2014 Ram integrated brake controller compatible with Dexter disk brakes?

[JLandry]

John and others, measure the voltage at your trailer plug. If you see similar voltage this is a real safety issue, as everyone's brakes will be dragging a bit.

I'll check ours tomorrow or the next day once we get our truck back from the dealer.

John L.

 

[JDean]

You can bug the 7-way with the trailer connected to the truck by bugging the other 7-way (so for a 5th wheel, bug the bumper 7-way). I don't want to admit how long it took me to realize this.
- John D

 

[AfterBurner]

My trailer runs disc brakes on dexter axles and I haven't experienced any problems. I use the factory controller set to heavy EOH. The factory controller on my 2011 didn't work well, so I had a maxbrake on that truck, but the '14 has been flawless. You got me curious so I checked voltages on my truck with the trailer connected and I'm getting a negligible .05V. I set it to light electric and still had the same reading. With no trailer connected I am showing 0V. Seems odd that they were getting 1.2V on other '14s on the lot.

 

[JDean]

My trailer runs disc brakes on dexter axles and I haven't experienced any problems. I use the factory controller set to heavy EOH. The factory controller on my 2011 didn't work well, so I had a maxbrake on that truck, but the '14 has been flawless. You got me curious so I checked voltages on my truck with the trailer connected and I'm getting a negligible .05V. I set it to light electric and still had the same reading. With no trailer connected I am showing 0V. Seems odd that they were getting 1.2V on other '14s on the lot.

Thanks for checking. It makes sense that most 2014 trucks don't have the problem mine did, or there would be more owners complaining about it. It's kind of hard to miss after the first time you tow for any distance, unless maybe other trailer brake actuators aren't as sensitive on the low end. I went ahead and sent an email to Ram's customer relations since the Texarkana Dodge dealer found the same problem on their new trucks. Or they just wanted me to go away. Haven't heard back yet, but they probably didn't see it 'till this morning (Monday). - John D

 

[Dieselnerd]

JDean, this is just a thought I had about your voltage not going to zero. I might be out in left field but it may be worth checking.

My 2014 truck is similar to yours. When you look at the trailer brake display on the EVIC with the trailer hooked up and step on the brake while you are standing still, the bar on the display goes higher the harder you step on the brake. When you take your foot off the brake, the display bar drops back to zero.

Does yours drop back to zero or does it show a little application? I don't know what kind of sensor they use with the brake pedal to apply more juice as you step harder on the pedal but it's possible there is an adjustment there and yours isn't returning all the way to zero.

It appears you already gave up and added an aftermarket controller but what I said may have been your problem.

 

[JDean]

Does yours drop back to zero or does it show a little application?

The EVIC shows zero with no pressure on the brake, but I can still hear the trailer's brake actuator. Stepping on the brake causes the EVIC to indicate braking and I can hear the trailer's brake actuator working harder (the tone changes). So is the ITBM seeing some small amount of braking when the EVIC shows zero? That might be possible. Supposedly, the dealer had other trucks that had this same problem which would tend to rule out a random misadjustment on my truck. Also, I can set the ITBM gain to zero, which should result in no voltage on the trailer brake line even with braking applied, and that wasn't the case. It is a puzzle why my truck appears to be the only one on this forum that has this problem if it appeared in multiple trucks at the dealer. Since my truck now has a working brake controller, I may never find out. - John D

 

[JDean]

Got my Weaver Distributing catalogue today (they are located in Fredericksburg, PA 1-800-932-8373) they have a whole page devoted to Titan Electric/Hydraulic brake actuator and under both models they list In-line Factory Brake Control Adapters for 2011 to current Dodge trucks (also list Ford and Chevy trucks). So there may be some issues with electric/hydraulic brakes, you may give them a call and see what they say about the problem.

Thanks, good call. The adapter is designed to remove a "trace current from the factory brake controller" to prevent exactly what I was seeing on my trailer. So I could have purchased this adapter instead of a new brake controller. Good to know.
- John D

 

[JDean]

Got my Weaver Distributing catalogue today (they are located in Fredericksburg, PA 1-800-932-8373) they have a whole page devoted to Titan Electric/Hydraulic brake actuator and under both models they list In-line Factory Brake Control Adapters for 2011 to current Dodge trucks (also list Ford and Chevy trucks). So there may be some issues with electric/hydraulic brakes, you may give them a call and see what they say about the problem.

