Thread in Towing and Hauling

I fixed the left turn signal and marker light output from the truck, but I get no brake output. Yes I have a buddy press the brake and I do have a good ground when I check with a light tester.

 

To answer your question from the other thread.....yes, you need to have an electric brake controller hooked up to the wiring harness under the dash in order to get voltage on the brake pin at the back bumper (with someone also stepping on the brakes, of course).

 

Thats rediculous, it should come stock with atleast somekind of current going to the electric brake pin. Anyway, Do you know if Napa, pepboys or kregan carry brake controllers? LIke the prodijy or that brakesmart?

 

No, not without a brake controller. If you're really in a rush, you can probably pick up a Prodigy at an RV or trailer hitch dealer. If you want a better brake controller like the Jordan or Brakesmart, you'll probably have to order them and wait.

Rusty

 

Not rediculous. Why would you need current there if you have no controller hooked up in the first place. The controller is what sends that current to the trailer anyway. The blue wire goes directly from the controller to the back of the truck at the connector hence no current if not hooked up!

 

So, all you have to do is plug it in and i dont need to have others install it. Its all pre wired if i have the trailer towing package

 

I am about to get a new tandem trailer for my boat, (feel better with 4 tires in case of blowout). About how much is a brake controller? I see Travists comment above about blue wire to rear end but what hooks up up front, must somehow tap into Ram braking system I guess.

 

If your truck has the trailer tow package, you should have gotten a brake controller pigtail in a plastic bag in the console, glove box, etc. This pigtail wires to the brake controller (by FUNCTION, NOT BY COLOR CODE) of your choice and then plugs into your vehicle's wiring harness under the dashboard.

Pardon my ignorance, but I wasn't aware that electric brakes were used on boat trailers (you know, the water and electricity thing! ) - I thought that boat trailers still primarily used surge brakes.

Rusty

 

BILLYREA. You will have four wires for the brake controller. You will have battery power, ground, brake signal, and trailer wire. The brake signal wire gets it signal from the brake switch in your truck in turn sending the signal through your controller and out the blue wire back to your trailer. The other two wires are just as they are,(power, and ground).

 

Ok, so all i need is the unit then and everything is pre-wired. I have a bobcat trailer I will be towing my 1957 GMC truck on to shows this summer. Thanks

 

UPdate,

I bought a Drawtite Activator 2 brake controller and wire it up and hooked up the trailer and the pigtail connector. Took it for a test drive and had the settins at 2.0 and 4o on the Sync or aggresiveness of the brake and when I press the manual brake push button at 25-35mph it would lock up the tires, way cool. If I put the output to 4.0 or 5.0 it would quickly bring the truck to a stop using only the trailer brakes. Thanks for the help guys, towing this trailer with brakes is just soo much more stress relieving and funner compared to no brakes.