electric brakes

[Kenny Strong]

HI ALL

I removed the axle in my 13' Bigfoot, and had it straightened, bent by p.o.; did not know about it when purchased. I disconnected the wiring to the brakes, at the hubs and did not mark which wire went to which wire. The wires coming out of the brake drum are both the same color. Does this mean that there is no positive or negative? I am replacing the outside wiring between the two wheels. I have bought new backing plates, that come with shoes, and magnets, from Eastern marine.com. cost $105.00 including shipping! Perhaps there will be info with the plates when they come! I found one of the shoes coming free of the backing plate so I ordered new stuff. I was greasing the wheel bearing after reading the forum here, and found the brake problem. the axle was straightened with the brake drums still attached. The axle was removed in a campground at Watson Lake in the Yukon Territories Canada. I put on new tires here in Layton UT. USA. and the driver side was down to the core when we got to a city big enough to have a machine shop. I drove into Alaska and back to UT. with the brakes disconnected; it was very noticeable with and without, that is why I am hooking them back up. I really enjoy this Forum!

Later Kenny

[Spanke]

Originally Posted by Kenny Strong

HI ALL

I removed the axle in my 13' Bigfoot, and had it straightened, bent by p.o.; did not know about it when purchased. I disconnected the wiring to the brakes, at the hubs and did not mark which wire went to which wire. The wires coming out of the brake drum are both the same color. Does this mean that there is no positive or negative? I am replacing the outside wiring between the two wheels. I have bought new backing plates, that come with shoes, and magnets, from Eastern marine.com. cost $105.00 including shipping! Perhaps there will be info with the plates when they come! I found one of the shoes coming free of the backing plate so I ordered new stuff. I was greasing the wheel bearing after reading the forum here, and found the brake problem. the axle was straightened with the brake drums still attached. The axle was removed in a campground at Watson Lake in the Yukon Territories Canada. I put on new tires here in Layton UT. USA. and the driver side was down to the core when we got to a city big enough to have a machine shop. I drove into Alaska and back to UT. with the brakes disconnected; it was very noticeable with and without, that is why I am hooking them back up. I really enjoy this Forum!

Later Kenny

It does not matter which wire is connected to positive and which is connected to ground. Take your pick, you'll be correct either way!

Sounds like you've had an interesting experience with the brakes so far!

Spanke

[Thomas G.]

Hint: Don't ground the brakes to the frame, run a separate, soldered ground wire.

[Darwin Maring]

Tom,

Each brake has 1 wire to the frame and the other wire is the hot wire and connects in Parallel to each drum and on to the plug to the tow vehicle.

[Spanke]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Tom,

Each brake has 1 wire to the frame and the other wire is the hot wire and connects in Parallel to each drum and on to the plug to the tow vehicle.

Tom is correct. The wires that you designate as ground for each brake should not connect to the frame but run in parallel under the trailer to the ground of the trailer that connects to the TV (which should also connect to the frame). This assures a good ground for your brakes. The other wire, usually blue runs to each brake and should connect to the TV control wire which is also usually blue. Hope that makes sense

Spanke

[Darwin Maring]

The ground discussion always creates controversy.

On every camper and utility trailer I have ever owned, all grounds went to the frame or in the case of a metal clad trailer it went to the skin. Tail lights for example on metal clad and utility trailers only have a 1 or 2 hot wires with the ground being the bolt to the skin or frame.

Both the trailer and tow vehicle have a white wire connected to the frame and also in the plug/jack. The trailer can get the ground through the white wire and also through the Ball and Hitch connection however the ball/hitch is not 100% reliable.

Because we're only dealing with 12VDC, you can not have to many grounds. Now if we were talking about communications especially in a Red / Black situation, that would be different and the grounds should represent a tree with all the grounds going to the trunk.

If you have not tampered with your wiring, crawl under and take a look at the brake connections.

[Spanke]

There really shouldn't be a controversy on running grounds to brakes. Not only is it good wiring practice to run a separate ground wire, it is also recommended by Dexter who supplies the electric brakes used on a whole bunch of trailer axles.

This is from the Dexter web site:

"The wires on a Dexter magnet do not have polarity. It works like a common resistor. One wire will connect to power and the other to a ground. It is Dexter's recommendation that a common ground be run from the trailer plug to the brake magnets. Do not ground each brake individually to the trailer frame or structure. Also note that the brakes should be wired in parallel, not in series."

