Brakes on 2016 Forest River Trailer Do Not Activate Unless Manual Override on BC is Used

Question:

Have went through all the test, brakes are adjusted, magnets are good, drums are good, 2016 forest river 42 controller manually will provide 13.6 volt, have tried three different controllers all act the same, under normal breaking I would guess the trailer is supplying around 15 to 20 of total brakes, but what I have noted is under normal braking the nose of my 2500 does not dive at all, under panic stopping both truck and trailer will lock up, how do you increase the trailer braking under normal braking, the adjuster is turned all the way up, but the only way to actually use trailer brakes in a normal stop is to apply them manually.

asked by: Dennis D

Helpful Expert Reply:

It sounds like you have a short on your trailer brake circuit. If you are getting 13.6V of power on the 7-Way of your 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 then the brake controller is working properly and your truck wiring is good.

Since you only get full break power when the manual override is used you need to check the 7-Way connector on your trailer for any corrosion or damage. Next take a look at your grounds. Make sure they are all secure and connected to a clean, bare-metal surface as even some paint can cause issues.

If that looks good then check the wiring from your 7-Way to the brakes. Be sure to look for corrosion, damage, bent wires, or exposed wires and replace as necessary. You can replace any wire sections with 10 Gauge Wire # 10-1-1 and Butt Connectors # DW05745-5.

If you are still experiencing issues after doing an inspection then your best bet would be to take your towing setup to a shop so that they can physically look into it.

expert reply by: Jon G