Thanks, good call. The adapter is designed to remove a "trace current from the factory brake controller" to prevent exactly what I was seeing on my trailer. So I could have purchased this adapter instead of a new brake controller. Good to know.
- John D

 

[Skypilot]

Not to open a firestorm but on my 2010 I had the same problem - the solution provided to local Dodge dealer by higher was to install a small light bulb between two of the wires (which ones I don't know right off the top of my head - been 4 years now). However, it will blink ever so slightly but the hydraulic pump doesn't do anything. When I press on the brake pedal, the light gets brighter and the brakes work. If I simply remove the bulb I get a message telling me that the trailer is disconnected but I still have brakes. Now, I also got a box from Carlisle that does this electronically - it fixed the problem but died this past fall. I'm back on the light bulb at present but, before going anywhere other than from the storage to home, I'm getting another one of those boxes. BTW - when the box failed the brakes locked up -- solid.

Another BTW - when connected to a trailer with standard electric brakes we would hear a 'clicking' from the brakes, same cycle as the light bulb. This occurred in both the electric or EOH setting on the internal brake controller.

 

[JDean]

Not to open a firestorm but on my 2010 I had the same problem - the solution provided to local Dodge dealer by higher was to install a small light bulb between two of the wires (which ones I don't know right off the top of my head - been 4 years now). However, it will blink ever so slightly but the hydraulic pump doesn't do anything. When I press on the brake pedal, the light gets brighter and the brakes work. If I simply remove the bulb I get a message telling me that the trailer is disconnected but I still have brakes. Now, I also got a box from Carlisle that does this electronically - it fixed the problem but died this past fall. I'm back on the light bulb at present but, before going anywhere other than from the storage to home, I'm getting another one of those boxes. BTW - when the box failed the brakes locked up -- solid.

Another BTW - when connected to a trailer with standard electric brakes we would hear a 'clicking' from the brakes, same cycle as the light bulb. This occurred in both the electric or EOH setting on the internal brake controller.

Hell of an idea. I was tempted to put a resistor between the brake line (blue) and the neutral from the truck, but I didn't have one and I would be just guessing at the value and wattage required for the resister. (We called these "pull down" resistors when an electric signal was tied low at a circuit card interface, but the same principal should work here.) A 12v light bulb would do the same thing, and I happen to have one already mounted next to the pin box on the 5th wheel that I've never turned on in the four years I've owned the trailer. Just wire it to the brake line to the actuator (from the truck) instead of the trailer's battery + and you could see the brake light it up from the cab. If it ever burned out, you would be back to dragging your trailer brakes, so you would want to check it often. If my P3 ever fails, this could be my fix.
Your box would do the same thing, but I can't figure out why your trailer brakes would lock up unless the box failure tied the brake line to battery+ as a failsafe. If it failed open, like your burned out bulb, you'd just be back to dragging your trailer brakes, but they would still work.
An earlier post also mentioned the clicking noise, as if the truck's ITBM was testing to see if the trailer was still hooked up. That's the only reason I've come up with for residual voltage on the brake line, assuming it wasn't just a mistake, was the truck was bleeding a small current through the brake line to detect the trailer, but all the time *instead of pulsing it. In my case it turned out to be a destructive test.
And lastly, because I think this thread is about done, Ram's customer assistance got back to me but was less than helpful. I replied once but won't pursue it any further. I'm hopeful this will be a head's up to others before towing for the first time, but some guys aren't having any problem or even measuring any voltage on the brake line so I'm not sure what to think.*
Just be careful. And thanks for the tip.
- John D

 

[RustyJC]

I've towed a 2011 Mobile Suites 36TKSB3 with electric over hydraulic disc brakes with my 2011 truck. The trailer disc brakes worked great - no problems at all.

Rusty

 

[JDean]

I wanted to bump this thread one last time because after a recent safety related recall (I think it had something to do with the air bags not deploying after a roll over event), the truck was displaying a check ebs warning, which resulted in the cruise control being disabled. The dealer traced it to the ITBM being disconnected (because I had replaced it with the P3). Turns out the previous software was ignoring the missing ITBM, but the new software wasn't so accommodating. The dealer reconnected the ITBM so my cruise control would work again.

