Silverado and Cougar brake compatibility

Merrybird · 06-20-2023, 01:22 PM

We have a 2022 Silverado LTZ 2500 HD and just purchased a 24RDS Cougar. We cannot get the camper brakes to work with the truck. Been to three RV dealers who say there is nothing wrong with the camper. And two Chevy dealers who say there is nothing wrong with the truck

All camper lights respond appropriately to the truck, but trailer brakes will not set.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any resolution?

**JRTJH** · 06-20-2023, 02:05 PM

Are you actually towing when trying to get the brakes to work? Or, are you sitting in a parking lot and trying to read a voltage output at the truck umbilical connector or under the trailer at the crimp connectors ???

Many "newer trucks" have computers that are smart enough to know the trailer isn't moving so there's no need to apply brakes to a "parked trailer"....

Have you tried squeezing the brake control lever when actually towing above 5 MPH ???

NH_Bulldog · 06-20-2023, 02:13 PM

Did you have both the truck and trailer at the rv dealer when they tested and did you have both the truck and trailer at the Chevy dealer when they tested it? Seems pretty straightforward for a knowledgeable person to narrow the issue down when both are present.

I don’t tow with my Tahoe, so I am not sure of the setup process with Chevy but on my F250 you need to setup the computer to match the type of trailer and brake type and set gain appropriately on the integrated brake controller. Also, the trailer brakes only get minimal power below a certain speed of the truck, but you can squeeze the manual lever on the controller at any speed for full braking power to the trailer

RollaMo · 06-20-2023, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrybird

Silverado and Cougar brake compatibility

All camper lights respond appropriately to the truck, but trailer brakes will not set.

There is nothing different between "Cougar" brakes or any other RV brands electric trailer brakes.
When you plug the trailer in and start the truck, do you get the "Trailer Connected" message on your dash?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Are you actually towing when trying to get the brakes to work? Or, are you sitting in a parking lot and trying to read a voltage output at the truck umbilical connector or under the trailer at the crimp connectors ???

Many "newer trucks" have computers that are smart enough to know the trailer isn't moving so there's no need to apply brakes to a "parked trailer"....

Have you tried squeezing the brake control lever when actually towing above 5 MPH ???

Not sure with the new '22 GM trucks, but my 2019 2500 HD if you manually squeeze the control lever on the brake controller,
it will apply the trailer brakes (even if the truck isn't moving).

So, scroll through the dash display so that is shows the trailer brake screen and manually squeeze the lever.
The display bar graph should move to show the brakes being sent power. The farther you squeeze the farther the bar graph will move.

Also as mentioned, make sure you have both the truck and trailer together if having a dealer (RV dealer or Truck dealer) looking at the issue.

Merrybird · 06-20-2023, 03:43 PM

Thanks for replying. Testing the brakes while towing. With our previous camper, we pressed the brake control lever and set the Brake Gain to a value just below where the trailer wheels would lock (as recommended in the Silverado owner’s manual). With this camper the trailer wheels won’t lock even when the Brake Gain is set to 10 (max)

RollaMo · 06-20-2023, 03:55 PM

For my 2019 GMC Sierra 2500HD pulling our 2022 Cougar 24RDS, I have the brake gain set at 6.5 which seems to give me the best feel when braking.
On dry pavement the trailer wheels won't lock at that setting, but on slight downhill gravel road they will.

You very well should be able to get some pretty strong braking with the gain set at 10 for sure.

Ramtop · 06-20-2023, 04:16 PM

Have you tried pulling the breakaway switch out to see if the camper brakes truly work? You should be able to hear the magnets humming at each wheel if they are working. If not, then something is wrong with the wiring on your camper. Your other option is to find another truck to plug into your camper and check out if the brakes work.

dutchmensport · 06-20-2023, 04:24 PM

I've had 3 travel trailers and 1 fifth wheel. I've towed with 3 different Chevy Silverado Dually's (gas and diesel). The first 2 trucks had after market brake controllers. The current one has an integrated brake controller.

NONE of them ever locked up the wheels of any trailer if the trailer was in motion.

But.... if manually squeezing the brake controller before moving and then letting off the brake peddle, at Idle, the truck/trailer would not move.... on all of them.

Push the gas peddle a little and it would take a hefty rev before the rig would start moving.

I never figured out why the trailer brakes would not "lock up" ... like at 15 or 20 MPH, other than maybe.... the shear weight of the trailers was just too much for the brakes of the trailer. At any rate, my integrated brake controller is set to 10.

Why 10? Because that is the limit the signal will be sent to the trailer. If you push the truck brake peddle only 50% stopping power, the integrated brake controller will send out only 50% stopping power. So, if set on 10, it will send out only 5 (half) of whatever it's set at.

If its set on 5 and you push the brake peddle half force, the integrated brake controller will send out only 2.5. (Half of whatever you push the brake peddle). This is 50% force.

The "integrated" part of the system knows if you are pushing 20%, or 90%, or a lock-up at 100% on the truck. It will proportionally send the same to the trailer brakes depending on your setting. That's why I keep mine on 10. When pushing the peddle under normal conditions, the brake controller itself very seldom, if ever reaches "5" in the output.

I've never had an issue with the brakes. They seem to always work in tandem together, flawless, as if the entire rig is one unit. However, when I back off, and set it on "5", I can feel the trailer push when I brake. So, I keep it on the the max setting and let the "integrated" portion of the computer do it's job. That's why it's called an "integrated" brake controller.

Hope this helps.

**JRTJH** · 06-20-2023, 04:27 PM

The Cougar line from about 2018 to current has used forward self adjusting brakes. I know the Keystone line does not adjust the brakes and if Lippert axles/brakes are installed, they may not adjust them either. So, if the trailer was delivered with misadjusted brakes, it will take a significant amount of brake actuation to get the shoes to contact the hub surface....

You might want to jack up a wheel, get it turning and then pull the breakaway switch plunger. If the brakes are "backed off fully" or if the self adjusting mechanism is not working properly, you may not get full braking action.

If the truck functioned properly with a different trailer, then I'd suspect the problem is with the new trailer. That's the only "unknown factor" in this equation.....

**sourdough** · 06-20-2023, 05:00 PM

^^^^A "dealer" may be good...or not. The service dept. may be good...or not. Did you ask them what they did to determine the trailer brakes were good? What the dealer did to determine the truck brakes/controller were working properly?

IMO I would raise a side, pull the breakaway switch and see what the wheels/brakes told me...forget what the dealer said. Once the trailer has been determined good you can move to the truck.

Was the other trailer pulled with this truck or is it new also? I am assuming by your comments it's the same truck you had with the previous trailer?

A truck dealer really knows nothing about pulling an RV and an RV dealer really knows nothing about a particular truck. Since the dealers for the different products seem to be at loggerheads it's time to start "digging in". Good luck.

Jbrobson1958 · 06-29-2023, 07:18 AM

I know when I upgraded my 2018 LT to a 2020 LTZ. I couldn't figure out why the trailer wasn't working. It needed to be setup and added to the app in the trucks display panel. I think one of the options was a trailer with no brakes so next time you plug in verify the dash info re the trailer.

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