Trailer Brake

[Dwaynendana]

Have a 21 2500 gas.. Trailer brake doesn’t work in reverse.Do I have a problem or is the normal? Thanks

 

[392DevilDog]

Trailer brakes do not work in reverse so you can back the trailer up

 

[Farmer Fran]

What kind of trailer?

 

[Riccochet]

Trailer brakes do not work in reverse so you can back the trailer up

They should if they're electric. At least that's how my e-brakes work on my travel trailer.

 

[TMyers]

On my 5th Wheel, it has the drum and shoe type trailer brakes. They are self adjusting. When the brakes are "Firmly" applied in reverse, the brake adjusters turn tightening the shoes against the drums. Too much and one could prematurely wear out the shoes.

 

[Rlaf75]

They should if they're electric. At least that's how my e-brakes work on my travel trailer.

Electric brakes on 99% of the trailers out there are magnet activated. There is no wheel cylinder like a car drum brake set up. In most trailers you'll pull with your pickup the electricity activates a magnet on the end of a lever. When activated the magnet attaches to the inside of the brake drum hub which forces the magnet and lever to activate a fulcrum which rotates and expands the brake shoes out grabbing the drum surface which helps stop the trailer. When in reverse the same thing will happen to the lever with the magnet but in the opposite direction which in turn doesnt make the lever fulcrum rotate as much leading to much less braking force.

 

[Rlaf75]

Electric trailer brakes are meant primarily for forward motion stopping. They will have very little to no stopping force in reverse. Like I described above the magnet and lever activate a fulcrum. In this picture the rotation of the drum during forward motion is counterclockwise. The red circle is the oval magnet and the green circle is the lever which activates the dulcet the pin on the very top. The forward rotation pulls the magnet and lever to the rear which rotates the fulcrum in turn expanding the brake shoes out against the drum. They may have a slight drag in reverse but very little if any. This picture will give you an understanding of how electric brakes work. To the OP, I would suggest checking to make sure the trailer brakes are properly adjusted and and make sure they are working properly while driving forward. There wont be much you can do about it in reverse

 

[Dwaynendana]

I think it’s a truck issue.

 

[Rlaf75]

I think it’s a truck issue.

I havent hooked anything up to my new 21 yet but when I had my 2011 ram I wound up having to wire a new 7 pin connector on the trailer because there wasn't a good connection with the truck connector. Without being there and seeing and checking what's going on it's going to be hard to diagnose anything. Maybe try unplugging and inspecting the terminals

 

[Riccochet]

Electric trailer brakes are meant primarily for forward motion stopping. They will have very little to no stopping force in reverse. Like I described above the magnet and lever activate a fulcrum. In this picture the rotation of the drum during forward motion is counterclockwise. The red circle is the oval magnet and the green circle is the lever which activates the dulcet the pin on the very top. The forward rotation pulls the magnet and lever to the rear which rotates the fulcrum in turn expanding the brake shoes out against the drum. They may have a slight drag in reverse but very little if any. This picture will give you an understanding of how electric brakes work. To the OP, I would suggest checking to make sure the trailer brakes are properly adjusted and and make sure they are working properly while driving forward. There wont be much you can do about it in reverse View attachment 465725

I know how they work. I've been towing and services trailers with electric brakes for decades. In the picture above, regardless of which way the wheel is turning, when those brakes are applied it pushes the pads in to the drum.

If you move the magnet in either direction the pads will extend. Hence brakes in forward or reverse.