Break-away cable modification

[Gkerlin]

If you ever have had your break away cable catch under the fifth wheel hitch - I have - and have your brakes activate you might find this mod useful.

Twice while turning sharp (once at a fuel pump - once backing in) my cable got caught under the edge of the leg.

Heres a picture of where it catches.



To solve the problem... what else duct tape.

That is - until my Quartzsite buddy Ron Doupe showed my this simple and effective fix.

Take a length of flexible tubing (I used 3/8" ID) and put it over your break-away cable.



I ran a coat hanger thru first, attached the cable to it with (what else - duct tape) and pulled it back thru.



No more duct tape around the leg of the hitch... no more snags!



A simple fix.. a permanent solution.

Thanks Ron. Great Idea!

Now... let me tell you what he did with a plastic milk jug to remove slop in the hitch

[bncinwv]

The late Glenn Adams provided a simplistic, yet very effective solution to this problem as well. By attaching a couple of suction cup hooks to the underside of the front of the rig, the break away cable can be held above any obstructions, and routed however need be via the hooks.
Bingo

[kylec2]

Nice mod! This has happened to us before and I like the simplicity, thanks for sharing!

[bethandkevin]

My brother wore out a set of brakes in about twenty miles in this manner just last fall. I think I'll pass this on to him.

[BB_TX]

I just put a simple loop in my cable to take up the slack. Has worked fine so far.
But that makes for a neat fix.

[racerjoe]

We found a coiled style cable I believe it is from Fastway products, They come in 4 and 6 foot lenths and keep the cable out of the way

[DQDick]

I just use our outside floor mats placed over the bottom of the hitch, but that works for us because our rack that holds the generators causes them to ride up and cover the bottom of the hitch. That's a great idea, however, and I'll probably steal it for extra insurance.

[Recumbent]

We have a similar see-through hose used on our agricultural foam marker for spray rig. Will see if it will work for our brake away cable. Thanks for the photos and passing along a good ideal.

[Jay Bird]

I use a velcrowe strap and wrap it around the cable on the hitch handle after placing the loop over the handle. This holds the cable up with no additional weight on it.