Hi All,Towing my new Montana fiver today I experienced intermittent messages " check brake brake wiring connection" and " trailer brake not connected", it would then jump to normal braking for a few miles, then start back with the messages and loss of trailer breaks. I repeatedly checked the 7 pin connector, and moved it to the bumper outlet, but the results were the same with the bed. Near home I got a " service break controller" message, leading me to have the truck checked first. Any ideas?Thank you

Sounds like a bad ground connection.

I had the same problem with my new Montana High Country 305RL a few hundred miles into it's life. Same messages, same symptoms. After checking the camper as thoroughly as I could on the road, and because of the terminology of the error messages, I took my 3500 (factory brake controller) to two dealerships just to make sure it WASN'T the truck. It wasn't. Here are a few things to check:1) Like garry1p said, check all the grounds in the truck, and the grounds in the camper associated with the pigtail wiring. The main ground for the pigtail is in the junction box where the pigtail enters. There should be a star washer under the ground cable connector.2) You said you moved the 7 pin connector to the rear truck connector. That must mean you have a 7 pin Y connector in line. Remove this Y connector to eliminate that as a possibility. Reconnect the main factory harness to the bumper connector.3) Remove the plate to the junction box where the pigtail enters (under the pin box). Take out the wire bundle and check, or better, remake all the connections. Probably wire nuts. At least tug on the wires and make sure they don't pull out of the wire nuts. I remade these connections because several of the wires were not stripped back far enough before they were twisted.4) Flex the pigtail and the female 7 pin connector to try to recreate the problem. Someone else will have to watch the dash display for you.5) The wiring from the junction box under the pin box enters the front storage area. There are other connections (wire junctions) there, as well as another trailer ground. Check this ground - another star washer. You may want to scr-ape under the star washer here, the frame is probably painted there.6) If you still have a problem, run a temporary ground wire directly from the truck frame to the trailer frame temporarily. This will have to be done while the trailer is hooked up, but will eliminate any questionable grounds. I wire-tied mine up to the bottom of the fiver overhang so I could drive around with it in place.The most important step here is #3. Be absolutely certain these are good connections. If it's like my case, you have to be in motion for the problem to occur (very mechanically intermittent).If you haven't found the problem yet, it is probably time to go underneath the camper. The brake wire that connects in the junction box (blue if I remember right) runs uninterrupted to a junction under the camper, above the left front wheel. At that point, other wires run to each brake (electrically parallel) from this junction. You will have to drop the coroplast (bottom covering) down to get to the junction. Of course, your config may be different.In my case the brake wire was loose in the crimp connection where it joins to the other four brake wires. Remaking this crimp connection fixed the problem. Good luck, hope this helps.

Similar problem on mine, the problem was the plug from the trailer kept coming loose out of the truck receiver. I have to tie-wrap the plug to the female plug cover. The truck hardware and trailer hardware just do not fit well enough.

PackerBacker wrote:Similar problem on mine, the problem was the plug from the trailer kept coming loose out of the truck receiver. I have to tie-wrap the plug to the female plug cover. The truck hardware and trailer hardware just do not fit well enough.Sounds like time for a new trailer connector.

'15 Ram 3500 brake controller | Good Sam Community

Jgeorger1
Explorer
Oct 08, 2015
I bought a pigtail plug and ran wires to the cab with a bulb wired to the brakes. Drove it without the fiver attached, and saw the bulb function with varying brightness with pedal pressure, speed, and gain. After 15 miles, I got the check wiring, and trailer disconnected message. " service brake controller " did not occur as it did with the fiver attached.
The Ram dealer detected codes c10c7-14 " electric brake controller output over current" as well as c10c7-14 " trailer brake output shkrt to ground". and replaced the unit with part 68237782ab
The service manager stated this was a problem seen before. I had cited the Stars number someone posted on the cummins forum, but don't know if it was a facter. Thank you all for helpfull suggestions and advice.
dinwiddi
Explorer
Aug 20, 2015
Great info fellows; I just traded for a 15 and do not even have the new hitch installed. I will now be looking to make sure the connection is pushed in far enough when I do the shake down drive.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 17, 2015
Jgeorger1 wrote:
I found the plug went in another quarter inch past where the lid latch, clears. Feels very firm now, will road test...

You will be fine now!
Community Alumni
Aug 17, 2015
Jgeorger1 wrote:
I found the plug went in another quarter inch past where the lid latch, clears. Feels very firm now, will road test...

So does mine and that is part of the issue, it permits the plug to move out and slightly down. On my older 2003 Ram, the plug lid latch was snug and I never had an issue (did not have an integrated brake controller).
Jgeorger1
Explorer
Aug 16, 2015
I found the plug went in another quarter inch past where the lid latch, clears. Feels very firm now, will road test...
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 15, 2015
Very true the new connections are tight! you have to push extra hard then the cover has a lip that will lock the trailer plug from backing out. I figured this out the hard way,
Community Alumni
Aug 15, 2015
It is new, it's a standard 7-pin male plug. It does not come loose enough to fall out or stop the lights from working. The issue in my opinion is that the 'top' pin of the 7 when connected drops down very slightly and I believe it is the one the sends power to the integrated barke controller on the truck.

If I very slightly jiggle it back 'up' the controller responds correctly. To me, a fix would be to somehow rotate the female receiver at the truck but that is not easy to do.

... Eric
lenr
Explorer III
Aug 15, 2015
Sometimes the 7 pin connector will feel like it has bottomed out, but if you push really hard it will go in farther. Just barely touching could be the problem. I try to push hard to loosen things up, then re-plug 2 or 3 times to break corrosion loose. In 20 years of towing I've had the most trouble with the actual connections at the wheels (less likely on a new trailer) and the OEM 7 pin plugs--they're usually both repaired/replaced within 5 years of trailer life. Excellent guide by Hiking Hunter!
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 15, 2015
PackerBacker wrote:
Similar problem on mine, the problem was the plug from the trailer kept coming loose out of the truck receiver. I have to tie-wrap the plug to the female plug cover.

The truck hardware and trailer hardware just do not fit well enough.

Sounds like time for a new trailer connector.
Community Alumni
Aug 15, 2015
Similar problem on mine, the problem was the plug from the trailer kept coming loose out of the truck receiver. I have to tie-wrap the plug to the female plug cover.

The truck hardware and trailer hardware just do not fit well enough.

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