We bought a new truck late last year and have yet to use it to tow our trailer out on a camping trip. We did, however, use it this past weekend to tow it to the local dealer for warranty inspection/service and on the way there I smelled something 'hot.' As in electrical-hot. No smoke was seen from any wheel or within any wheel-well.My husband smelled it too and adjusted the Prodigy brake controller (increased) and we didn't smell anything 'hot' for the remainder of the drive, but both of us are worried about this event. We are not new to towing and we are not new to the Prodigy brake controller and how to adjust it. This is a brand new brake controller, installed by the RV dealership, on a brand new truck. What are the chances that the trailer brakes weren't engaging as we slowed down and what we were smelling were hot brakes on the truck? We also know that the bearings in the trailer wheels need to be replaced, so could that hot smell have originated there? We're trying to figure out what happened and just aren't sure.Any ideas/advice is welcome. Thanks---

Here are some potentials =All new brakes need to be broken-in...AKA cured and AKA bedding in new brakesThis is to burnish the cast iron and get the friction material both hot enough to 'cure' the friction material. While they are getting hot and curing, they will out gas and deposit a very thin layer of friction material on the cast iron braking surface. Best braking is friction material on friction material.That is most likely what you two are smelling and will go away after the friction material is fully cured. If you stopped while the brake friction material is still hot and out gassing, it will bake a high spot on the cast iron surface, which will manifest itself as an apparent vibration while braking. The Fix for that is to drive out on the freeway and NAIL the brakes several times. That will scrub off the high spot and get the friction material to get hot enough to out gas again and just keep moving so that the out gas will deposit an even coating. MUST not stop and keep going until the friction material cools down and NOT out gas anymore.Other is like your husband thought and increased the preset of the Prodigy so that the trailer brakes engage either sooner and/or more.A lot depends on how the new TV/F150's brake switch is adjusted. If in the best setup, it will turn on the brake switch BEFORE the master cylinder's piston is moved.That will have the trailer brakes 'lead' the TV's braking. A good thing.

I carry a temp gun in the truck so identifying the culprit is a trigger pull away. But agree with above post as new brakes need break in.

Why would you tow a trailer with bad bearings?Why didn't you get a truck with the factory brake controller?

If you don’t know what hot brakes ( or clutch) smells like and couldn’t be bothered to physically check if one or more of the 8 wheels on the ground were running hot, then I would advise having the entire unit looked at by a mechanic. And brakes don’t smell like an electrical fire. 2 distinctly different odors.

Ben, they’ve had the truck for months. Nice tutorial but whatever is going on isn’t because new brakes aren’t bedded.

Hot brakes on new tow vehicle | Good Sam Community

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 05, 2021
Ok your husband fixed it
Ideally the trailer brakes stop the trailer and the truck brakes stop the truck, that's how it is supposed to work. But for the "hot" trip the trailer brakes were not strong enough so the truck did more of the work.

By increasing the Controller your husband transferred more power to the trailer brakes and hopefully balanced the system.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Apr 05, 2021
^Interesting theory Gde....
Unless this vehicle got parked when new, it's been driving around in the rain for months here already. And the OP stated it went away after they cranked up the trailer brakes.
The real question is, were they actually roasting the brakes on the truck or not? I see the Op has gone from describing the smell from electrical to brakes, so theres that.
Devo_the_dog
Explorer
Apr 06, 2021
TheBeans wrote:
...on the way there I smelled something 'hot.' As in electrical-hot.

What are the chances that ...we were smelling were hot brakes on the truck?

... the bearings in the trailer wheels need to be replaced, so could that hot smell have originated there?

Any ideas/advice is welcome. Thanks---

These are three completely different and very distinct smells, as a few pointed out.

In your 2nd post, you said to reread the first post and then you stated that it was a brake smell and kind of implied that it wasn't the controller.

But in re-reading your first post, you said you smelled:
1. electrical
2. or brakes?
3. or bearings (implying hot grease)?

LOL.

The one thing you didn't state was that you adjusted and tested the controller for the trailer brakes. If your husband turned up the gain while you were driving and you didn't test it properly for lock up, then you were just turning knobs.

LOL^2

Did you bother adjusting and testing the trailer brakes anytime? If they didn't work in the beginning and still don't work, and you don't know, maybe you should find out.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 06, 2021
Most people know hot oil but electrical.. not so well known nor is hot brakes. To me they are distinct. but... Others.. I only trust my nose for smell ID or a few others who have proven to know what they do.

My Wife did not know hot electric from hot steel.

Forum Discussion

Hot brakes on new tow vehicle

About Technical Issues

Related Content

Ford Brakes, how hot is to hot?

Aqua Hot

Tow vehicle

Hot water-hot rod issue.

Tow Vehicle Nissan Armada