Trailer Braking

[Cate&Rob]

How do you guys decide when you have the trailer brake controller set to the right gain ?

Rob

[gestern1]

Rob, I start on a level surface (not dirt), out of traffic and travel at about 5 MPH. At that speed, move the activation lever all the way to it's full movement direction. At that point the trailer should stop the truck without skidding the wheels. If the wheels skid, adjust the gain down and if the trailer does not stop the truck adjust the gain up. Trial and error are the most important things here. I do this EVERY time I take my 5th wheel out because it might be loaded differently with a different weight. Plus the fact, if you do this on the start of every trip, you know that the trailer brakes are working properly.
Mike

[Dave and Monica]

I use a procedure from Tekonsha. Get the brakes up to operation temperature by making several normal stops. Drive at 20 - 25 mph and manually fully stroke the brake controller. If the campers tires do not lock up, increase the controller setting and try again. Adjust the controller setting so that the camper brakes are just short of locking up and you're done.

Dave

[TucsonJim]

I follow the same procedure as Dave. Using that method, I realized I had a brake problem when my brakes wouldn't lock up at the max setting. It was caused by bearing grease leaking past the seals and into the brakes.

[Cate&Rob]

This is just a great example of the experienced info that a forum like this can provide to a newbie like me.

I think I have been "under-braking" my trailer. My working career has been largely in "vehicle dynamics". I know that a sliding (locked brake) tire has no directional stability, but a rolling tire does. I want my trailer tires to always be rolling. My truck has huge disc brakes on all corners, with ABS. My trailer has 50 year old technology, manually adjusted drum brakes. How can the RV industry standard (Lippert) be so far back ??

I got into a full-on braking situation from 50 mph. Happened (by chance), to have the window open (so I could hear what was going on). The truck brakes were into ABS and the trailer tires were howling but still rolling. Everything stayed straight, but I was ready to come off the brakes, if the trailer tires locked up. Brake controller was at 6.5 . . . as it has been for the last 4000 miles.

Haven't adjusted the trailer brakes yet . . . next on my list of things to do, now that we are home.

Really appreciate all your advice . . .

Rob

[Steve and Lynne]

Great information from all. Rob's description of real behaviors from both vehicles reinforced what everyone else has contributed. Remember also there are special circumstances we must be aware of. We left a gulf front campground near Corpus Christi on April 1 after being there a month. When I first applied the brakes at 15 mph, the fifth wheel locked the wheels and gave a heavy jerk to the truck. Undoubtedly there was a heavy rust build-up in the drums causing immediate lock up. Some things came out of the upper rear cabinets, nothing damaged. Should have cautiously used the hand application lever only for the first event. Happy Easter all, remember what His resurrection does for us when we ask!

[dirtclod]

Great info here! After intial setting as Dave and Jim stated, I like to turn it up a little more when travelling at highway speeds and turn it down a little in town. As
Rob stated when using 50 year old technology and years of pulling stock trailers probably not one setting for every speed.