Ranger Trailer Brakes

What would cause the brakes to not disengage when backing up? They seem to be still engaged when backing. Does disconnecting the trailer lights disable them?

something must be wrong with your 5th wire, the one hooked up to the backup lights on the tow vehicle, check it out, to back up withn out that wire you need to put in a pin on the trailer tongue to prevent the brakes from activating

You need to have power to the solenoid valve that sits on the tongue of the trailer, without power the solenoid valve still allows fluid to the breaks.

it makes a diff on mine.On the newer trailers there’s a solinoid that is accuated by your backup light curcuit,so you have to leave you light plug in. Or in some trailer theres a manual overide that you can use

What Ranger trailer do you have and what year?
My 2008 for my 620 does not need power (I just moved it in our shop from it’s storage space to new location to change oils and such and I always just use a fork lift with trailer ball.
My brothers lund can’t be backed up witout power or using c-clamp to make sure tongue doens’t push back.
I know most rangers don’t need power. Can’t tell you though why it doesn’t dis-engage.

Those solenoids go bad, so if your lights are connected and fuses are all good, check there first.

Second that, check your fuses on your truck, had the same problem. Ended up being blow fuses for the trailering/towing light circuits on truck.

ive found that sometimes you may not have a good ground through your hitch ball..this will cause the solenoid not to have a complete circut..this is one thing that people tend to complain about the ranger trailers..especially older models..when mine was acting up i checked my voltage at the solenoid and was good..my hitch ball was very rusty as was the slide in tongue..replaced the ball and cleaned the rust off the tongue and havent had a problem since..hope this helps

Could be the truck…..
With the 1999 Ford 1 ton I used to drive I had to flip the plug so the brake wire(red) from the trailer plugged in to the brown wire slot(tail lights) from the truck and turn the head lights on in the turck.
That sent power to the solenoid and disengaged the brakes.

I have a silverado now and the plug works fine as designed so it was definitely a wiring issue with the truck not the trailer.

It was a bit of a pain but it worked.

You have a short in your ground wire between the boat and truck. Look where the wire comes out of your trailer by the hitch. Might be worn a little, making contact with your metal trailer.
WKW

I checked the fuses in my truck..all are fine.

I notice my lights go out when I put it in reverse…guessing I have a short somewhere.

How full should the fluid be under that cap?

It’s a 2004 trailer

I just spent the better part of 2 hours playing with the trailer. Frustrating. They only thing I have left to do is replace the solenoid.
Hope thats it!!!

It was the solenoid. Thanks for the help guys!!!