Does Tow Vehicle Factory Tow Package Need a Brake Controller for Trailer Brakes to Work
Question:
Hi, I was told by a trailer manufacturer that pretty much all trucks from Ford, GM, Dodge that have a factory 7-pin tow package are wired to provide a signal to the electric brakes of a trailer. He said they send a non-adjustable equivalent of about 2.5 setting on a controller obviously would depend on the controller. He said engaging the tow mode button will increase the boost a bit. Does this make sense? Obviously a brake controller gives you much more control and extra features...
asked by: Eric
Expert Reply:
It makes sense....sort of.
The trailer brake circuit won't be active on your tow vehicle unless you have a brake controller - even with a factory tow package. What I'm guessing they meant by this is that a brake controller will send a small amount of power back to the 7-Way to check and see if there is a trailer connected. Brake controllers are not designed to be constantly applying the brakes though.
Brake controllers will have different boost levels and other settings but it definitely depends on the controller. The boost settings have to do with how aggressive the brake controller is to sending power back to the brakes. For example, the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 # 90195 has 3 different boost settings for different trailer sizes and then you can save up to 5 different pre-sets so if you tow different trailers you can switch to the setting for each trailer instead of having to set it up each time.
Hopefully this helps straighten things out! I've attached a review video of the Prodigy P3 for you to check out.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Electric
- Electric over Hydraulic
- Automatic Leveling
- Under-Dash Box
- Dash Mount
- Up to 4 Axles
- LCD Display
- Up to 360 Degrees
- Tekonsha
more information >
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