How To Control The Electric Brakes On A Trailer Being Towed By Multiple Trucks With Air Brakes
Question:
We have a trailer with electric brakes that we hire trucks that have air brakes to pull it for us. Do you have an adapter that would operate the electric brakes off the trucks air brakes? Thanks
asked by: Kelvin T
Expert Reply:
The Hayes Air Brake Control, part # HA100400C, is designed for use with air brake systems of tow vehicles and automatically operates electric trailer brakes in synchronization with air brakes. So, it will do what you're wanting. However, it is not designed to be used as a temporary braking solution, so the installation requires tapping into the vehicle's air lines.
I wish there was an easily transferable solution that would do what you're wanting, but there isn't any type of adapter or plug and play brake controller option that can be used to activate electric brakes on a trailer being towed with a truck with air brakes.
A wireless brake controller like the Curt Echo # C51180 would be an ideal option but that would require every truck that you hire to have a functioning 7-way RV style connector, which is likely not the case. Most commercial trucks with air brakes use a round style, heavy duty 7-way connector, which uses a different pin configuration as well.
Products Referenced in This Question
Curt Echo Wireless Brake Controller - 7-Way Plug Mount w/ Bluetooth App - 1 to 2 Axle - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Hidden
- Up to 2 Axles
- Smartphone Display
- CURT
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Hayes Air Actuated Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Air to Electric
- Electric over Hydraulic
- Manual Leveling
- Under-Dash Box
- Dash Mount
- Up to 4 Axles
- Indicator Lights
- Up to 360 Degrees
- Hayes
more information >
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Rod B.
7/17/2020
You’d have to get a little creative but you could plug the Curt Echo Wireless connector into the RV plug from the trailer and the HM47425 adapter into it. Then the semi could be connected to the round pin end. Then the driver just needs to download the app and should be able to control the trailer brakes.