Trailer brakes not working properly
Our son just purchased a new single axle tent trailer with brakes. I offered to tow it to a nearby campground the first time because they don't have a brake controller installed yet. I'm unable to get...
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grampscamper wrote:
I can hear a hum from the wheel when the brakes are applied manually but I'm not getting enough braking to hold the truck and trailer.
I don't understand how you can hear a hum from the wheel if you're inside the moving truck...but that aside:
The brakes on a tent trailer are not designed to stop your truck. In fact, I doubt that the brakes on ANY trailer are so designed. Trailer brakes are for stopping the trailer only; the manual slide knob is for slowing it independently or ahead of the tow vehicle, usually as a means of straightening the trailer during an instability event.
Dunno what brake controller you have in your truck, but they all have instructions for properly adjusting to the specific trailer hooked up to the system. (Every "new or different" trailer will require its specific setting). Just follow those instructions and you're good to go.
One way to test for proper brake controller setting is to take the combo out on a flat, straight road, get up to about twenty miles an hour, and deploy manual slide knob. Trailer brakes should more or less "lock up", perhaps even skid a bit.
