Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Emergency brake cable

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Emergency brake cable

Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10136
Printed Date: 22 May 2025 at 9:46pm
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Topic: Emergency brake cable

Posted By: mountainman
Subject: Emergency brake cable
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 7:38pm

It looks like I need help with the pod emergency brake cable. Today I was returning home from a pod trip this week dropping my pod off at the storage lot. I was 20 yards (!) from my spot in the yard, just creeping along, when the emergency brake cable detached and brought the trailer and my TV to a stop.

For the last few trips I've been tying a knot in the cable, putting the cable through the steel loops I hook the chains to on the receiver, and using a heavy duty galvanized carabiner to hook the cable to the knot loop.

When we left the campground I felt I had enough slack on the cable. When we stopped after about 25 miles it looked too loose so I tightened it up a little by moving the knot on the cable. It was another 25 miles to the lot.
There were no sharp hard turns. There is a somewhat of a short dropoff into the storage lot where I have to negotiate.

Am I hooking up the cable wrong? Did I have it too tight maybe? I'll be on another trip in 2 weeks and don't want this to happen again. It's good to know the system works; I'm just glad it didn't happen at 60 miles an hour.
mountainman

Replies:

Posted By: ParPod
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 8:36pm

Don't tighten the cable too much....it should be pretty much left alone attached to either the tv or somewhere on the hitch. Same thing happened to me the day we brought it home from the dealer....it was too tight and popped out and engaged. Doesn't take much.

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Bob&Margaret
2017 179
2016 Toyota 4Runner
2 sets of Golf Clubs

Posted By: POD WE R
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 10:13pm

I replaced the cable with a Fastway Zip Breakaway cable. It is coiled and stretches as needed.

2017 R Pod 180 HRE

Arizona

Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 11:16pm

The brake cable should (ideally) be hooked to something other than your hitch, but that's probably where most of us hook it. The reason is that your trailer could come loose because your whole hitch fell off. The brake won't engage unless it gets too far from what it's hooked to.

So anyway, you also don't want to run the brake cable through anything. It should be a straight shot from one end of the cable to the other, and it shouldn't be tight at all. You don't want it dragging the ground, but you definitely don't want it getting taut on a turn.

TT

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2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Posted By: mountainman
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2017 at 10:56pm

Thanks to all who replied. I will look under my tv (Honda Ridgeline) for another place to attach the cable and also look into the Fastway Zip cable.
mountainman