Trailer braking is weak... maybe?

[grassmaster]

The factory setup is completely inadequate. This is how it should have been built. 30 feet of 14ga feeding the 8ft of 16ga through the axles is terrible.

I have a 2018 337RLS and can set either one of the three brake controllers I have to max, hold the "manual" lever/slide all the way, and my Duramax will pull it forward while idling. My truck has been providing 90+% of the stopping power. Done the voltage checking, et cetera and everything is in specs. My solution was the shyt can the substandard, useless, and dangerous electric brakes and to install electric over hydraulic disc brakes. I began the installation today. To all the weight police out there, believe me, inadequate brakes on one of these full figured girls far exceeds any safety concerns about possibly exceeding the printed "door sticker" payload limitations of your truck by a couple of hundred pounds.

[mostad]

I have a 2018 337RLS and can set either one of the three brake controllers I have to max, hold the "manual" lever/slide all the way, and my Duramax will pull it forward while idling. My truck has been providing 90+% of the stopping power. Done the voltage checking, et cetera and everything is in specs. My solution was the shyt can the substandard, useless, and dangerous electric brakes and to install electric over hydraulic disc brakes. I began the installation today. To all the weight police out there, believe me, inadequate brakes on one of these full figured girls far exceeds any safety concerns about possibly exceeding the printed "door sticker" payload limitations of your truck by a couple of hundred pounds.

You will be very happy with the upgrade. I pulled my momentum to Moab and back, around 800 miles over I-70 and absolutely loved the upgrade. Best money spent in my opinion.

[Jerryr]

Yep. I also did disc brake kit from stopyourtrailer.com kit cost for my 2axle Reflection 337 was about $1400 and a local trailer shop in Tampa FL charged $600 for labor. Unbelievable difference. Well worth the $2k

[grassmaster]

I got the kit from stopyourtrailer.com. Paid more for it though.

[hcoulby]

I bought my GD last year. Brakes were “inspected” by a very large and well known dealer in Florida. Luckily I took it to a tractor and trailer place to get new tires and checked for brakes as my experience with the dealer had been subpar. The shoes were completely covered in grease. The trailer place rebuilt them but used the wrong rubber ring and the wrong grease and again, had the same issue.....no brakes for my 311BHS! I ended up replacing the entire hub with a much nicer Dexter drum brake over the winter. Haven’t tested them yet due to CV19

[fez111]

I have a 2018 337RLS and can set either one of the three brake controllers I have to max, hold the "manual" lever/slide all the way, and my Duramax will pull it forward while idling. My truck has been providing 90+% of the stopping power.

We agree whole-heartedly. We'd be pulling our Solitude 379FL down the freeway at 62 Mph and some $%& would pull in front of me and slam on the brakes! Our brake controller was always set to 10. I could stomp on the brakes full with both feet but stopping was still anemic, even after I degreased the pads and drums and replaced the seals. One our last trip to Florida I decided that hydraulic brakes were absolutely necessary!

I researched the manufacturers of these brake systems and the controllers. After talking to them directly to ask questions I finally settled on the Kodiak system with the Hydrostar controller. They also gave me the name of a small company in northern Florida that had the best prices for Kodiak. I bought 3/16 inch tubing and fittings as well as a double-flare kit. They recommend and sell a flexible non-metallic brake line system but it is made to run under the coroplast and is exposed to everything on the road. I ran one metal line in the upper web of the I-beam and Tee'd off as necessary. I had to drill one small hole in each side for the tube to pass through. I mounted the power pack in the corner of the front boot next to the battery box.

Between working out of town a lot and lousy weather it took me two weeks to complete the installation. It took the entire trip back to Michigan to break them in (all freeway, hardly any braking). 6 weeks later on a vacation trip, wow! I had to back off the controller setting because the braking was now too aggressive. I am completely satisfied that we made the correct decision. For our two Lippert 7000# axles the total cost with my "free Labor" was around $1900 for the better 'coated" system, metal tubing, new seals and bearings from Amazon, Adell clamps from Ebay, and self-tapping screws from Lowes. Advice: Don't think about it. Just do it. You will never regret the decision.

Note: I don't care if I EVER have to make another double-flare with 3/16th tubing as long as I live. that was the hardest part of the project!

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I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 LTZ with trailer package, so the trailer brake control is built in. I have a 2017 GD 2150RB trailer.

I just got the truck and trailer last year and took one trip with it. In the truck owner's manual, it says how to adjust the trailer brake gain:

1) Go at least 25mph
2) Set the trailer brake gain to 1 and pinch the brake switch.
3) Increase gain higher until pinching the switch causes the trailer brakes to lock up.
4) Then back off 1 step on the gain.

I got all the way to 10 on mine and the brakes never locked up. Do I need new pads maybe? Does anyone else have a Silverado 1500 and a similar weight trailer and have to set gain to 10?

Don't feel badd, I've got a 2016 Ford a F-450, and a 2020 43' solitude. The Ford brake controller is set to maximum and I can pull the trailer with the brake controller fully engaged with just barely touching the gas it doesn't feel like it does hardly anything. And yes my brakes were adjusted when I brought it home, and since I thought I might have done something wrong I took it into the dealer and they check the brake adjustments and they said they were spot on. The only thing I have heard that works for trailers is the disk brake conversion.

[bryancass]

Don't feel badd, I've got a 2016 Ford a F-450, and a 2020 43' solitude. The Ford brake controller is set to maximum and I can pull the trailer with the brake controller fully engaged with just barely touching the gas it doesn't feel like it does hardly anything. And yes my brakes were adjusted when I brought it home, and since I thought I might have done something wrong I took it into the dealer and they check the brake adjustments and they said they were spot on. The only thing I have heard that works for trailers is the disk brake conversion.

Yes, that's what I gather so far. But also your 43' is much heavier than my 26' trailer. So locking up the brakes on that would be a feat with any controller. :-) I am itching to get my trailer home so I can pull the drums and take a look, but I need to find some time and energy to go out and get it at the storage yard. :-)

[grassmaster]

Note: I don't care if I EVER have to make another double-flare with 3/16th tubing as long as I live. that was the hardest part of the project!

I'm likely going to cut the more than ample length of main line and double flare it. I'm a little O.C. and can't tolerate loops or routing the line in a cattywampus manner for no other reason than to take out the slack. Im mounting the pump in the front boot next to the battery box and already punched a hole in the I beam web. I'm half way thinking about mounting pvc conduit under the trailer and running line to the right side inside the conduit; may be too much sugar for a quarter. Sometimes I over think things.

[Twcardin]

I have a 2018 Momentum that had brake issues as well. Mine had grease on them.