I just got a pop up camper which is equipped with electric brakes which get actuated through the 7 pin connecter from my Durango which is equipped with a full towing package from the factory. Thing is, I need the controller which mounts under the dash and interfaces with the truck harness so that the signal gets sent to the trailer. Has anyone ever installed one of these? I was looking online and now it seems they have basically plug and play models that you just plug in to a pigtail from your dash harness and then it's just a matter of calibrating it. Anyone have experience in doing this? I probably don't "have" to have it, but I'd rather have it if I had to make a panic stop from highway speeds. Any help is appreciated.
Ken, Hooking up the brake controller is very easy. I did it on my 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. I too had the towing package and it includes the plug with about 2' of wires coming off it to connect into the socket under the dash (just to right of brake on mine). If you don't have the plug, get one from your Dodge dealer. Then you just simply connect the wires from the plug to the appropriate wires from the brake controller (if I remember correctly, there's 4 wires). There should be something with the plug that shows the labelling for the wires. Hooking it up is really very simple. I just crimped bullet connectors to the wires and plugged them together appropriately (put the male connectors on the controller wires rather than the plug pigtail to prevent accidental shorting of your vehicle wiring. Make sure you mount the controller unit within the allowable angle. The unit works on momentum and the internal control device depends on proper mounting angle. Make sure it is mounted securely. Before you hook your trailer to your vehicle with the brake controller installed, you may want to verify that the trailer wiring scheme matches that of your vehicle. There is more a less a standard, but some trailers can be wired very strange, particularly if a previous owner did some work on the wiring. At least check that the line that applies current to the brakes matches up. My brake controller is a Tekonsha Voyager. It works great for my pop-up camper with 2 brakes on one axle and my heavy equipment trailer with 4 brakes on two axles. Directions with the brake controller describe how to calibrate it. I did my first calibration on a long straight level gravel road. That way I could tell when the setting was too agressive causing the trailer brakes to lock. Don't set it too heavy or the trailer brakes will lock on before your vehicle brakes start working. You'll get the hang of it quickly. Some more expensive controllers includeing Tekonsha models) have digital displays for the settings. That is useful if you frequently change settings for multiple trailer loads, but is just extra $$ if you only have one trailer. I assume that since your trailer has brakes it is a fairly heavy one. Use the trailer brakes! They have far more uses than just for quick stops. I have a pop-up trailer that is under the weight limit for requiring brakes so it didn't have them. I had them added after an episode descending about a mile long hill. Even in low gear I had to occasionally pump the brakes to control my speed - at the bottom of the hill was a stop sign - my brakes had heated up and the brake pedal was to the floor and I just kept saying to my self "c'mon baby, please, please stopray: . It did. Just barely. Thankfully, the line of cars waiting at the stop had pulled out before I got there. When the brakes heat up, it can be nearly impossible to stop with the trailer. The whole family was in the truck and I decided then and there to have the brakes added. On your trailer you should have a plastic "breakaway safety switch" with a braided/twisted cable attached to it. The switch should be wired to your trailer brakes and to the big 12V battery on your camper (if it has one) or to a small 12 V battery just for the safety switch. In any case, the cable gets attached to the Durango. If the trailer should break away from the vehicle, this cable pulls the tab out of the switch which causes the trailer brakes to come on. Note that here in PA, I've been told that law requires that the safety switch cable be connected to something other than the hitch parts. Failure to have it connected properly or to have the battery properly charged is a very large fine, so check your regs. BTW - I have read that activating that safety switch when the trailer plug is connected to the vehicle can damage the brake controller, so make sure the trailer wiring is unplugged when you yank the tab out of the safety switch to test that it applies the trailer brakes (pull the switch and try driving the vehicle - the trailer brakes should hold you back). On last thing, if you've never trailered heavy loads before, be cautious. Make sure that you don't load heavily at either the front or rear of the trailer. That can really cause sway problems. And be sure you stay under the designated tongue weight for your vehicle. Too heavy a tongue weight can really affect steerability. Good luck and enjoy your camper. Ken P
I also have a Prodigy and it works great. If you don't need it today, you can find them for the best price on ebay.
Tekonsha brake controllers are very good. We rarely ever have problem with them. Prodigy is medium and P3 is top of the line. No real reason to get the P3 for your needs. Goodluck:bglasses:
I've been using Tekonsha for about 11 years now. Great reliable product.East install, just follow directions. You likely received an adaptor harness with the truck. It gets spliced to the controller wiring & then plugs in under the dash. Pay close attention to the set-up instructions. Ideally you want the trailer brakes to grab slightly before the tow vehicle brakes.
