Brake Controller Setting

[RonB]

We picked up our 5.0 TA at the beginning of March with our 2019 Canyon diesel and the integrated brake controller set to 7.0 (as advised by ETI). Initially, that setting seemed fine, but after a week of driving and on a particularly hilly day (lots of brake action), later in the afternoon the trailer brakes locked up badly. Perhaps the trailer brakes were sufficiently worn in to require a setting adjustment, but now I have to set the integrated brake controller to 2.5 or 3.0 to have the same trailer brake response as before: obvious but not excessive trailer braking.

So, two questions:

1. Anyone else experience a significant change in brake controller setting from the first to subsequent weeks of towing?

2. What do those of you driving GMC tow vehicles with the factory installed brake controller have yours set to?

Thanks,
Ron

[gbaglo]

I've had one instance where my brakes grabbed. I stopped and found that somehow the Prodigy P2 had Boost turned on. It should not be on for light weight trailers. As I recall, P2 is set to 4.

[hondasaurus]

Hi Similar truck bur different trailler. Have the controller set to 3. Manual braking is good for me.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I've had one instance where my brakes grabbed. I stopped and found that somehow the Prodigy P2 had Boost turned on. It should not be on for light weight trailers. As I recall, P2 is set to 4.

For the first few years I used the Boost on our Prodigy & our E'21 - not a lightweight trailer per the instructions. But after experiencing grabbing and excessive brake wear I turned Boost off. Have not noticed any detrimental brake behavior since doing so.
--
Alan

[Chama]

Ron, we tow a 2019 E21 with our GMC Canyon diesel and also use the integrated brake controller same as you. We have noticed the exact same circumstance that you describe. We have also reduced the setting also from 7 over time and I think we are using 4 now. We had been using 5 but squealed the trailer tires when braking pulling off I-10 so we cut back to 4. I really have to be careful to apply the truck brakes gently to avoid locking up the trailer tires. I also have wondered why setting 7 seemed to work OK at first but then became too much braking over time requiring lower setting.
Lorin in NM

Originally Posted by RonB

We picked up our 5.0 TA at the beginning of March with our 2019 Canyon diesel and the integrated brake controller set to 7.0 (as advised by ETI). Initially, that setting seemed fine, but after a week of driving and on a particularly hilly day (lots of brake action), later in the afternoon the trailer brakes locked up badly. Perhaps the trailer brakes were sufficiently worn in to require a setting adjustment, but now I have to set the integrated brake controller to 2.5 or 3.0 to have the same trailer brake response as before: obvious but not excessive trailer braking.

So, two questions:

1. Anyone else experience a significant change in brake controller setting from the first to subsequent weeks of towing?

2. What do those of you driving GMC tow vehicles with the factory installed brake controller have yours set to?

Thanks,
Ron

[Iowa Dave]

When you put new Dexter brakes on as the complete Assy. The instructions state that you should take the trailer for a test drive where you get going 40 mph and then put trailer brakes on till your down to 20 mph. You are to do this I believe it was 15 or 20 times. I used a couple. County blacktops near our house. After I got back I checked the adjustment on the brakes and they were still properly adjusted. I pulled the trailer a couple thousand miles and then adjusted them again. They worked fine as long as I had the trailer and the next owner confirmed that they had continued to work properly when we camped near Fort Collins a year later.
Iowa Dave

[Greg and Kathy]

Originally Posted by RonB

We picked up our 5.0 TA at the beginning of March with our 2019 Canyon diesel and the integrated brake controller set to 7.0 (as advised by ETI). Initially, that setting seemed fine, but after a week of driving and on a particularly hilly day (lots of brake action), later in the afternoon the trailer brakes locked up badly. Perhaps the trailer brakes were sufficiently worn in to require a setting adjustment, but now I have to set the integrated brake controller to 2.5 or 3.0 to have the same trailer brake response as before: obvious but not excessive trailer braking.

So, two questions:

1. Anyone else experience a significant change in brake controller setting from the first to subsequent weeks of towing?

2. What do those of you driving GMC tow vehicles with the factory installed brake controller have yours set to?

Thanks,
Ron

I tow a 5TA with a 2015 Sierra. I now have the controller set to 4. I sometimes carry it as I drive if I feel it too much or too little. Range from 3.5 to 5

[Mark James]

Used to set my controller higher on my 5 TA/ Tundra when I first got it. Brakes grabbed a lot. Just came back from a long trip and found that 2.7 worked perfectly.

[Sean Murry]

I am very new to towing so not sure what to expect. We have the 19 and a 2018 GMC Canyon with the gas engine. Picked up the trailer and had the brake controller set to 7 as Escape had suggested. Seemed to work like a charm.
Then we headed out for a two week trip. Day 2 in the trip the braking was clearly different than before.

Bottom line is I turned the brake controller down to 5, then 4 then 3 and settled on 2.5. Seems to work really well, but since going down to 2.5 I haven't towed that much with it. To see others having the same issues, makes me feel a lot better, as I was concerned about such a big reduction from 7 to 2.5

This Forum is just so helpful, particularly to a Newbie like myself

[Mark James]

Originally Posted by Sean Murry

I am very new to towing so not sure what to expect. We have the 19 and a 2018 GMC Canyon with the gas engine. Picked up the trailer and had the brake controller set to 7 as Escape had suggested. Seemed to work like a charm.
Then we headed out for a two week trip. Day 2 in the trip the braking was clearly different than before.

