Electric brake question

[GreatWhitehunter]

What happens if you get a trailer with electric brakes and you don't have the brake controller? Will the brakes on the trailer just not work or will they lock up? I need to know asap as I'm off to pick a trailer up quite a ways from home.

Matt T.

 

[Egon]

With no power the brakes should not activate.

If the trailer has a battery with a breakaway cord they may activate if the pin is pulled.

 

[kennyd]

The brake will just NOT work if the trailer is wired correctly.

I SURE HOPE THIS IS A EMPTY TRAILER!

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Yes it is empty,I would never tow a load on a tandem axle trailer with out brakes.

Matt T.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

What happens if you get a trailer with electric brakes and you don't have the brake controller? Will the brakes on the trailer just not work or will they lock up? I need to know asap as I'm off to pick a trailer up quite a ways from home.

Matt T.

As long as the pin is still in the "break away" control the wheels will not lock up. I need to move my trailer to mow around it and I do it with my Gator with out any lock-up issues.

 

[George2615]

If you get a trailer with electric brakes and don't have a brake controller the trailer brakes will not work. The lighting will work if its properly wired to the truck plug. The lighting usually requires only four wires (left turn, right turn, parking lights, and ground). The trailer brakes require power from a brake controller mounted in your truck. There is a safety brake on the trailer that will work. It consists of a small battery wired to the brakes through a breakaway switch that applies power to the brakes should the trailer become disconnected from your truck and the pin pulls out of the breakaway switch. It would apply 12V to the brakes to lock them up and stop the trailer. The bad feature of this is that unless you have a way to keep that trailer mounted battery charged you have no idea if it is any good or how much voltage it has should you need it. You could probably get away without the brake hookup if you are going to pick up the trailer and tow it back empty but get a controller for your truck as soon as you can. They are reasonable in price and can be installed in about an hour or so.

 

[ScottAR]

Do be sure you have compatible wire plug on your truck before you set out. The trailer probably has a six or seven pin hookup on it if it has brakes. You can adapt a seven to a six or four but not the other way round.

I can't count the times a customer has come to my store looking for an impossible plug. (4-7) I try to tell them in as nice a way possible they're going to kill someone. (8

 

[rback33]

Do be sure you have compatible wire plug on your truck before you set out. The trailer probably has a six or seven pin hookup on it if it has brakes. You can adapt a seven to a six or four but not the other way round.

I can't count the times a customer has come to my store looking for an impossible plug. (4-7) I try to tell them in as nice a way possible they're going to kill someone. (8

Heck.. I could build one of those in 15 minutes.

 

[BarryinMN]

Any good trailer shop will have adaptors. I use one with a 2 wheel (no brake) cargo trailer 4 way plug to a 7x on the dump. Also a 7x on a tandem to a 4x on a pickup for empty moves. Used the tandem once to drag it home, The smaller probably once per year. Cheaper to make them but these are molded & no tangle of wires.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

I picked up the trailer the day I posted this without incident. I was setup for any wiring configuration. And I ordered a Prodigy controller it should arrive tommorrow. Thanks for all the replies.

Matt T.

 

[Redbug]

Hi Matt,

You did your homework well. The Prodigy is one of the best for the money, I feel. I researched brake controllers also before getting my trailer, and the Prodigy is what I was advised to get by the folks on the RV towing forums. I am very satisfied. The controller has boost settings in addition to the normal settings which is helpful when pulling different weight loads. Not much to forget since it's fairly simple.

 

[wushaw]

Do be sure you have compatible wire plug on your truck before you set out. The trailer probably has a six or seven pin hookup on it if it has brakes. You can adapt a seven to a six or four but not the other way round.

I can't count the times a customer has come to my store looking for an impossible plug. (4-7) I try to tell them in as nice a way possible they're going to kill someone. (8

Hoppy makes that configuration.

I don't see the problem with having all your trailer plugs being 7pin and all your tow vehicles being 7pin, I'm not towing my GN dump trailer with my Jeep and I won't be towing my 4x8 trailer with my Pete but I will tow my 16ft utility trailer with my Jeep or Pete it just depends upon what load I will be carrying.
I like having all my trailers plugged the same.... I hate trying to keeping up with adapters.

 

[rback33]

Hoppy makes that configuration.

I don't see the problem with having all your trailer plugs being 7pin and all your tow vehicles being 7pin, I'm not towing my GN dump trailer with my Jeep and I won't be towing my 4x8 trailer with my Pete but I will tow my 16ft utility trailer with my Jeep or Pete it just depends upon what load I will be carrying.
I like having all my trailers plugged the same.... I hate trying to keeping up with adapters.

I agree with that statement too, however, I only won 1 trailer and borrow many different ones from time to time. Everyone seems to have chosen a different route to go... Mine is 7 pin, my Dad's is four and my buddies is 6. The seven and four are both on my Dodge anyway, but I keep an adapter for the six at all times. I also have a pigtail "extension" for the six pin because my old pickup's plug was way under the bumper on the left side and most cords would not reach it. Yet another reason I LOVE my Dodge. The storage under the back seats is invaluable. All of my trailering accessories are stored there.