2006 F350XL 6.0L Crew Cab 8' bed. Have the integrated controller. Last time out camping controller worked as it should. Got back and took my camper (5th wheel) over to Castroville about 25 miles away and the brake controller started showing red instead of the normal green w/brake setting (5.5). Went back to normal and then red again, off and on on the way home. Then the brake controller went dead. Got the trailer home and got a message something to the effect CHECK TRAILER on the info screen. Truck dropped no codes. Today, I went to investigate and pulled 15A fuse in #20 slot. Test continuity with a multimeter and it was good but replaced it with a known good fuse. Took the truck up to my camper, plugged in the 7 pin and the controller came up normal (green w 5.5) I checked under the camper to ensure none of the wires for the electric magnets were loose/missing and all OK.

Why the sporadic issues? I have seen youtube videos of trucks getting a TBC light but never got one. I could pull the controller and check for cold solder joints or a loose joint but thought I would ask first. Any thoughts/TIPS TIA. wg

 

I had 2x 2005 Super Duties with factory brake Co teollers and both went bad at some point and needed replacing.

 

Where did you get a replacement?

 

I googled the part number and bought one on ebay the other from some company that sold rebuilt controllers.

 

How old is the 5th wheel?

A very common fault on trailers is the brake wire that crosses over inside the axle tube. The axle tube is rough pipe inside and the constant vibration chafes through the wire insulation causing a short. It happens gradually and is very intermittent.

I just rewired mine this winter. The wire in both tubes was chafed. Took 15 years and 45k miles to wear through.

 

Could very well be the problem since the TBC is intermittent. I also need to make sure connections to the 7 pin on the truck are solid.

 

This is what I found. About the same on each axle. Of course there was no way to know which one was a hot wire or a ground wire or which axle, or both, but one was a hot shorting to ground for sure.

 

I also had the same thing happen where the wire shorted inside the axle tube.
Dont remember how I found it as it has been 20 years or more but that wire went on the outside of the tube to the back said so road junk would not hit and damage it.
I can also check it from time to time now.
Dave ----

 

Am in the process of buying some new brake kits for my 23 year old camper as the originals are still on it. I will run new wiring when I do the job. Thanks; BTW: already opened the integrated Ford brake controller and fixed a cold solder joint but thought to take care of all things brake related while having the urge.

 

Same thing I did. I tie-wrapped it across each axle, then I got some metal tie-wraps from Harbor Freight and added some of those. Didn't want to see the nylon ones give out in a few years and let the wire dangle.

I don't know any way to check the wire inside the tube other than to pull it all out and inspect inch by inch. And at that point it would be foolish to put a wire back inside.