Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes Not Working On 2017 Forest River Wolf Pup 16BHS

Question

Question:

I have a 2017 Wolf Pup 16bhs camper towed with a Toyota 4runner. Lots of trouble with the trailer brakes not working. Wires on passenger side brake assembly were all burned up so I replaced that side brake assembly. Still not working. I replaced the breakaway box at the front A-frame, circuit testing it and its good, brakes still not working. Replaced the brake controller from a bluetooth version to standard that comes pre-wired. Still not working. Ive cleaned the 7 pin out but have not cleaned with alcohol or anything but brakes still not working. Does the trailer battery need to be hooked up for trailer brakes? That doesnt seem right. Do I need to replace the brake assembly on driver side as well even though I dont see any burned or exposed wires or visible open circuits? That may be my next step. Should I replace the entire black wire of the 7-pin all the way to junction box? Or take off protectant coil around wires and look at wires from junction back to brakes? I need help.

asked by: Adam E

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Expert Reply:

I would start with doing a few troubleshooting steps to see exactly what the issue is, and where you are losing power.

In the junction box on your 2017 Forest River Wolf Pup 16BHS there should be a blue wire that is the brake output wire that is what sends power to the brakes for them to apply.

When you apply the brakes using the manual override have a friend test this wire with a circuit tester like # PTW2993 to see if power is making its way there.

If you have power then keep applying the brakes but check the wires running to the brake assemblies, looking for where it loses power.

If you have power to the assemblies but the brakes are not working make sure that one wire of the magnets on the assemblies is grounded to the frame, and the other is connected to the brake output wire.

Now if you do NOT have power to the brake output wire when the brakes are applied via the manual override you will want to test the 7-way connector on your Toyota 4Runner with the circuit tester.

If there is no power to the 5 o'clock pin of the connector when the manual override is applied then there is an issue in the wiring between the trailer brake controller and 7-way, or an issue with your controller. I recommend cutting the blue wire at least 6" from the back of the controller and testing it with the circuit tester with the manual override applied. If you have power then there is a damaged section of wire and you will need to find it and replace it. If no power then the controller is bad and will need to be replaced.

I included a link to a helpful article on wiring for you to take a look at.

expert reply by: Samuel C

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Answer 1

There are many things that can affect the voltage on the brake output wire from your brake controller to your trailer brakes such as the power setting on your brake controller, how you are testing the wire and if you are testing it with the brakes…

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Answer 2

The Curt Echo Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 won't itself provide any charge to your trailer mounted battery, but you certainly can still have a 12V power wire ran from the 7-Way to the battery for this purpose with the Echo in place. The Echo…

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Answer 3

I'd be happy to help you with that. Since it's a tractor, there's likely a few differences from what would be seen on a standard passenger vehicle. You very likely won't need to contend with turn signals and taillilghts, and you…

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Answer 4

I'd love to tell you yes, you can use the Hopkins part you mentioned, but that will not work for your 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. That's a plug-in replacement 7-way and 4-way, and isn't compatible with wiring on your Jeep. There isn't…

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Answer 5

The Curt #C51180 will work just fine with a vehicle that is equipped with an OEM or aftermarket brake controller. The Echo will not receive any output from the existing controller, as the Echo doesn't have a pin to receive any output from the…

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Answer 6

To use the Curt Echo Wireless Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 your vehicle only needs 12 volt, ground, and turn signals connected to its 7-way socket. What this means is you do not need the brake signal from the 7-way. For example, if you used a…

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Answer 7

It's actually pretty common for factory tow package wiring to not have the 12 volt circuit complete on the 7-way. What you'll need to do is activate the circuit yourself or have the dealer do it. What will need to happen is you'll need to…

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Answer 8

Usually when we see cracking around the sidewall of a trailer tire it means it is starting to dry rot and needs to be replaced with a new tire, like the Westlake 235/80R16 #WE76FR. Tires have a lifespan of 3-6 years or 10,000-12,000 miles, whichever…

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Answer 9

It's very normal for weight distribution systems to make noises like what you described. There's a lot of tension in the system that is made from metal components that have to move so noise becomes inevitable. And actually it helps reduce…

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