brake controller issue?

[FClanton]

I tow a 2011 Cougar X-lite 27RLS with a 2001 Dodge 2500 5.9 L Cummins and an auto trans. I had a brake issue last summer, see July post, and now when I apply the brakes my Husky quest brake controller reads 10 momentarily. It was set to come on 10. In the past it would keep 10 for a few seconds and then drop to 5 and then to nothing with a full stop. Now it reads 10 for a fraction of a second and then drops to nothing. I do not think my brakes are working at all. I have the trailer in for wheel bearing service now and hope the included brake adjustment will help. Could it be the brakes are so poorly adjusted that this type of incident occurs? Can anyone offer any other insite?

Thanks,
Fred...

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by FClanton

I tow a 2011 Cougar X-lite 27RLS with a 2001 Dodge 2500 5.9 L Cummins and an auto trans. I had a brake issue last summer, see July post, and now when I apply the brakes my Husky quest brake controller reads 10 momentarily. It was set to come on 10. In the past it would keep 10 for a few seconds and then drop to 5 and then to nothing with a full stop. Now it reads 10 for a fraction of a second and then drops to nothing. I do not think my brakes are working at all. I have the trailer in for wheel bearing service now and hope the included brake adjustment will help. Could it be the brakes are so poorly adjusted that this type of incident occurs? Can anyone offer any other insite?

No way to tell remotely if the problem is the controller, the wiring, or the brakes. It's just the beginning of the camping season and a great time to service the brakes for everyone anyway. Once the brakes are confirmed to be working properly and correctly adjusted, then troubleshoot out the wiring and the controller. Electric trailer brake systems are notorious for wiring issues, usually somewhere in the area of the axles and brakes. Connections come loose. Poor grounds become no grounds. And there's always the chance that one or more of the axle seals have failed, filling the brake area with grease.

IIRC, trailer shops have some test equipment for use on electric brake controllers that will quickly tell if there is a problem. (Notice that I said trailer shops, not RV service shops. RV shops may have them, too, but trailer shops are more likely to do the work at much more reasonable prices. Sometimes, RV dealers are not the best places to get things done.

[FClanton]

Thanks Steve, I appreciate the info....

Fred....

[FClanton]

After I got the trailer back from having the wheel bearings serviced there was no change. The brake controller still shows 10 briefly and then goes to zero. On the way back, however, I had to stop quicker than normal for a red light and I noticed that under heavy braking the brake controller had a 5 on the read out. That is the only time I have seen anything other than the initial 10 and then zero.

Thanks,
Fred.