Bottom line is I turned the brake controller down to 5, then 4 then 3 and settled on 2.5. Seems to work really well, but since going down to 2.5 I haven't towed that much with it. To see others having the same issues, makes me feel a lot better, as I was concerned about such a big reduction from 7 to 2.5

This Forum is just so helpful, particularly to a Newbie like myself

Would not be concerned. 2.7 works great for me. Higher settings really grab the brakes.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by hondasaurus

Hi Similar truck bur different trailler. Have the controller set to 3. Manual braking is good for me.

You may like this for towing, but it is a very unsafe practice should you need to do an emergency stop. The trailers are given brakes for legal and practical reasons, they need to do the stopping of the trailer. To do anything less is a risk.

I hear of too many people that back the setting off way too much because they do not like the feeling of them pulling at all. Well, that is what they are there for.

While Escape gives a good starting point, I highly recommend ultimately using the brake controller setup directions for proper settings.

[hondasaurus]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

You may like this for towing, but it is a very unsafe practice should you need to do an emergency stop. The trailers are given brakes for legal and practical reasons, they need to do the stopping of the trailer. To do anything less is a risk.

I hear of too many people that back the setting off way too much because they do not like the feeling of them pulling at all. Well, that is what they are there for.

While Escape gives a good starting point, I highly recommend ultimately using the brake controller setup directions for proper settings.

Hi Jim

Just to make you fell better, my truck has a (diesel) has a kind of engine brake.

Also when I engage the brake manually the trailer brake can lock up the wheel. I closely adjust the brake on the trailer every 5000 km or so.

I better like the truck brake to do the major stopping and the trailler brake to brake the 3 000 lbs over the truck's capability.

From my point of view, the are no need to over stress one brake system over the other.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by hondasaurus

Hi Jim

Just to make you fell better, my truck has a (diesel) has a kind of engine brake.

Also when I engage the brake manually the trailer brake can lock up the wheel. I closely adjust the brake on the trailer every 5000 km or so.

I better like the truck brake to do the major stopping and the trailler brake to brake the 3 000 lbs over the truck's capability.

From my point of view, the are no need to over stress one brake system over the other.

My rule of thumb:
Going uphill, TV does more of the braking.
Going downhill, trailer does more of the braking.
Going on even road, they stop themselves but not the other.

Seems to work out fine.

[Jordan]

Does anyone know of any videos on adjusting the brakes? Sounds like it isn't too hard, though I don't know what a "break adjustment tool" is.

[Sean Murry]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

You may like this for towing, but it is a very unsafe practice should you need to do an emergency stop. The trailers are given brakes for legal and practical reasons, they need to do the stopping of the trailer. To do anything less is a risk.

I hear of too many people that back the setting off way too much because they do not like the feeling of them pulling at all. Well, that is what they are there for.

While Escape gives a good starting point, I highly recommend ultimately using the brake controller setup directions for proper settings.

When i changed my brake setting, I drove the truck and trailer down a flat paved road at about 40kmh, applied the manual brake and the brakes on the trailer locked up at rating of 7, I backed off the setting in 1 full increment and the brakes continued to lock up. When I got to a setting of 3, I backed off in 1/2 increments. At a setting of 2.5 the brakes on the trailer no longer locked up when I applied the manual control.

Does this make sense and is it a reasonable way to adjust the brake controller?

[Sean Murry]

Originally Posted by Jordan

Does anyone know of any videos on adjusting the brakes? Sounds like it isn't too hard, though I don't know what a "break adjustment tool" is.

The brake adjustment tool is a simple piece of metal angled to in theory make it easier to adjust your brakes on the trailer. I have one, but found a simple screw driver was easier.

Regarding setting the brakes, I have done it and it is quite simple, but where I am not 100% confident is how much to back off the setting once you have tightened the brakes so the wheel doesn't turn. Do you back off and stop as soon as the wheel begins to turn, or should you back off even more? The feeling of friction against the drums just doesn't feel right, though that is what is recommended.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

My rule of thumb:

Going uphill, TV does more of the braking.

Going downhill, trailer does more of the braking.

Going on even road, they stop themselves but not the other.



Seems to work out fine.

I pretty much leave it set at your third option, but do really like engine breaking for Diebold control for the most part.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Sean Murry

When i changed my brake setting, I drove the truck and trailer down a flat paved road at about 40kmh, applied the manual brake and the brakes on the trailer locked up at rating of 7, I backed off the setting in 1 full increment and the brakes continued to lock up. When I got to a setting of 3, I backed off in 1/2 increments. At a setting of 2.5 the brakes on the trailer no longer locked up when I applied the manual control.



Does this make sense and is it a reasonable way to adjust the brake controller?

At that speed I set it at the lowest setting they still lock up when using manual in the controller.

After many years and kilometres puking all sized trailers for work, where proper brake adjustment is a must, I grew to appreciate good trailer braking big time.

[Sean Murry]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

At that speed I set it at the lowest setting they still lock up when using manual in the controller.

After many years and kilometres puking all sized trailers for work, where proper brake adjustment is a must, I grew to appreciate good trailer braking big time.

What method would you suggest you use to adjust the controller properly? When the brake controller was set at 6 or 7, the braking on the trailer was what I would call severe. It felt like it was going to pull the back end of my truck off.

[Jim Bennett]

Do you have the manual? They usually describe the setup quite well. Each one has a slightly differing method, but usually similar results.