2015 RAM Integrated Brake Controller.

PackerBacker wrote:
I tow 32.5' that is usually around 8,500lbs With a 2014 Ram 1500. the integrated brake controller works much more effectively than the Prodigy that I used with my Ram 2500 that pulled a 30'5th wheel at around the same weight.

I set the integrated controller at level 4 and I can just about lock the trailer wheels using the manual activation at around 15 mph; beyond level 4 they actually lock up. When at normal driving speeds I easily feel the trailer brakes engage when I touch the truck brake pedal which is what I have always considered as normal.

I think the problem primarily involves the changes Chrysler made for the 2015 and later IBCs. I had a 2012 Timber Ridge TT with 5k Alco axles that would lock up at a setting of 4 or 5 with my 2011 Ram 2500CTD. The new 2015 truck brake controller wouldn't lock them with any setting.

I'm not sure I'm buying the Chrysler argument about under 30mph. From the limited testing I did the controller currently limits to a duty cycle of approximately 65 percent not moving. That equates to a current flow of approximately half of what I'd get with a full 12vdc applied rather than 65 percent. The difference however could be in how the clamp on ammeter computes current with the pulse width modulated signal.

That said, I built myself a harness so I can hook my scope up and measure outputs while actually towing the trailer at various speeds. I'll set it up so my dash cam records what's going on so it's distraction free for me. My next planned trip with my rig is the end of Feb though so it will be a bit before I play with it.

I've owned quite a few different trailers over the years, towing in a lot of different conditions and all of them had brakes that were quite different from one another in how they needed the brake controller to be set for the different driving conditions. To have Dodge decide on a one size fits all setup that won't let you do any real adjustment for different rigs or conditions really pisses me off, especially since it seems they could hurt someone. It may work for you depending on whether or not your brakes need a full 12 volts to work. If it doesn't work for your rig, you have to add an aftermarket unit to get full braking power rather than making a simple adjust like we've been able to do with even the cheapest brake controllers for years.