Hope you guy's don't mind another dumb question...
I have an '05 Ram CTD with the tow package. I'm towing a 3 horse trailer 400 miles tomorrow and I need to know if I need to add a brake controller to use the trailer brakes, or if it's already wired.
The truck came with the wire harness to add the brake controller, but my question is, does my truck already activate the trailer brakes without adding the brake contoller? My friend says the it does, and the only thing the brake contoller does is allow you to control the trailer brakes seperately.
I trust you guy's more than the kid at Uhaul, or whereever. Thanks!

 

First of all welcome to the site! Secondly, you are going to need a controller. The lines are run to the plug in the back of your truck but the controller does just that. Controls the current to the electric brakes.
Good luck, what part of AZ are you in.
Tom

 

I'm in New River. We're heading up to St George, UT tomorrow to pick up a horse. First time towing anything this heavy and want to be prepared. Any suggestions where to purchase a brake controller locally? thanks!

 

Look in the Yellow pages for an RV store in your area. I would suggest a Prodigy.Any brand will be better than nothing. It will take 30 minutes or so to install. Don't haul without a brake controller!

 

Hauling a horse in a 3 horse trailer without a brake controller could be very dangerous, up to and including deadly.

You'll get used to the controller, some tow light without one, but I imagine it would be hard on one's truck brakes.

 

Without the brake controller the trailer brakes will not activate. Your freind is incorrect.

 

No controller no trailer brakes. If you can't get it done today I would not worry about it. Drive a little slower and keep extra braking room in front. U will find later on if u don't get it in today with just 1 horse or uloaded u will have the controller turned way down so it's just barely on so u won't put flat spots on the trailer tires, u know slide them when braking

 

advance has one for $59 or so in the "towing section"
it's digital/proportional/adjustable. works great for me.
no more than i tow, I don't need a $150 prodigy.

there is a blue plug over the emer brake pedal.

there should have been a wire loom in your glovebox. wire the controller into this,
and then that plug matches the one over your pedal.

go slowly, and adjust the controller so that you can BARELY feel it tug.
open the rear slider & windows, you should be able to hear if you are slideing the trailer tires.

re-adjust when you change wieght in the trailer.

i like to adjust mine so that if i let off the brakes at a stop lite, and the truck creeps, i can tap the brakes (lights come on, but no pressure to truck brakes) and you can feel the trailer brakes slightly catch.

you will get a feel for it easy enough.

hth?

 

As far as how they work, there are essentially three common types out there.

The first are often called timer based controllers. The only input they take is from the brake pedal switch. You adjust the maximum current they send to the trailer brakes to just below what will lock the trailer brakes when pulling it at a steady 15 mph or so, and you also adjust how quickly it ramps up to that level. They are simple, but the one I had would tend to apply too much trailer brake in town, and not enough if you had to stop from freeway speed in a hurry.

Other types sense deceleration, and apply current to the trailer brakes in proportion to the deceleration they detect. Requires tow vehicle brakes to produce the initial deceleration. Most of them seem to work OK on smooth roads, but some seem to react to bumps.

Third kind measures the application of the tow vehicle's brakes and applies trailer brakes in proportion to what your foot is doing on the brake pedal. Jordan Ultra uses a linkage hooked to the brake pedal, and everyone that has one seems to like it's smoothness (Don't tell FiverBob I said that). Brakesmart goes a different direction, and uses a sensor that T-s into the tow vehicle brake system. Most old brake controllers that used to T into the system were not compatable with anti-lock brakes, but the Brakesmart uses a solid-state pressure transducer that does not displace fluid, and thus doesn't cause problems with antilock system.

Anyhow, you need to get a brake controller of some kind. The only thing more expensive than buying a Brakesmart is buying a cheaper controller, hating it, and then buying a Brakesmart... like I did...

 

Yep, I thought I heard someone calling me. Yep, it was ole Jeffy baby.

Now Jeff, you know the only reason you didn't like them thar "cheaper" controllers was one of them was NOT a Jordan ULTIMA. Smmooooooottthhhhh, man.

TroubleMakerBob

 

Gosh, that was quick. Any time you want to conjure up FiverBob all you have to do is whisper “BrakeSmart” and he will appear out of thin air to say “Jordan!”

Ribbing aside, Kofaram you do need to come up with something before you tow that trailer. Normally I'd say to get the Brakesmart if you can afford it and are going to tow heavy frequently, but otherwise get the Jordan Ultima.

Since you need it tomorrow, though, you are going to have to get what you can find locally...

 

You need a controller. For around NR I wouldn't worry, but going that far it only takes one idiot at the wrong time. They are cheaper then the insurance deductible and pain and lost horses and possibly worse.

You have a PM.

Randy

 

In most states its illegal to tow more than 2500# without trailer brakes. But all aside I would not tow without one. Most any of the better controllers will work very well in almost all situations. A Voyager, Prodgy etc are proportional type and work very good when properly adjusted. For limited towing you don't need the extra expense of the Jordan or the Brakesmart. I just switched from the Voyager to the Brakesmart. But then I tow a 14,000# load most of the time and want the extra safety. Probably had about 300,000 miles on the Voyager with no problems. Main point is get something.

Phil

 

OK. SmartButtBob. You behave yourself.

 

Actually, both are inertial controllers. The proportional Jordan Ultima 2020 that takes its input directly from the truck's brake pedal can be found on the Internet for about the same price as the Prodigy.

Rusty