Brake Assemblies Experiencing Voltage Drop on 2011 Heartland RV Landmark 5th Wheel

Question:

Hi There, I believe I will be needing new brake assemblies for my fifth wheel but I want to make sure i get all the parts I need. The magnet doesnt appear to be strong enough but it is slightly damaged so I decided to check wiring as well. I have the Tekonsha P3 brake controller. It is set to high of 14 for my unit. When I slide the lever over, it only goes to 10.9 and the voltage at the brake wires shows 7.5. There is 12 volts going through the hitch wires. Is this normal because the trailer is static or do I have other issues.

asked by: Maurice R

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you're saying you have 12V when testing the 7-way on your vehicle. There can be some voltage lost heading back to the brakes but it shouldn't be something minimal, not down to 7.5V. More than likely there is a wiring issue. The easiest thing to do is go ahead and replace the brake output wire with 10 gauge wire like # 10-1-1. You can also double check your ground and make sure it is secure on a clean, bare-metal surface.

One way or another I would replace the brakes if you have a damaged magnet/magnets. You will need to know your axle capacity to find the right brakes so I would check the axle tags. The tag should have the capacity or at least the serial number to identify the axle. Based on the information I was able to find you have 5,200-7k axles so you can use the etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes - Self-Adjusting - 12" - Left/Right Hand - 5.2K to 7K # AKEBRK-7-SA but you will need to verify this information.

expert reply by: Robin H