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Old 06-27-2016, 12:16 PM   #1
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Braking Expectations?

I used to own a 20 ft. TT with dual axles. I had a prodigy brake controller and the manual said to adjust the brakes:
1) Crank up the power setting, manually apply the brakes to full at about 20mph. The brakes should lock up the trailer wheels.
2) Turn down the max power setting until you can manually apply the brakes at maximum and the wheels don't lock up.
That's the correct setting.

Now I have a Ford F150 with integrated controller and a 30ft Eagle HT 5er.

The dealer set the controller on the Ford to 2 out of 10 and said if I felt I needed more breaking to "up it a little".

Over the last few weekend trips I've got it up to 8 and I still don't feel the brakes are strong enough.

Today a traffic light changed quickly on me and I really stomped on the brakes - wound up in the middle of the intersection before I could get the rig stopped.

So I pushed it to 10 (the max setting) and started testing by manually applying just the 5th wheel brakes. I can't lock up the wheels no matter what. And frankly - even at 10 , just using the 5th wheel brakes barely feels like its slowing the rig.

I've never had a 30 ft 5th wheel before but I sure expected the brakes to be stronger. On my previous TT, I could almost do a panic stop with just the trailer brakes.

Is it time for a trip to the dealer? Or are my expectations too high?
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Old 06-27-2016, 12:19 PM   #2
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I was wondering the same thing. Kept increasing brakes to get a lockup, but couldn't even at 10. Have them set to 8 right now, but not sure if I need it higher or if I need a brake adjustment.
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Old 06-27-2016, 12:23 PM   #3
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Has this trailer ever been towed with a vehicle with an aftermarket brake controller? Just to verify that the trailer brakes actually work? It may not be the trailer.

My cousin has a Silverado with the factory controller and the manual says it need 250 miles of towing to completely adjust to the trailer being towed. He said it was quite scary in the beginning, but once he hit the 250 mile mark, things got better with the factory system.

I personally am not sold on the factory units. The aftermarket ones seem to have more features and options. And, in my opinion, seem to work better.
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Old 06-27-2016, 12:26 PM   #4
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At 'only' 6 years and about 2,000 of trailering experience, I'd say your expectations are spot on.


The trailer's brakes should be capable of stopping the trailer as well as the tow vehicle's can stop it.


My 1st trailer had ineffective brakes when I got it from the original owner. The factory had pinched/shorted both sides of the brake's wiring to ground. When I changed the axle (oops, my bad). I discovered what a properly braking trailer was all about.


Because of the nature of add-on brake controllers, I can utilize some of the trailer's braking ability to slow the whole rig when conditions call for it.


Definitely have someone knowledgeable and trustworthy check out your rig.
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Old 06-27-2016, 12:28 PM   #5
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Wonder if the brakes on the 5ver are even working. When hooked up somewhere safe, your driveway, large parking lot, etc, engaging the ebrake cable, that should lock the 5ver's brakes, and see if you can pull forwards. The 5ver's tires will not turn, no matter how much you pull, you will drag the 5ver, before the wheels will turn.

A freind has an integrated brake controller on his f150 ecoboost. He is on his 4 computer board. When it fails it flashes a warning fairly quickly on his dash, then disappears.

Good luck, get those brakes working.
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Old 06-27-2016, 12:30 PM   #6
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My .02 is you are pulling a 30 ft trailer with a half ton truck, I think your expectations are to high and you were also driving to fast when you ended up in the untersection. Use that as a learning experience and move on from there, I.E. slow down. Next time you might not have the intersection to go into, it might be another vehicle on the road.
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Old 06-27-2016, 12:31 PM   #7
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^^^^ X2!


Yank the breakaway and see if you can still pull the trailer. That'll tell you very quickly which side of the hitch has a problem.
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Old 06-27-2016, 02:09 PM   #8
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Good thought on the breakaway. Never tried that trick. I did have a short in the brake wiring on a previous unit - that shows up in all kinds of ways (like a fault on the controller). I'm more worried that I have misadjusted brakes, one side not hooked up, grease on the shoes (although it's a new unit and I have not worked on or greased the hubs).

Levinehikeski - I was probably doing 30 on a 4 lane avenue. The light changes fast and I should have "run the yellow" but decided to try the brakes. If I can't stop from 30 mph in a couple of hundred feet, it ain't my drivin'.
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Old 06-28-2016, 05:21 AM   #9
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Many Ram owners have the same problem. Im considering switching to an aftermarket brake controller.
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Old 06-28-2016, 06:05 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Levinehikeski View Post
My .02 is you are pulling a 30 ft trailer with a half ton truck, I think your expectations are to high and you were also driving to fast when you ended up in the untersection. Use that as a learning experience and move on from there, I.E. slow down. Next time you might not have the intersection to go into, it might be another vehicle on the road.
My God , what an answer ..... that really help ! Like if the f150 brake controler is too small for a fiver..... and you could see from your keyboard that he was driving too fast.... wow !!! Now we all know what when wrong...thanks for your input
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Old 06-28-2016, 07:31 PM   #11
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I wish the controllers showed the actual voltage going to the brakes instead of a symbolic graph from 1-10. That's one thing I liked about the prodigy.

