Tan vs. White and brake question

[kooblekidz]

Hi Everyone,
Eric here, new to the Forum, I bought a 1987 Saturn 1550, but I question if the year is correct on the registration. It is the tan color, and the brochure I just saw on the site shows the 1987 as white. I had a 1984 years ago that was tan like this. I'm thrilled with the trailer, it tows really easily, just want to see when it was really born.
Also,
does anyone know if this trailer is equpped with electric brakes? It's not crucial since it is so light, but there is a brakeaway cable, so I wonder if it is not equipped.
Thanks for any and all info.
Eric Hedin - kooblekidz@yahoo.com

[Steve Collins]

As for the brakes, just look at the hub behind the wheel. If it has brakes, it'll have a very old fashioned looking hub just a bit smaller than the inside of the wheel. Basically, TT brakes are 1960's style drum and shoe brakes. There should be a couple of wires entering each drum on the inside and running across or through the axle. If there's no brakes, then the wheel will just connect to a small hub containing bearings and that will be attached to the axle.

It's highly likely that your 1550 has brakes, and for safety's sake, you should get them working and install a brake controller in your tow vehicle and use it whenever you tow the trailer.

Most states require working brakes on any trailer heavier than 1,000 pounds.

And, a personal observation, the folks that share the highways with with any TT rig can either be victims or beneficiaries of the presence or absence of properly working trailer brakes.

Get the VIN number to SunlineFan. He'll verify the year of the trailer for you.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by kooblekidz

Also,
does anyone know if this trailer is equpped with electric brakes? It's not crucial since it is so light, but there is a brakeaway cable, so I wonder if it is not equipped.
Thanks for any and all info.
Eric

Hi Eric

Welcome to Sunline Owners Club and congrats on your new coach.

I cannot help you with the color/year but I did do some looking on your brakes. The T1550 in 84 and in 87 was declared to come with electric brakes. And if you see a Emergency Breakaway cable that has a switch with wires coming from it, then odds are very good you electric brakes as was setup originally.



Depending on State and your tow vehicle, how heavy a trailer is before it must have brakes varies. Ohio is a 2,000# GVWR trailer limit before brakes “must” be used. However this can be trumped by the actual TV you are using. If the tow vehicle has a 1,000# rating, then it can only stop a trailer of that size.

Regardless of the legal side of this, having electric brakes on a TT is a good idea, yes stopping is one of them, the breakaway switch for an unattached run away TT on the highway, and then there is trailer sway. If sway gets out of hand, pressing the brake controller in the truck for the TT while NOT stepping on the truck brakes can help pull the rig out of a sway event.

Hope this helps and good luck camping in your new coach

John

[kooblekidz]

Thanks for the info. I do have a breakaway switch, so I likely have electric brakes. I wired the car for them, now I will assume that my brake controller is shot since it's not doing anything. If I take the blue wire and put 12 volts to the wheel will my wheel lock up?
My VIN is ####.

[Sunline Fan]

Hi Eric,

Yes, that is indeed a VIN for an '87 1550.

1987 should have a tan exterior. 1983-1989 were tan.

Here's the '87 brochure: Sunline Coach Owner's Club - Sunline Owner's Files - 1987 Sunline Travel Trailer, Camper & Fifth Wheel

I'll admit the coaches in the pictures there do look a bit whiter than they should be. I think that was just an effect of the scan of the brochure or the even in the printing of the original.

Thanks for the submission!
Jon

[kooblekidz]

Hi,
Thanks for the info on the brakes, I do indeed have electric brakes. I was testing the brake controller and getting nothing out of it, but if I put a ground to the blue wire the controller lights up. Any ideas about that?
Eric

[Viking]

Kooblekidz,
I happen to be in Sweden right now, visiting my daughter,
and in line with that, methinks, with a name like Eric Hedin, there must be a Swede in the woodpile somewhere in your ancestry.
Too coincidental!
Roar

[Steve Collins]

Originally Posted by kooblekidz

Hi,
Thanks for the info on the brakes, I do indeed have electric brakes. I was testing the brake controller and getting nothing out of it, but if I put a ground to the blue wire the controller lights up. Any ideas about that?
Eric

By grounding the blue wire, the newer brake controllers would be fooled into thinking that they are properly connected to the brake system of the trailer. Basically, the controller senses a complete circuit, ie. from the controller through the blue wire to the brakes and through the high resistance of the magnets and on to ground.

If you plug the trailer into the tow vehicle and the controller doesn't light up, that would indicate an incomplete circuit. You'll want to check the wiring from the brake controller back to the 7 pin connector on the TV side, and the from the 7 pin to the brakes on the trailer side. Then make sure the brakes are both properly grounded.

[kooblekidz]

I rechecked all the connections front to back on my vehicle and cleaned some stuff up. I'm getting 12 volts from the brake controller back at the connector when I hit the brakes, so hopefully it'll light up when I connect it to the trailer. I'll let you know, thanks for the feedback.
Also to Viking, I have a bunch of Hedin relatives back in Sweden, my grandfather was the only one of his brothers who came to the US. Straight to North Dakota don't you know!

[kooblekidz]

After totally rewiring the car I checked the trailer and within 2 minutes found the culprit. Some one crimped the breakaway switch in and did a crummy job so the wire was pulled out. I jumped the wire and put 12 v and the trailer wheel locked up. Friday I will attach the tow car and hopefully the brake conroller will light up. If not I will pull out what little hair I have left!