factory brake controller
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 173
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I tow 10600 lb 5th wheel trailer. From BC I have towed it to Sacrameto, CA, later to Tri-Cities, WA and Portland, OR. Last month I towed to Ottawa, ON and return. I have put about 15000 miles of towing on my 2008 6.4 PSD.
I have the brake controller set to a gain of 6.5 on the factory brake controller. The setting is perfect when I brake the truck and trailer. I can't believe you would need a gain of 9.5 to brake a 9400 lb trailer. Something is not set up correctly. I assume you have good magnets and brake linning on your trailer. I check mine every year to ensure good braking from the trailer. It sounds like a trip to the dealership to have the controller checked out. Your comment is the first negative complaint that I have seen about the factory brake controller. They seem to be working very well with most trailer tow owners.
I have the brake controller set to a gain of 6.5 on the factory brake controller. The setting is perfect when I brake the truck and trailer. I can't believe you would need a gain of 9.5 to brake a 9400 lb trailer. Something is not set up correctly. I assume you have good magnets and brake linning on your trailer. I check mine every year to ensure good braking from the trailer. It sounds like a trip to the dealership to have the controller checked out. Your comment is the first negative complaint that I have seen about the factory brake controller. They seem to be working very well with most trailer tow owners.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,501
Likes: 2
From: Henderson, NV
Originally Posted by The_Juice
Is there a way to adjust the gain on the brake controller? I'm at 9.5 now and it only goes to 10. I'm only towing about 9400 lbs.
I have a 3 axle trailer with brakes on all the axles thats around 10,000 lbs. On 9.5 it would lock the brakes up. I havent seen anybody have problems with the trailer brake system. I would have to agree with having the controller checked if you know the brakes are right on the trailer.
Last edited by SANDDEMON08; Oct 22, 2007 at 11:40 PM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 512
From: Foothills, CA
Originally Posted by pilotshot
I tow 10600 lb 5th wheel trailer. From BC I have towed it to Sacrameto, CA, later to Tri-Cities, WA and Portland, OR. Last month I towed to Ottawa, ON and return. I have put about 15000 miles of towing on my 2008 6.4 PSD.
I have the brake controller set to a gain of 6.5 on the factory brake controller. The setting is perfect when I brake the truck and trailer. I can't believe you would need a gain of 9.5 to brake a 9400 lb trailer. Something is not set up correctly. I assume you have good magnets and brake linning on your trailer. I check mine every year to ensure good braking from the trailer. It sounds like a trip to the dealership to have the controller checked out. Your comment is the first negative complaint that I have seen about the factory brake controller. They seem to be working very well with most trailer tow owners.
I have the brake controller set to a gain of 6.5 on the factory brake controller. The setting is perfect when I brake the truck and trailer. I can't believe you would need a gain of 9.5 to brake a 9400 lb trailer. Something is not set up correctly. I assume you have good magnets and brake linning on your trailer. I check mine every year to ensure good braking from the trailer. It sounds like a trip to the dealership to have the controller checked out. Your comment is the first negative complaint that I have seen about the factory brake controller. They seem to be working very well with most trailer tow owners.
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Surprise, Az
I had the trailer brakes checked out last year when I had a different brake controller with problems and the trailer was fine. Guess I need to have them checked again. When I first started towing it with the new truck it was much lower and has increased with time. Thanks for the input.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 684
Likes: 2
From: Tucson, AZ
Something is wrong and probably with the trailer. I tow 19k equipment trailer and have it set at 9.0. On my dump trailer when it is loaded about 12k I have it 6.5 and on my 8k tool trailer 5.5. It works extremely well IMO.
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis
I notice on mine, if I set my controller by what I feel is should be it ends up much higher than if I use the procedure in the manual. It was about 1.5 - 2 points lower on gain and the trailer braking action is seamless and smooth. I end up actuating the trailer brakes manually once in awhile just to make sure they are working.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 577
Likes: 0
From: Lebanon TN
My arm-chair guess is the trailer brakes as well. I tow a 12k trailer and I set mine at 7.5. If the trailer has recently had the bearings repacked, there could have been an chance to not adjust the brakes back to their original specs.
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: IOWA
I have mine controler set 5.5 pull my 38ftTT only 10,500lbs don't have problems with it the whole truck and trailer brakes fine. I love the whole factory built set up for trailer brks would own anything else. But my trailer new 07 so may have problem with the brks on the trailer?
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
I think that the trailer brakes need adjustment.
But, it couldn't hurt to take it to the dealer and have them do a voltage check at the plug. If that checks out, then look for a voltage leak on the brake circuit on the trailer. My old trailer had a loose ground wire on the brakes.
But, it couldn't hurt to take it to the dealer and have them do a voltage check at the plug. If that checks out, then look for a voltage leak on the brake circuit on the trailer. My old trailer had a loose ground wire on the brakes.
More Turbo
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 537
Likes: 17
From: Linden USA
trailer
On my 2005 I have to set at 10 for our car hauler, and 8 for my 28 foot 10K toy hauler. The weird thing is when we pull the hauler with our van, and a regular old style trailer brake controller, we just run it at the normal setting. Not sure what the deal is with the Ford controller.
Master of Strokes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 6,808
Likes: 25
From: CA
I thinks its the trailer breaks. Last month I was towing my 13,000 toy hauler and all of a sudden the were no brakes. So I found a mom and pop triler place to look at the trailer. I turns out one of the wires foring to the trailer had been hit by road debre and when I hit the brakes the wire would hit the axle and ground causing me to have no brakes,
Nick
Nick
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by The_Juice
I had the trailer brakes checked out last year when I had a different brake controller with problems and the trailer was fine. Guess I need to have them checked again. When I first started towing it with the new truck it was much lower and has increased with time. Thanks for the input.
That is the classic 'trailer brakes need adjusting or pads/parts replaced' syndrome.
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