Thanks for defending me homer - but I didn't take Levinehikeski's comments as being that harsh - every once and a while I also write one of those "what were you thinking you idiot" type posts - and usually I delete them before hitting POST :-) simply because I don't always have all the facts.
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Old 06-28-2016, 07:41 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Levinehikeski View Post
My .02 is you are pulling a 30 ft trailer with a half ton truck, I think your expectations are to high and you were also driving to fast when you ended up in the untersection. Use that as a learning experience and move on from there, I.E. slow down. Next time you might not have the intersection to go into, it might be another vehicle on the road.
Way to miss the point completely... And many of us pull a 30 ft trailer with great results and well within safety specs, but, guess you missed that also.
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Old 06-28-2016, 07:59 PM   #13
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Welcome to the club BuddyRay, I've been fighting your exact problem for 5 years.
Dealer says it's the controller...Ford says it's the trailer.
I almost got pushed into the back of a locked up semi, good thing there was a big shoulder.

Ford says the controller is not meant to lock the brakes. I try and say I've been towing for 12 years and I'm not dumb....they look at me like I know nothing.
The Ford manual says exactly how to set it like you described, then at the end it says if the trailer is too heavy it won't lock the brakes.
Well what the heck do they consider too heavy??!!!! Is 5000lbs too heavy or is 21000lbs too heavy.
I'm not at max towing rating yet, so I would assume I'm not to heavy.

I've just given up. I stop or I don't.
Disk upgrade someday.

The Jayco dealer, after many hours of diagnostics, says that that is how the trailer brakes work... They feel fine to him.
I've never had a rig I couldn't lock up.

What ever.
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Old 06-28-2016, 08:17 PM   #14
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I have the same problem only I am using the new P3 and it won't lock em up either. I have it dialed up to 14 now and still have trouble with quick butt pinching stops. I have a new 321RSTS and I fee like Jayco is slacking someway on their brakes. I have had other campers previously that would yank your teeth out if you forgot and left the boost on 3 when you was off the interstate. It don't matter what you are towing with if the brakes on the TT/5er are working correctly, they should stop/slow you.. I am following and interested in what the solution is.
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Old 06-29-2016, 12:45 AM   #15
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Smile Brakes

Check the grounding, you may not be getting a good ground. I'm using the Tenkosha P3 on my 06 Duramax. I have three different trailers I haul with electric brakes. My camper and my dump trailer will break your teeth on Boost 1. And good grief I hope I don't ever have to use the override lever again, that'll snatch the disks loose in your back and neck!

I'm having problems on my equipment trailer, but I know now it is a bad ground wire, I'm just going to completely rewire it because it has been abused.

Hope you get it figured out even if you have to add the aftermarket controller. I had a brake failure on me one time and I went through an intersection with a full size 79 Bronco on the trailer. It aint no joke, I was lucky nobody was coming either way, scared the poop out of me. I vowed NEVER AGAIN and I've managed to avoid that happening again by staying proactive on brake maintenance.
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Old 06-29-2016, 04:56 AM   #16
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I have the same truck and pulling an over 30' trailer. I went through the same adjustment process as well and have my gain set at 10 and it won't lock the wheels up. However when I use the manual controller I can feel the brakes workin we'll, it brings the combo to a stop pretty quick with no truck brakes applied. It seems quite common with the f150 controller to not lock the brakes on trailers over 5000lbs plus. When you are going 20 mph and use the manual controller to full with no truck brakes how long does it take to bring you to a stop? Because mine will jerk me forward in my seat a bit bringining me to a stop...but will not lock up.
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Old 06-29-2016, 05:08 AM   #17
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Here is the challenge with conventional trailer brakes:

Without a trailer, your tow vehicle gets 70%+ of it's braking capacity from its front brakes. This is why your front brakes need replacing far more often than the rear. When you brake with a trailer on, the braking inertia of the trailer weight puts extra weight on the REAR wheels of the tow vehicle, "lifting" the front wheels, and limiting their braking capacity. This pushes most of the braking load to the rear wheels. Factor in that the trailer brakes are typically at or near max capacity by design, and user load, and they really don't help much.

A properly adjusted weight distribution hitch helps greatly in maintaining proper loading of the front axle and brakes, so if you aren't using one, this might help.
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Old 06-29-2016, 07:20 PM   #18
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Braking Expectations?

Fire Instructor, it's a 5th wheel.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Old 06-29-2016, 07:43 PM   #19
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I have a new Pinnacle and a F350 with the integrated brake controller and I don't feel the trailer brakes are that great either. I know you cannot lock wheels up on a 5th wheel trailer, but I do like to have something that will stop.
I have a feeling the brakes need adjusting..........
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Old 06-29-2016, 08:04 PM   #20
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Fire Instructor, it's a 5th wheel.
The exact same thing happens with a 5'er, with inertia causing the pin to push down on the rear axle when you brake, and "lifting" the nose.... Airbags help to a very small degree negate this. There's another (expensive) solution to this that I'm trying out. Check out my sig, and you will see that I'm nominally overloaded. Not ready to share my results yet, but I will once I REALLY know his product, and the true pro's & cons......
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