Since the shop hooked the ITBM back up, I decided to give it another chance with today's tow to Minnesota. I measured the naked brake line at .98 vdc. Better than 1.75 so maybe this would work. Hooked up the trailer and everything was copacetic (you can hear the dexter brake actuator when it's asserting the trailer brakes). Pulled the 5th wheel to Minnesota with no issues. The ITBM now works with my trailer and I can use the cruise control when towing, like before with the P3. I'm guessing something changed in the software update that affected the voltage or frequency or both the ITBM uses to detect a trailer attached to the truck.

- John D

 

[SnoKing]

I wanted to bump this thread one last time because after a recent safety related recall (I think it had something to do with the air bags not deploying after a roll over event), the truck was displaying a check ebs warning, which resulted in the cruise control being disabled. The dealer traced it to the ITBM being disconnected (because I had replaced it with the P3). Turns out the previous software was ignoring the missing ITBM, but the new software wasn't so accommodating. The dealer reconnected the ITBM so my cruise control would work again.

Since the shop hooked the ITBM back up, I decided to give it another chance with today's tow to Minnesota. I measured the naked brake line at .98 vdc. Better than 1.75 so maybe this would work. Hooked up the trailer and everything was copacetic (you can hear the dexter brake actuator when it's asserting the trailer brakes). Pulled the 5th wheel to Minnesota with no issues. The ITBM now works with my trailer and I can use the cruise control when towing, like before with the P3. I'm guessing something changed in the software update that affected the voltage or frequency or both the ITBM uses to detect a trailer attached to the truck.

- John D

I also think my ITBM is working better after the T05 and T25 recalls. SnoKing

 

[SnoKing]

I wanted to bump this thread one last time because after a recent safety related recall (I think it had something to do with the air bags not deploying after a roll over event), the truck was displaying a check ebs warning, which resulted in the cruise control being disabled. The dealer traced it to the ITBM being disconnected (because I had replaced it with the P3). Turns out the previous software was ignoring the missing ITBM, but the new software wasn't so accommodating. The dealer reconnected the ITBM so my cruise control would work again.

Since the shop hooked the ITBM back up, I decided to give it another chance with today's tow to Minnesota. I measured the naked brake line at .98 vdc. Better than 1.75 so maybe this would work. Hooked up the trailer and everything was copacetic (you can hear the dexter brake actuator when it's asserting the trailer brakes). Pulled the 5th wheel to Minnesota with no issues. The ITBM now works with my trailer and I can use the cruise control when towing, like before with the P3. I'm guessing something changed in the software update that affected the voltage or frequency or both the ITBM uses to detect a trailer attached to the truck.

- John D

I also think my ITBM is working better after the T05 and T25 recalls. SnoKing

 

[Cummins12V98]

I will be towing soon and will try to remember to hook mine back up. Honestly the MaxBrake works so well I really have no reason to do so other than curiosity!

 

[SnoKing]

I will be towing soon and will try to remember to hook mine back up. Honestly the MaxBrake works so well I really have no reason to do so other than curiosity!

Unless the recalls cause issues! SnoKing

 

[2013megacab]

So there are three wires from the truck to brake actuator on the trailer: battery + (12V), battery - (neutral or chassis ground), and the brake feed from the ITBM (0-12V). ...

I have been looking at installing disc brakes on my trailer. The Hydrastar actuator installation manual says that the 12V power line for the actuator should be capable of up to 40 amps. The 12V line from your truck, unless it has been modified, is probably not capable of providing enough current to properly operate your actuator. I will be wiring the main 12V feed to my actuator with BIG wire direct from the trailer batteries.

This is speculation, but if the draw from your actuator pulls the supply voltage below 12V, the actuator may malfunction. Further, if separated from the truck, your brakes will have no power to respond the the breakaway switch unless you have provided a breakaway battery.




If I have misinterpreted your statement quoted above, ignore.

Al

 

[jacknife]

I have a 14 3500 . I put after market Titan Disc brakes on my 5th wheel. I put the controller on elec over hydraulic and have had no issues . I set the gain at 4.5 - 5

 

[Cummins12V98]

Unless the recalls cause issues! SnoKing

Like what?

 

[SnoKing]

Like what?

What was noted in another thread I pointed you to about cruise control not working with non-OEM brake controller plugged in. I think you had the issue coming back North in the spring. Did you have the roll over Recall done?

SnoKing