Troubleshooting Curt Tri Flex Brake Controller that Locks up Trailer Brakes

Question

Question:

I tow a 26 foot travel trailer with a 2012 Dodge Ram. The manual suggests initial settings of L1 and 22, then making some fine tuning adjustments to set the braking to make smooth, even stops short of lock up. The problem is that my brakes are locking up at low speeds, or stop and go traffic that I encounter during city driving, particularly bad lockup occurs if I make a turn. I cant adjust anything lower than L1, and moving the braking down to less than 10 still doesnt solve the issue. Some people are telling me I have no choice but to go to a Ram dealer and have them install a factory brake controller.

asked by: Lou

0

Expert Reply:

L.1 is the lowest sensitivity that the Curt Tri-Flex part # C24VV can be adjusted down to. However, you can also adjust the overall brake output power with the output control. The output control thumbwheel can be adjusted from the lowest setting all the way up to the highest of 9.9.

If you have the controller adjusted all the way down on both of the mentioned settings and it is still locking up then I would assume you have the brake light circuit shorting out to the brake output circuit and that is causing the brakes to lock up as much as they are. Check the wiring of both the connector on your truck and on your trailer to see if the two circuits happen to be shorting out together and fix as necessary. Cut or exposed wire would most likely cause this, but corrosion can also be to blame.

I attached a help article on troubleshooting brake controllers for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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Answer 1

The Fastway e2 Weight Distribution Shank #FA92-02-4213 is a great option, but if you're needing a little more drop then I recommend picking up the Shank #FA92-02-4214 instead because it offers an additional 2" of drop so you can achieve the…

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Answer 2

I'm not sure which you consider to be the top since the Fastway shank, part #FA92-02-4213, can be flipped so I went ahead and took both measurements. Although, there's very little difference. I found that in the drop position from the top to…

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Answer 3

Since your 2021 Ford Explorer ST has a 560lb tongue weight rating I recommend the Fastway e2 Weight Distribution w/ 2-Point Sway Control - Trunnion - 8,000 lbs GTW, 800 lbs TW #FA92-00-0800 which works with tongue weights between 400-800lbs. The…

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Answer 4

If your 2020 Explorer is equipped with the factory 7-way trailer connector, it will be have the brake controller connector under the dash. The connector is located under the dash, above and to the right of where the driver's right knee would be.…

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Answer 5

You're right, the mounting bracket is unique (in a good way) for the Curt TriFlex NEXT Trailer Brake Controller #C24VV. The bracket is smaller and all you do is put the included adhesive tape on the bracket and stick it wherever you like under…

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Answer 6

The flashing output of a Curt Triflex normally indicates that the brake pedal is pressed but a trailer isn't connected. Since yours is flasing all the time that would indicate that you most likely have a short between the 12 volt power wire for…

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Answer 7

If your Curt TriFlex Trailer Brake Controller #C24VV is just showing R then most likely you will need to recalibrate the controller. To do this, you can unplug and then plug back in the connector on your trailer. You will know it's recalibrated…

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Answer 8

That means that your Curt Triflex brake controller part #C24VV is putting out "1.1" braking power to your trailer brakes. That's the initial braking power that applies and then from there it will apply more braking power based on how…

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Answer 9

According to the owner's manual for the Curt TriFlex Trailer Brake Controller part #C24VV, the controller will display output settings without a trailer connected. I have attached for you below an excerpt from page 5 that explains this. "The…

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Answer 10

Curt brake controllers like the TriFlex #C24VV should show a red light when the brake pedal is pressed, even when the trailer is not connected. This is just the way that Curt designed them to show they are still receiving the signal even though they…

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Answer 11

I attached an install video that uses the 7-way adapter part #37185 and a Tekonsha brake controller but it would be the same process as any Curt brake controller like the #C24VV since the wire colors are the same.

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Answer 12

Brake controllers are designed to be on all the time and leaving yours on would not be an issue at all. The reason you don't want to cut power to the controller is that you'd lose all your settings if you did so.

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