Troubleshooting Weak Trailer Brakes with Brake Controller on High Setting

Question:

Ive been trying to solve a weak camper trailer brake issue. At full gain I can feel some braking, but not nearly enough. I have a two axle trailer and only get about 5.9 volts at each wheel when the manual override lever on the brake controller is applied at max 10 gain setting. I get the same volt reading when applying the foot brake pedal with the gain at max. I am getting 11.8 volts between the electric brake pin and ground pin at the 7-pin plug of the tow vehicle. When I disconnect the trailer plug from the tow vehicle, and pull the breakaway cable I get 10.5 volts at each wheel.

asked by: Mitch M

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you have a weak ground either on your tow vehicle or your trailer. What I recommend doing is checking the ground pins on your truck, trailer, and trailer brakes to make sure they are securely connected to a clean, bare-metal surface and that all of the contacts are in good condition and free of corrosion.

Once everything is clean and clear you can add some Dielectric Grease # 11755 to help protect the ground connections.

If you check all of this and you're still having issues let me know and I'll be happy to continue to help out!

expert reply by: Jon G