Moving trailer without power to surge brakes

[shouse]

Hey, I have a 2000 Dorsey trailer with surge brakes. It has a 5 pin flat connector, so I assume it's solenoid actuated. I'm currently trying to push (put pull) my boat up the driveway from the front. Thus I don't have the trailer axillary power source up front. There's supposedly a lever to disengage the brakes, but that doesn't appear to be helping. I can roll the trailer forwards and backwards fine on flat pavement, but as soon as I try to push it up the steep hill, the brakes seem to kick in. The wheels will start rolling again when I hit flat pavement again. I can see the wheels being dragged, so feel pretty confident that the brakes must be locking up and nothing binding or anything going on.

Can anyone think of a good way of supplying power through a portable battery or something for a temporary fix? Trying to get this up the driveway today and don't have time for a permanent solution. Does anyone even know what pin or what wire color I need to supply the 12v to?
Thanks

[beach]

Is the problem that your truck only has a 4 pin? Flip the 5 pin around and turn on your lights, it will send power to the solenoid.

[Paxdad]

Post a photo with the trailer tongue so we have a better idea of what brand/ model of system it is. If you are pushing it you are engaging the brakes......if it is a UFP you can stick a nickel in the slides closest to the ball and it will not let the tongue slide to activate the brakes.

[shouse]

Pushing it from the front so I don't have a power connector. Paxdad, u have it right. Had to go back to work so I'll try and get a picture in the next few hours. What's ufp? Anyone know what's common on a 2000 dorsey?

[shouse]

Only two I have right now .

[Tmosely1]

UFP Surge Brakes... http://www.ufpnet.com/actuators/tabid/54/default.aspx

[Tmosely1]

Here's a video showing what he's talking about with the nickel... http://www.ufpnet.com/movies/UFP_A-60-Lockout.mpg

[Paxdad]

The nickel is placed in the slot on the side of the tongue with the big round pin in it. You may have to put a piece of tape over the nickel to keep it from falling out. The video provided by Tmosely1 shows exactly what to do only using a nickel.

[shouse]

Thanks a bunch, I'll give this a try.

[Skidave]

I have used a 9 volt battery for my lockout solenoid before. Make sure it is a new battery because the solenoid does pull some current. Get a 9 volt connector with bare wires and make an adapter for your trailer harness. If you still have a RadioShack around, they have the 9 volt connectors.

[shag]

I have seen people flip the plug as a poster above said and it worked. Going backward up a hill you are putting pressure on the piston, as if you were braking going forward...

[jharris]

My solution was that I built a special plug for the 5 pin connector that would plug into the 12V plug on the boat and send current to the backup lights/backup solenoid. As long as the batteries are in the boat it works great. Without the batteries in I plug into he 12 volt plug on my jumper box. Beats trying to find that special clip everytime I need to back up when not connected to my truck.

[Paxdad]

My solution was that I built a special plug for the 5 pin connector that would plug into the 12V plug on the boat and send current to the backup lights/backup solenoid. As long as the batteries are in the boat it works great. Without the batteries in I plug into he 12 volt plug on my jumper box. Beats trying to find that special clip everytime I need to back up when not connected to my truck.

You created a thermonuclear bomb for a nickel solution!! Cool know matter what.

[shouse]

Well the nickel solution failed. One fell down the cracks b/t the tongue and the trailer frame, and the other wouldn't even fit in the slot properly. I then tried the same thing out of solid oak and used a clamp to hold it on. This still slid down b/c the shape is more of a slot shape, not circular. So i did the same thing and made more of a slot shape out of solid oak. This was massacred and the brakes still 1/2 engaged when i was mostly up the hill. Finally backed it up, but this was a nightmare too at this point being in the dark and the couple swoops my driveway makes. Needless to say, it's currently half hanging beyond and before my gate entrance. I'm going to work on building a harness for the front of my car, seems like the easiest guaranteed solution. Unless this tongue company actually sells that piece that fits in the groove exactly (and is made out of a metal material).

[shouse]

Does anyone know which wire, and what kind of power source I need to provide to disengage the solenoid. Does it work off brake lights or something? I guess I don't fully understand this system yet. Brake lights would cause a power source to engage the brakes. I seem to have the exact problem. A lack of power is engaging the brakes. If i supply the correct power, I should be able to push / pull the trailer all day long without having to jam the tongue with a nickel, right ?

OK if I'm reading this right sounds like it's only disabled in normal operation if gets power off the reverse lights?