Hayes brake controller - acting up

[HERO Maker]

7 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Yesterday, I started installing my BluDot system.  First task, find a place to mount the air tank.  The front of our coach doesn't have a door big enough to pass it through, other than the basement storage.  The compartment where the current electric/hydraulic pump resides has a door 2" too narrow.

Finally, I gave up and decided to change the oil in the genny and let my brain cool down.  Slid under the nose to see about dropping the spare tire to access the genny oil filter, and there in front of me was the perfect place, mounts already built, for the air tank.

Looks like it will be pretty easy to find a new home for the spare under the garage portion of the coach.

Rick, sounds like you found the spot, if you don't want to mount it in the top area of your basement.  In my old Teton, I always disliked the space it took up (dead center/forward position) in the basement.  And it was a big basement. On the DRV,  I installed the master cylinder where my electric/hydraulic pump had been.  Didn't need to extend trailer brake lines any further.

[rickeieio]

Tank is now where the spare used to live. It hangs no lower than the spare did.

I may put ALL the plumbing down there, leaving inside storage areas clear.  The only issue is whether I can put the master cylinder under there too.  I don't see why not, as long as I fashion a shield to keep rain and grit away from it.  I will be a little cumbersome to check the fluid level, but not much worse than where the electric master currently sits.  If I'm lucky, I will find a place where I can cut an access opening above the reservoir.  Remember when you lifted the floor mat and removed a cover to access the master on your old 1947 International truck?

While I was prepping the area, I noticed the brake line ran about 15' unsupported.  There was one broken zip tie from the front jack leg to the first axle.  

[SuiteSuccess]

22 hours ago, alan0043 said:

Hi Everyone,

I have an update about the Hayes unit. While driving home from the weekend camping trip, I was doing some  rethinking about Hayes unit. To get the brakes in the trailer not to activate, I disconnected the blue wire going to the Jackaloppee so I could come home with out the trailer brakes. I thought to myself that there is an easier way to remove power from the Hayes unit. You guys got it, remove the fuse. After I got home I removed the fuse and reconnected the blue wire back to the Jackaloppee. Yesterday I needed to move the trailer and park it for the winter. I wanted to see if the same problem was going on with the Hayes. I put the fuse back in the fuse box. Guess what happen. The Hayes brake controller was acting just fine. I don't know what to think. I hope this problem does not show up again.

Any thoughts,
Al

Al,

I don’t have a Hayes but am glad your temporary solution is working.  However before I went on a trip I would solve the problem that caused it in the first place.  Don’t want your trailer brakes coming partially on and burning them up while driving.

[alan0043]

6 minutes ago, SuiteSuccess said:

Al,

I don’t have a Hayes but am glad your temporary solution is working.  However before I went on a trip I would solve the problem that caused it in the first place.  Don’t want your trailer brakes coming partially on and burning them up while driving.

Hi Carl,

Thank you for looking out for me. Where I have the Hayes brake controller mounted I can see the red LED light with no problem. When the Hayes unit puts out a voltage the red LED lights up. I surely don't want to burn up the brakes and anything else. I put to much work in that area of the trailer. But right now, I don't know what to look at dealing with the Hayes. The trailer is parked for the winter. Right now I have some time on my side.  I am hoping someone can point me the the right direction on this Hayes unit.

Open for ideas,
Al

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

12 hours ago, alan0043 said:

Hi Carl,

Thank you for looking out for me. Where I have the Hayes brake controller mounted I can see the red LED light with no problem. When the Hayes unit puts out a voltage the red LED lights up. I surely don't want to burn up the brakes and anything else. I put to much work in that area of the trailer. But right now, I don't know what to look at dealing with the Hayes. The trailer is parked for the winter. Right now I have some time on my side.  I am hoping someone can point me the the right direction on this Hayes unit.

Open for ideas,
Al

Al, I'll take mine apart and send you pics of what happened to mine.  There is a burned spot on the coil.  You can pull the cover off of yours without damaging anything to check.  They're a simple gizmo when opened.

[alan0043]

11 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

Al, I'll take mine apart and send you pics of what happened to mine.  There is a burned spot on the coil.  You can pull the cover off of yours without damaging anything to check.  They're a simple gizmo when opened.

Hi Jim,

I will give that a try. I will take a good look at the coil. Thank you for the idea. I don't think it should to hard to work on the controller the way I have it set-up.

Al

[lockmup68]

dont forget the break-away pin. If pulled, it will backfeed to the controller causing the light to be on. 

HTH,

Shannon

[alan0043]

8 hours ago, lockmup68 said:

dont forget the break-away pin. If pulled, it will backfeed to the controller causing the light to be on. 

HTH,

Shannon

Hi Shannon,

That was the first place I went to look . Pulled the break-away pin and re-set it. The problem was still there. For some reason the truck seems to be ok now. I have a feeling it will do it again. Probably at the most inconvenient time.

Al

[lockmup68]

like others said. Take the controller apart. The metal piece that slides along the bar can get twisted up if the screws are loose. Happened to me the day I was pulling out of Gregg's la casa in Alberta this summer. Took it apart, straightened out the slider piece, and all was good. 

HTH,

Shannon