What? We just got this thing!
We started on our latest trip - we've been keeping to one every month since we shelled out for the RV - and man, it was rough going. When we reached the stop sign at the end of our block, I wondered whether or not we had lined up our emergency numbers before we shoved off. (Because they certainly came in handy couple of months ago.) The rig was shuddering as we continued along.
A couple of blocks later we could no longer ignore it and pulled into a warehouse parking lot. We smelled burning as we came to a stop at an empty corner of the lot.
We tried to drive around. We tried to. We found out that the front tires of the trailer were locked. It has four wheels, and the front axle was completely locked. We were literally leaving rubber on the pavement. So we had been dragging our wheels for three whole blocks!
It was a Friday afternoon and we frantically googled and dialed phone numbers before 5 o'clock weekend closing times. We did so for three hours, puzzling over what was wrong and how to get out of this jam. Not only was the trailer screwed, but we had no way of getting it anywhere. That we were ironically so close to home didn't matter, because can you even tow an RV trailer? Thank god it was at least beautiful weather. But time was running out.
Meet the Breakaway Switch
A few of our frantic calls hit pay dirt. AAA came out and could not help us. Time to cancel their extra RV service that we pay for. But we did learn was that it was the breakaway switch on the hitch, where the lanyard had come unplugged. This was courtesy of Winnebago Chicago (over the phone he was gruff but helpful) and Frank from Illinois Tractor and RV Repair who came out to do a field call. Frank said our lanyard wire was too short and so the lanyard probably pulled loose during a tight turn. He pulled out some slack and provided a few other pointers about hooking up the trailer better.
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| Long shot: Breakaway switch and lanyard with white tag, underneath hitch. |
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| Close-up: Here you can see the wire lanyard |
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| From below: The lanyard loop is attached to the plug, all fixed now. |
Three hours later these newbies were back on the road. This lifestyle's going to be a learning game. Despite the late start we covered the length of Illinois that night and crossed the Mississippi by moonlight, bedding down in the bootheel of Missouri. Old man river won't you keep on rolling.
