Trailer Brakes - How hot is TOO hot?
Hi everyone, I have a new rig (see sig). It weighs 12,130 lbs unloaded and we may have 400lbs loaded in it so we're not close to overloaded. I've been worried because I have the gain set to 10 (...
Forum Discussion
Champ198 wrote:
The trailer seems to push the truck when stopping (like when someone pulls out in front of you or the light changes on you and you have to stop rapidly) I got to the campground last night and I can hear the electric brakes engaging as I press the truck brake so I know they're working.
Looking for feedback. Thanks!
If your RAM is a model year 2015 or 2016 and you notice a considerable loss of trailer braking beginning when your travel speeds falls under 30 MPH, you have discovered the factory brake controller defect.
For an unknown reason, RAM designed the brake controller to reduce braking output to 70% once the travel speed falls below 30 MPH. RAM has yet to respond to the issue nor have they released the reasoning why they did this. If you look in the owners' manual where they describe how to adjust brake gain you will discover it is impossible because of the 30% loss in brake output.
There are several discussions about this issue, here, on most RAM forums, and the Cummins forum.
Most of us have moved over to an aftermarket brake controller, I use the Prodigy with their 3024-P cable which they designed to fit into the factory plug (marketing brilliance).
There are many folks who claim success with the 2015/16 RAM brake controller but everyone's situation is different. You may have 12x2 brakes on a 9K trailer or 12x2 brakes on a 14k trailer. Obviously the the 14K trailer will need more voltage to get the same braking effort as the 9K, this is why not all see the issue. Also, this issue first appeared on 2015 production and continued into with 2016 production.
