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05-06-2021, 02:28 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Jackson
Posts: 11
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Weak brakes
I have a 2021 Bullet 29’ Bunkhouse pulling with a 2500 Duramax. When I brake it just doesn’t feel like the trailer brakes are engaging like they should. My gain is all the way up to 10 and if I manually engage it I barely feel them pull. My old jayco would have locked the tires up if I was set so high. I’ve jacked up the tires and adjusted the star screw and all 4 tires were adjusted correctly. Any suggestions I’d appreciate. Thank you.
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05-06-2021, 02:35 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
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They may need adjusted.
If you or anyone at the factory or the dealership pumped grease into the EZ Lube zerks on the spindles the drums may be full of grease due to cheap grease seals.
Is the fuse in the trailer slot in the under fuse panel of your Chevy, if so has it blown?
It's still under warranty let your dealer handle it!
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
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05-06-2021, 02:47 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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What kind of tow vehicle and what kind of brake controller do you have? It may be as simple as a setting that needs to be adjusted.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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05-06-2021, 04:05 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Henniker
Posts: 2,169
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Maybe lift a wheel or two and pull the breakaway pin and see if you can turn the wheels. If so, it’s an issue with the trailer. If you can’t turn a wheel it is more likely the truck.
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Rob & Amy
2019 Passport 240BH SL (for sale)
2024 Cougar 29BHL (Taking delivery 5/15/24)
2022 Ford F250 7.3L Godzilla Crew Cab FX4
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05-06-2021, 04:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Sun City West
Posts: 907
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Do you have a buddy that can hook up the trailer with his/her truck and give it a go? As you've pulled before with this truck it's possible - even likely - that it's the trailer wiring, but this could isolate the problem to trailer vs. truck.
Assuming you have the GM version of an integrated TBC....Do you get any error messages on your dash display?
With my issue, I was getting a trailer wiring fault message and it ended up being a short on one of the magnet wires...insulation was rubbing on the inside of the hub and worn through.
__________________
2022 Rockwood Signature 8324SB
2019 F350, SRW, 6.2L, 4.30 gears
Sold: 2020 Keystone Cougar '1/2 ton' TT, 29RLKWE
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05-06-2021, 04:33 PM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Jackson
Posts: 11
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That was my next step a buddys truck and no error message showing up.
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05-06-2021, 04:35 PM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Jackson
Posts: 11
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I will try this thank you
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05-06-2021, 04:37 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Jackson
Posts: 11
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Jrth and Texan it’s a duramax chevy with the stock break controller it came with. Warranty work in California and ont even return my call. I’ll check for grease and everything. Seems adjusted right.
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05-06-2021, 05:42 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,348
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If you have a DC amp clamp meter, put it on the wire from the break away switch. Pull the pin, you should see 12-15 amps. Under-you have a broken wire somewhere, over- you have a wire shorting out. This is a quick diagnosis method that has worked for me for years.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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05-06-2021, 06:00 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Molive
Jrth and Texan it’s a duramax chevy with the stock break controller it came with. Warranty work in California and ont even return my call. I’ll check for grease and everything. Seems adjusted right.
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What year truck? There have been a couple of software updates through the past 5 or 6 years. If yours is older, then possibly a "reflash" at the dealership to update the brake controller software? And, as Chuck suggested, a DC "amp clamp" to confirm the correct amperage draw. That will confirm the trailer wiring is "good/bad"...
And, as Danny suggested, if you or someone else has ever used the EZ Lube system to pump grease into the zerk fittings on the spindles, you would do well to visually inspect the brake shoes on all 4 wheels.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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05-06-2021, 06:09 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Posts: 1,196
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Not sure if this applies to you but on my F250 Ford brake controller, not only did I need to set the gain, but also an "effort" setting that controls how aggressive the trailer brakes are applied. The default was low and I did not feel the brakes working effectively at that effort setting.
