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zogg's avatar
zogg
Explorer
May 20, 2013

Factory brake controller question???

Ww towed our new TT last Friday with our GMC HD2500. It truck has the factory brake controller, and that is where the question arises.

I followed the owners manual to set the gain....drive 20 mph and move the lever to attempt to lock up the trailer wheels....once you hit the lock up point, back off the gain....pretty simple, I thought.

I gradually increased the gain until it maxed out at level 10....never did lock up the rear wheels, or get close to it. At max gain, the trailer does slow down, but it is not like hard braking like my older prodigy unit was.

While I did not have any issue stopping the rig, I did not have to do any panic stops....can anyone tell me if this is normal?.

8 Replies

  • Roger10378 wrote:
    You say new trailer. Have the brakes been broken in? Most new trailers need some stops to get everything working well. This sometimes includes needing an adjustment.

    Agree - new brake shoes need to be burnished (broken in) properly, then adjusted for the best operation. The links in my post above can help you understand the break-in process. The assumption that dealer or factory actually adjusted brakes is foolhardy in this day and age of rv building.
  • You say new trailer. Have the brakes been broken in? Most new trailers need some stops to get everything working well. This sometimes includes needing an adjustment.
  • I second that you need to have the trailer brakes serviced. My GMC will lock mine up at 3.5.
  • If OP has standard Electric trailer brakes -the performance of the GM ITBC will be superior to a Prodigy or any other inertia based brake controller.

    1. Adjust your trailer brakes properly. 3/4 to 1 revolution of the tire/wheel upon a moderate spin. You will hear a distinctive scrapping sound -especially on new/newer brake shoes.
    2. If that doesn't help much -time to make sure the mechanical brake operation is proper and wiring system on the trailer is passing the amps/voltage without restriction.

    These links will help you through the checking process -if you are a DIYer

    First manual is from Dexter Axle:
    http://www.dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/600-8K_Service_Manual_3-13/Electric_Brakes_3-13.pdf

    Second is from ALKo Axle:
    http://www.al-kousa.com/pdf/ALKO_2kto7k_OM.pdf
  • I have the factory brake controller in my Ram 2500. The setup instructions for the Ram are almost identical to the GMC controller. I had the same problem not being able to lock up my brakes manually. So I set the controller gain to about 7 and drove a bit playing with the gain. I wound up being about 3.5 in slower driving to about 5-6 on the highway. During my first trip this weekend of about 250 miles, the Ram factory controller worked very well.

    I have to say I think the Prodigy P2 that I had in my 2007 Ram was an all around better controller.
  • What does your trailer have for brakes...:?...Some types require special handling, like the electric over hydraulic and disc brakes. You need to look into the whole picture then look into mechanically adjusting your brakes properly. Mine works great on level 4 or 5, depending on which trailer I have back there.
  • Mine stops the trailer great on level 3. Your trailer brakes may need to be adjusted.
  • Check the trailer brakes is the obvious first step. Pull the break away cable out and see if the trailer wheels lock up.