Trailer brakes

[danmorea]

I consider a trailer an implement
Question
If you have a trailer with brakes 7 way plug
Without a brake controller does the brake on the trailer work?
I have a brake control on my truck
Just
If my neighbor borrow my trailer and the truck has a 7 way plug but no brake controller will the trailer brake work?

 

[dirtydeed]

Assuming that you have electric brakes on your trailer and not surge brakes...nope. There won't be any voltage on one pin to apply braking effort.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

No....unless..
1) he powers the 'blue' wire somehow...
or
2) the trailer disconnects ,then the brakes will come on( providing the 'breakaway' system is working...)

Most (all ?) PUs have prewired connections for trailers these days, controllers are cheap( I have 7 free ones here,from scrapped PUs...)

There could be a 'liability' problem..hauling a trailer without brakes and a 'booboo' occours.....

 

[danmorea]

Most older trucks that have a 7 pin connector factory with the hitch
I thought that will work with the trailer brakes
Than I read an article that is not
I install myself on my truck a brake controller because I needed to control the trailer better when I tow something heavy
And I have lots of hills

 

[danmorea]

Most older trucks that have a 7 pin connector factory with the hitch
I thought that will work with the trailer brakes
Than I read an article that is not
I install myself on my truck a brake controller because I needed to control the trailer better when I tow something heavy
And I have lots of hills

And
Just got a used stock /horse trailer 16 feet long steel
It has brake in the rear but a 4 way plug
I redo the wire to a 7 way
This trailer weighs like 2500 empty
Amazing how some people are towing

 

[TWP1954]

I consider a trailer an implement
Question
If you have a trailer with brakes 7 way plug
Without a brake controller does the brake on the trailer work?
I have a brake control on my truck
Just
If my neighbor borrow my trailer and the truck has a 7 way plug but no brake controller will the trailer brake work?

You have to have a brake controller for the electric brakes to work. Either after market or factory controller

 

[Russell King]

You may want to get the friends to buy one of these controllers for rental fee on the trailer

Amazon.com

 

[GreensvilleJay]

One day I bodged a 60A 'starter pushbutton' to the blue and red wires under the dash 'brake controller' wiring of my old F150. taped the switch to the gearshift. hauled all day, full loads of fill. got real good at 'press,release' to engage the trailer brakes.
when you get a controller, be sure to buy the 'adapter' so it's a quick, goofproof install that WORKS firsttime. also be sure to check which fuse IS the trailer brakes. some PUs don't have fuse/and relay installed at factory.saves them 25cents ,causes you a lot of grief !

 

[Mlarv]

Is your neighbors truck a newer Ford? If so there is a way to install a Ford Brake controller and turn it on so you can run it though the dash trailer screens. On the newer trucks the brake controllers are intagrated into the instrument cluster, so a factory controller is the better way to go, in my opion.

 

[danmorea]

I have a brake controller on my truck
A good one
It works wonderfully
Just I was wondering if without if the 7way plug apply the brakes on trailer
Like
My neighbor doesn’t have a brake controller just a factory 7way plug on 10 year old gmc

 

[Dave_eng]

I have a brake controller on my truck
A good one
It works wonderfully
Just I was wondering if without if the 7way plug apply the brakes on trailer
Like
My neighbor doesn’t have a brake controller just a factory 7way plug on 10 year old gmc

If the 7 way plug is relying on the tractor brake light circuit to apply the trailer brakes, I think you will find most North American Kubota's do not have brake lights nor brake light switches although some WSM's printed for a number of countries may show the switch.

Dave

 

[William1]

Most brake controllers are 'switched on' by the brake lights and then an internal inertia sensor determines how much current to apply to the brakes, keeping the application proportional. I have a 'Prodigy' controller and it woks pretty good.
If you want to skip the electric brakes you can have a trailer tongue activated hydraulic system installed. They typically only need a switch to deactivate the braking function when backing up.
The seven way plug provides brake current to the trailer You could run a brake current and a ground cable to the trailer and have the electric brakes work at a minimum, you would have to have a switch on the brake pedal (or perhaps a momentary contarct dash switch (like a horn button) to activate the brake controller. Hold the button down and step on the trailer brakes.