This is something else to check in the owners manual for your brake controller.
__________________
2018 Jayco Eagle HT 265BHS (previous: 2015 23RB Passport Elite, ProPride)
2015 F250 XLT SB Crew, 6.2l gas
PullRite 16K SuperGlide w/SuperRail
Reese 5th Airborne (bagged) Pin Box
RoadMaster Shock Kit
X-Factor Cross Bracing
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05-07-2021, 11:06 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Florissant
Posts: 702
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The thing to remember is that when you manually apply the trailer brakes, you are using them to slow the trailer AND the truck.
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Skids
2019 Bullet 248RKS
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05-11-2021, 10:33 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 159
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Grease on drums
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelin texans
They may need adjusted.
If you or anyone at the factory or the dealership pumped grease into the EZ Lube zerks on the spindles the drums may be full of grease due to cheap grease seals.
Is the fuse in the trailer slot in the under fuse panel of your Chevy, if so has it blown?
It's still under warranty let your dealer handle it!
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Had problems with our 2020 cougar last year.
After 6,000 miles or so, it became hard to stop.
It would pull to one side but TV had to stop it.
Controller made no difference.
Took it to a dealer in KY & they found all 4 drums & brake shoes covered in axle Grease.
Cleaned that up, but the pull to one side turned out to be a raised spot on one drum, warranty fix.
Check all 4 for Grease!
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05-11-2021, 10:43 AM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,348
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skids
The thing to remember is that when you manually apply the trailer brakes, you are using them to slow the trailer AND the truck.
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Since I have an older diesel truck, my TV brakes depend on a belt driven vacuum pump. Pump the brakes more than a few times and you have to wait for the vacuum to recover. I use the trailer brakes for slowing into curves and then I can press the pedal for more if needed.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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05-11-2021, 12:02 PM
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#15
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,752
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57
Since I have an older diesel truck, my TV brakes depend on a belt driven vacuum pump. Pump the brakes more than a few times and you have to wait for the vacuum to recover. I use the trailer brakes for slowing into curves and then I can press the pedal for more if needed.
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Mine is a hydro boost system. Power steering operates the brake booster. For you non deisel types deisel engines have no intake vacuum to operate a vacuum power brake booster. I lost the belt idler pully one time and no brakes and no steering. Talk about fun! Fortunately it happened about 1/2 mile from the shop I use so SLOWLY drove it there and needed a pain pill for my arms when I got home.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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05-11-2021, 01:09 PM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,348
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Motor homes with hydra boost have an electric pump that takes over if you lose belt/engine running. Just have to press the brake pedal enough to engage.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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05-11-2021, 01:32 PM
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#17
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Clarkesville
Posts: 29
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Mine are the oppose, mine grab & playing with thebrke controller doesn't appear to make any difference. next step is to pull the drums.
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05-11-2021, 03:45 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Liberty, Texas
Posts: 5,034
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They probably have grease on the shoes.
eTrailer will have complete assemblies on the backing plate...new shoes and magnets. Get some heat melt butt splices and heat shrink. It's not a bad job. If you don't do it yourself ask around for just the labor charge if you supply parts.
I doubt the dealer will own up to using a grease gun on them.
__________________
2018 Ram 3500 Laramie CC DRW LWB 4X4 Cummins Aisin 3.73
Reese Goosebox 20K
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4 LB Cabover
2023 CanAm Defender SXS
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07-14-2021, 05:30 AM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Topeka
Posts: 7
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2018 Montana 3811 MS.
2018 GMC Sierra Duramax 3500.
I had, and still have, this same problem. Replaced all four brake hubs, not a bit of grease on any of them. And the controller is set on 10 (max) and there is hardly any brakes applied on the 5th wheel.
I contacted several service techs and they all told me it's most likely a grounding problem in the electrics. The tech is coming to my house tomorrow to make the fix. Starting with the cord plug in the truck bed and working his way to the far end of the trailer.
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