the brakeline leaves the master cylinder. There should be a device the sizt of a spool of thread with a single black wire attached that is spliced into the blue wire on a 5 wire harness.

One other thing, make sure the trailer is grounded when testing. The solenoid is self grounding thru the trailer to the vehicle. If the trailer ain't grounded the solenoid will botr work.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Out4fun, I just went through the same thing with my '05 230. I posted details in a thread on BABC at http://www.boatingabc.com/ubb/ultimateb ... 7/994.html. I assume you have the same Tie Down LP7000 coupler that I have.

I hope the previous suggestions of making sure your solenoid is getting power will solve your problem, because that's a lot easier to fix.

First, you should be able to manually lock it out using the pin without bending it. I'm not sure why your pin would've gotten bent, unless maybe it didn't go through the heat treating process when it was made. That pin is meant to be used for that.

Tie Down sent me a new lockout solenoid, which I noticed had a different part number from the original. At about the same time, someone mentioned that the company that makes those solenoids had a defective batch of them get out last year. I don't know if that's true, but I've speculated that the new part number may be used to distinguish the corrected solenoids from the defective ones. The fact that my solenoid failed after one light season of towing may be evidence that the "defective batch" theory is true. There is very little difference in the outward appearance of the new and old ones, other than the part number (old: 11253; new: 11253R. Even Tie Down's current parts list shows the number as 11253A, but if you order one from them you'll get a 11253R).

Anyway, if you have the LP7000 coupler and your solenoid has to be replaced, you'll want to check out that other thread.

NOTE - on the parts page referenced above by Admin, there are two solenoids listed for the '05 230 trailer coupler. *Neither* of them are correct for this coupler. Odd, since the listing for the entire coupler *is* correct. The two solenoids they show are the old style that lock pressure in the lines if you try to back up when the brakes are activated. The new style solenoid releases pressure on the lines when in reverse, even if pressure is in the lines at the time you go into reverse. The Tie Down part number for the new solenoid is 11253R.

Also note, if you replace your solenoid, download Tie Down's instructions for priming and bleeding the coupler first. It's at http://www.tiedown.com/pdf/c462.pdf. If you don't prime the dampener before bleeding the brakes after installing the new solenoid, you can RUIN the entire coupler (DAMHIKT).

Hope this helps.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

GREAT INFOMATION...Thanks Mike, that helps allot!

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05 230 Horizon 350mag Bravo III

I took my tow truck, Toyota Sequoia w/air suspension, to the local Master Hitch shop and got a custom hookup slick and sweet and not too expensive, now I have 5 pin lockout! Good Luck

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If there's a launch and the water's deep enough, I'll be on it!