Does my 2006 Duramax need a brake controller?

[oughtsix]

I am going to pick up our new to us 2006 Coachmen Captive 26ex tomorrow. This will be my first travel trailer. Do I need a brake controller in my 2006 Crew cab long bed Duramax? My Duramax already has the round 7 contact plug on the back of it.

Are brake controllers an added convenience for controlling and adjusting the braking force applied by the trailer brakes? Or are brake controllers a necessity to make the trailer brakes actuate at all? If brake controllers are a necessity does my Duramax already have one built in? (I have towed a large equipment trailer with my Duramax before and the trailer brakes worked properly.)

[Ron3rd]

All good advice above. Your trailer will have electric brakes so you will need a brake controller. With the Tekonsha line of controllers like the Prodigy, you can get the adapter pigtail and the install is plug and play. You might need to install a fuse as mentioned above.

[phipps33]

Go to etrailer.com, put in your vehicle info and look at the description page for the P3 controller. There should be a video that goes over exactly how to hook up the controller including the under hood connections that need to be done.

I'm also guessing you could have gotten your P3 and wiring harness from them a good amount cheaper than your dealer.

[Mr_Beebo]

First brake controller I had to install I had a stiff neck for two days from laying on my back under the dash trying to trace wires and hookup everything up. Second time around was on my 2006 Chevy, purchased new. It had the factory pigtail in the glovebox. Made the job 10 minutes; 5 to mount the prodigy and plug it in, and 5 to install the fuse and make sure everything worked.

2007.5 is the first year GM installed factory controllers.

[2littletime]

I think the fuse for the controller will be in the fuse panel that he will attach the pigtail into. There are two wires by the master cylinder that must be connected to the under hood fuse box that will supply 12 volts to the trailer. I think the information on this connection is in the owners manual. Also in the Prod. 3 controller information. jerry

[Yeti_plus]

I had to put a fuse in my truck when I started towing the trailer, but I think that was for the 12V charge line. As I recall the prodigy instructions were pretty good and will tell you if you need to add a fuse for the brake controller.

[oughtsix]

🙂 I am actually a pretty light hearted kind of guy... I didn't take any offense about not knowing if I have a brake controller... well not too much at least! 😉 I meant my response to be light hearted... I probably should have included a wink 😉

Manual doesn't mention a fuse... but I will double check!

[diazr2]

sh410 wrote:

diazr2 wrote:
Say looks like you got it going don't worry about some of these guys on the forum they are old curmudgeons and my bet is they don't remember when they were just starting out . Age will do that too you. Trust me I know. So your getting your stuff together and you should have a grand time. Install the controller you'll be ready to go.

Not so fast!-------This curmudgeon suggests that there may be a fuse to install in the under the hood fuse box so that the brake controller will actually send the current to the trailer brakes. 🙂

Well if there is I am sure he will figure that out. Shoot he already figured out he needed a controller I am sure he will figure out the controler is not working and why. 🙂

[sh410]

diazr2 wrote:
Say looks like you got it going don't worry about some of these guys on the forum they are old curmudgeons and my bet is they don't remember when they were just starting out . Age will do that too you. Trust me I know. So your getting your stuff together and you should have a grand time. Install the controller you'll be ready to go.

Not so fast!-------This curmudgeon suggests that there may be a fuse to install in the under the hood fuse box so that the brake controller will actually send the current to the trailer brakes. 🙂

[diazr2]

Say looks like you got it going don't worry about some of these guys on the forum they are old curmudgeons and my bet is they don't remember when they were just starting out . Age will do that too you. Trust me I know. So your getting your stuff together and you should have a grand time. Install the controller you'll be ready to go.

[oughtsix]

Sprink-Fitter wrote:
So you own and you drive the truck but you don't know if you have a brake controller?

Correct. I bought the truck a year ago and use it for family trips, moving my tractor, trips to the home improvement stores, trips to the steel supplier, taking the Kayaks to the lake, going tent camping, towing my little 5x8 foot trailer when I need extra hauling room and everything else imaginable. But it is not my daily driver. I love my 2006 Duramax and bought it with the express purpose of buying an RV (bumper pull trailer, 5th wheel or camper) when I could afford one and not have to worry about being "under trucked".

I know this forum will find this very difficult to believe but not all pickups are used to pull travel trailers! I know... blasphemy!!!

I am pretty sure the 67 F100 that I came from had a leather strap wrapped around the rear axle that tightened up to slow the truck down when I stepped on the brake pedal. So I am kind of new to brake controllers.

I ran home at lunch and see the connector for the brake controller next to the brake pedal with nothing plugged into it. I printed out a new Prodigy P3 from ebay with the GM pigtail for $145 and took it to the RV store. I bought a P3 and pigtail from them for $170. I will plug it in tonight.

I didn't do a lot of research but I assume the P3 is an upgrade over the P2 with the fancy screen on the P3 and everything?

P.S. I had surge brakes on my 20' 1976 Glastron so I am familiar with them. The equipment trailer did not have the hydraulic cylinder on the tongue like my boat did.

[vic46]

Did the large equipment trailer have "surge" brakes? The surge brake operates via the inertia of the trailer and the deceleration of the towing vehicle and is NOT connected to or operated by the towing vehicle. No controller required. If there was not a surge brake system on the trailer then the towing vehicle either has the GM brake controller as noted in the photo above or there has been an aftermarket brake controller installed. The aftermarket brake controller should be mounted under the dash in a place that easily accessible from the drivers seat,

[Sprink-Fitter]

So you own and you drive the truck but you don't know if you have a brake controller?

[CND_SuperCrew]

I had to mount an after-market one in my 07 classic, a must for any trailering...

[the_bear_II]

Most states have a requirement for brake controllers if you tow a trailer beyond a certain weight limit. It's good to have one for any weight trailer just for added safety. I would add one if your truck didn't come with one.

The heavy equipment trailer probably had a built in brake controller. It sits on the tongue and uses motion sensing or electrical input from the brake light connection to apply the brakes.