RockyV
Active member
I am a new Travel trailer owner. How do I know if my Trailer brakes are working? My truck is hook up to the trailer. Just not sure what the setting should be for the trailer brakes to work.
Electric Brakes on 1975 Terry TT
- Thread starter RockyV
- Start date
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Back2PA
Well-known member
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- Jul 26, 2015
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If you manually apply full brakes using the controller while on gravel the trailer brakes should lock up. Then I would set for 6-7 and with moderate braking you should feel the trailer pull away from your tow vehicle.
Rene T
Site Team
Pull the emergency pin and see if it locks the brakes. Don't leave it that way. Make sure you put the pin back in when you're done.
Alfa38User
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Posts
- 6,678
Before trying to test the brakes on the trailer you have to determine the following: Did you have a brake controller installed and wired up to the trailer plug? Some later model trucks come with this unit installed, others may not. Those which are already installed may not be wired up to the plug or may not fused or both.
For a trailer that old, as noted above, I would pull the wheels and hubs, check the brake components and repack the wheel bearings replacing the inner grease seal...then reassemble and adjust the brakes. If you are not comfortable doing that job yourself I would hire it done. Also check the DOT codes on the tires for the age of the tires. You will get various opinions on this but they should be replaced around 5 or so years from MGF date.
Setting up the brake controller: You really should have the brake controller manual. If you pull the emergency breakaway pin that should apply full battery voltage to the brakes. However, with the pin pulled, just because the trailer resists movement might tell you that the breakaway switch is working but it is hard to tell how many wheel brakes are actually working without lifting the wheels and try turning them one at a time by hand. Also, pulling the breakaway pin won't tell you if your brake controller is working at all or is set up properly. If you pull the breakaway pin don't leave it out a long time as that will run the battery down fast and can overheat the magnets.
You will get a lot of opinions on how to set up the break controller...The best one is the one in the controller manual!
I have seen lots of posts that say check the breaks on a gravel road. However, I have never seen that in a brake controller manual. Most manuals say to set the max voltage manually at or about 6 volts to start with. Then drive 25 MPH on a dry paved road. Apply full breaking manually (by hand) by activating the break controller bar or switch. The trailer tires should not skid. Increase the voltage to the max or until the tires just skid then back off a couple of volts. You want the brakes to come close to locking up but not lock and skid the tires. That will give you your best stopping distance. This is suppose to be done with the trailer loaded. If you do it unloaded you can increase the voltage at the controller on departure with the trailer loaded. Just get it close to a lockup when applying full voltage manually. Some controllers have an A and B switch for lead and lag. There is no right way to set that, just set it as you like it. Some find the lead setting gives a jerky stop in town but like the lead setting on the highway and will switch back and forth...either is fine.
I have set up around 15 or 20 controllers for friends and 3 of my own. All were done by the controller manual instructions as I wrote above.
Setting up the brake controller: You really should have the brake controller manual. If you pull the emergency breakaway pin that should apply full battery voltage to the brakes. However, with the pin pulled, just because the trailer resists movement might tell you that the breakaway switch is working but it is hard to tell how many wheel brakes are actually working without lifting the wheels and try turning them one at a time by hand. Also, pulling the breakaway pin won't tell you if your brake controller is working at all or is set up properly. If you pull the breakaway pin don't leave it out a long time as that will run the battery down fast and can overheat the magnets.
You will get a lot of opinions on how to set up the break controller...The best one is the one in the controller manual!
I have seen lots of posts that say check the breaks on a gravel road. However, I have never seen that in a brake controller manual. Most manuals say to set the max voltage manually at or about 6 volts to start with. Then drive 25 MPH on a dry paved road. Apply full breaking manually (by hand) by activating the break controller bar or switch. The trailer tires should not skid. Increase the voltage to the max or until the tires just skid then back off a couple of volts. You want the brakes to come close to locking up but not lock and skid the tires. That will give you your best stopping distance. This is suppose to be done with the trailer loaded. If you do it unloaded you can increase the voltage at the controller on departure with the trailer loaded. Just get it close to a lockup when applying full voltage manually. Some controllers have an A and B switch for lead and lag. There is no right way to set that, just set it as you like it. Some find the lead setting gives a jerky stop in town but like the lead setting on the highway and will switch back and forth...either is fine.
I have set up around 15 or 20 controllers for friends and 3 of my own. All were done by the controller manual instructions as I wrote above.
OP
OP
RockyV
Active member
Hey thanks for the quick responses!!! This is all great information. My 2008 Chevy Silverado does have a trailer controller, so that is great! I will take all of these replies into consideration when looking further into the trailer brakes. Thanks!!!
grashley
Well-known member
Welcome to the Forum!
All above is good advise. To simply answer your question, on a gravel area, pull the break away pin and pull the trailer. Were the brakes locked or dragging? As Rene said.
To adjust the gain, set to maybe 7, speed up5 mph, apply brakes manually. If brakes lock up, lower setting. You want 1 setting below lock up setting.
All above is good advise. To simply answer your question, on a gravel area, pull the break away pin and pull the trailer. Were the brakes locked or dragging? As Rene said.
To adjust the gain, set to maybe 7, speed up5 mph, apply brakes manually. If brakes lock up, lower setting. You want 1 setting below lock up setting.
OP
OP
RockyV
Active member
msw3113
Well-known member
The pic looks very similar to the dash in our Chevy.
Such a readout would tell me
1) there's a tire pressure problem with one of the truck tires (yellow symbol next to Zero on tach);
2) that the truck is sending voltage to the trailer when the truck's brakes are applied ("output" bars)(Yay!); and
3) that the gain is set too low for the trailer's brakes to do much good (.5 is barely enough to activate the brakes).
The tire pressure indicator should be the first thing addressed. After that's resolved follow the sound advice given above to inspect, adjust, and test your trailer's brakes and truck's trailer braking system.
Such a readout would tell me
1) there's a tire pressure problem with one of the truck tires (yellow symbol next to Zero on tach);
2) that the truck is sending voltage to the trailer when the truck's brakes are applied ("output" bars)(Yay!); and
3) that the gain is set too low for the trailer's brakes to do much good (.5 is barely enough to activate the brakes).
The tire pressure indicator should be the first thing addressed. After that's resolved follow the sound advice given above to inspect, adjust, and test your trailer's brakes and truck's trailer braking system.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Is that based on your experience with the Chevy brake controller or a general observation? I ask because on a typical add-on brake controller, e.g. a Tekonsha Prodigy or similar, a mid-way setting on the Gain control is a typical starting point for adjustment and most owners probably end up in the .5-.7 range. It's hard to generalize because of differences in trailer brake capability and wiring can have a dramatic effect on the amount of gain needed.
msw3113
Well-known member
Mea culpa, I should have qualified. That's based on my own experience with my 2011 Silverado equipped with Chevy brake controller and my (possibly heavier) trailer. The brake controller's settings range from .5 to 9.5: with our rig a setting of .5 does not provide appreciable trailer braking.
OP's results may vary.
OP's results may vary.
grashley
Well-known member
My F350 trailer gain goes up to 10.0 in 0.5 increments. 0.5 is barely turned on. I am running at 7.0 with my FW.
OP
OP
RockyV
Active member
Thanks for the responses! The yellow light is my tire pressure monitoring system. My tires are actually fine and all inflated correctly. I just need to bring it in and have them reset it. That is a factory controller that came with my truck. I started at .5 just to see what it was doing. I will adjust it when I have my trailer loaded and ready to go. Thanks again!
msw3113
Well-known member
I--and perhaps others--will be curious to learn what you find. Please report back!
