Trailer Brake Troubleshooting on a 1999 Forest River 5th Wheel Trailer

Question:

i have a 99 forest river 5th wheel and my trailer brakes dont work and i got power to the back of my truck but none at the brakes on the trailer and i checked the blue wire with test light and no power any sugestions thank you

asked by: Bob

Expert Reply:

I would start out by checking the wiring in the trailer connector on the 5th Wheel trailer, since you have eliminated the truck as the problem.

First, make sure that the ground wire from the trailer connector is attached to the trailer frame and no corrosion is impeding the ground connection.

Next, make sure that the trailer brake power wire is connected the the correct circuit that is powered when you activate the manual slide on your in cab brake controller.

Once you have power on the trailer brake feed wire your trailer brakes should work, as long as they are not worn or shorted and they have a good ground connection. Check the ground connections first, if that does not solve the issue you will need to turn your attention to the trailer brake magnets themselves.

We have an article that explains how to test trailer brake magnets for proper function, see link. We also have a video installation that shows how electric brakes should be wired which may be helpful, see link.

These steps should help solve your issue, if you are still having problems, let me know what you find and I will be glad to help figure out the problem.

expert reply by: Robert G