class c brake controller

[bobm253]

I recently bought a Lexington 24 foot class C motorhome. I have owned class C's for many years but have never towed anything.

This unit has an electric brake controller mounted on the lower dash to the right of the steering wheel. From what I've read, this is for electric brake help when towing a trailer.

Why would someone pull a trailer with a class C motorhome? I have no idea what this gizmo is for. Maybe just for tow lights?

[Butch50]

I use mine to pull my flatbed trailer with my UTV for play. My brake controller is a dual unit and it also is used for towing my Subaru toad. It either operates the brakes on a trailer or switched to operate the brakes on the toad.

[Gene_in_NE]

Dusty R wrote:
I use mine to take tractors to antique tractor shows.

or some take their antique tractors to tractor pulls. :B

[Dusty_R]

I use mine to take tractors to antique tractor shows.

[rockhillmanor]

See it all the time.

My first used 31 ft MH was used by the owner to haul their 2 place horse trailer to horse shows!

[Olddud]

Looks like that RV is bigger than that RV.:)

[bobm253]

IAMICHABOD wrote:
You can always doTHIS for that extra room :B

wow thats a long unit. really have to plan carefully for gas fillups.

[IAMICHABOD]

You can always doTHIS for that extra room :B

[coolmom42]

I saw one towing a pop-up camper, last summer on I-40. Figured they needed extra sleeping room.

[bobm253]

OK thanks for the replies. Now when I think about it, duh, I have seen lots of people towing boats and utility trailers with their class c. For some reason I was picturing a travel trailer when I posted and don't recall ever seeing a class C towing a travel trailer. Thanks for clearing that up.

[DrewE]

The gizmo is to control and activate the actual brakes on trailer wheels (presuming the trailer has electric brakes). The brake lights are separate, and no special controller is generally needed for them; they're just switched on with the vehicle brake lights.

(Technically, trailers do use combined brake and turn lights, so there may be a sort of control circuit needed if the tow vehicle has separate brake and turn lights. You wouldn't see such a light circuit adapter box accessible on the dashboard, nor does it have any adjustments or controls to operate.)

[NWboondocker]

Lots of reasons to pull a trailer, primarily toys (boat, quads, motorcycles, etc.), or sometimes just extra cargo. Trailer brake laws vary by state, but with brakes required as low as 1000lbs, and class C tow ratings up to 7500lbs, there's plenty cases where brakes and therefore a controller is required.

[rjstractor]

People tow trailers with a class C for the same reason they tow them with any other vehicle-to get them where they need to go. 😉 Not sure about your area, but where I live I see Cs towing boats, race car trailers, snowmobiles, everything. By looking at ratings, the larger (mostly) Ford based Cs are limited to 3500 or 5000 pounds towing capacity. But lots of people ignore that, I've seen several Cs towing large tandem axle enclosed trailers without issues. I sometimes towed a smaller 6x12 enclosed with mine, and the only time I knew it was there was when I was turning a corner and could see it in the mirrors.

And yes, the "gizmo" on your motorhome's dash is for activating the electric brakes on a trailer.