Since the electric trailer brakes are part of your whole tow and trailer safety system and grounds can be finicky, it makes sense to have the most reliable connections to the brake system.

Spanke

[Alan S. Illinois]

This is also from the Dexter resource,

AXLES - Why are some axles bent in the middle?
The upward bend in the axle is called "camber". Camber is the angular relationship of the wheel to the road surface in the vertical plane. Axles are typically built with a pre-determined bend in the tube that compensates for the expected deflection under load.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Tom,

Each brake has 1 wire to the frame and the other wire is the hot wire and connects in Parallel to each drum and on to the plug to the tow vehicle.

My suggestion was to save you trouble in the future. 99% of wiring troubles seem to come back to "I had a bad ground". Using the chassis as a ground makes sense in a car where it saves dozens of extra grounding wires, but in a fiberglass camper, it is just asking for trouble. Buy a big roll of black wire 14 gauge off eBay and just run a separate soldered ground wire to brakes and each light. You won't regret it.

[fusedlight]

I just got a quote from my local U-Haul for $330 to install their "Prodigy" controller on my Rav4. That sound in the ballpark?

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by fusedlight

I just got a quote from my local U-Haul for $330 to install their "Prodigy" controller on my Rav4. That sound in the ballpark?

Only if it includes the price of the controller. It is a relatively easy job to install, especially if they can use a custom plug in made for your particular vehicle.

[fusedlight]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Only if it includes the price of the controller. It is a relatively easy job to install, especially if they can use a custom plug in made for your particular vehicle.

Yup... includes the controller. I know I could do it myself, but I'm willing to pay to avoid "hassle" time.

[Dennis Clinton]

Fusedlight-check with Camping World. I think their Prodigy2 is still on sale for $99 and they sometimes have an installation 'sale' for $35. I just installed my own in my Explorer(did not have a factory harness conection).

Kenny-Hi from another Utahn!

[fusedlight]

@Dennis - Just did. Still less expensive at U-Haul...even with the "Good Sam" discount.

[Art VanDelay]

In a previous thread one of the electrical experts was critical of multiple grounds and in this thread we recommend multiple grounds.

Multiple grounds in a camper on the 12VDC is no problem and only increases your chance of a worry free experience.

About the Dexter axle recommendations: The axle manufacture will always suggest the best solution however the camper manufactures often will take the easiest and less costly way out. Get under your camper and I suggest you will find what Mr. Maring in a post above stated.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Hint: Don't ground the brakes to the frame, run a separate, soldered ground wire.

NOTE on soldered wiring,,, DON'T.
Soldered connections WILL FAIL. Look around you auto and find all the solder connections, even better go Boing and look around all the wiring in a 747 and find the solder connections. HINT... You won't find any other than those on a circuit board. Wires are crimped.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Art VanDelay

In a previous thread one of the electrical experts was critical of multiple grounds and in this thread we recommend multiple grounds.

Multiple grounds in a camper on the 12VDC is no problem and only increases your chance of a worry free experience.

About the Dexter axle recommendations: The axle manufacture will always suggest the best solution however the camper manufactures often will take the easiest and less costly way out. Get under your camper and I suggest you will find what Mr. Maring in a post above stated.

Multiple grounds could be a problem if you use electronics on board. Ground loops can cause interference with your TV, Radio, and your neighbors electronics. Grounding to the frame should be done at one point and one point only so that no current flows in the frame.

However, since the brakes are applied intermittently, they can be safely connected to the frame. The chances of interference are very small in this case. That's only exception to the one point rule.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

NOTE on soldered wiring,,, DON'T.
Soldered connections WILL FAIL. Look around you auto and find all the solder connections, even better go Boing and look around all the wiring in a 747 and find the solder connections. HINT... You won't find any other than those on a circuit board. Wires are crimped.

Airplanes and circuit boards are not drenched in salty water on a regular basis. Trailer frames are. Mechanical connections corrode over time in these conditions. I bolt and solder to the frame.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by fusedlight

Yup... includes the controller. I know I could do it myself, but I'm willing to pay to avoid "hassle" time.

sometimes the best tool in your tool box,,,is your checkbook.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Airplanes and circuit boards are not drenched in salty water on a regular basis. Trailer frames are. Mechanical connections corrode over time in these conditions. I bolt and solder to the frame.

I suppose the under side of your motor vehicle isn't exposed to same conditions? REPEAT... FIND A SOLDERED CONNECTION ON YOUR VEHICLE..