Hey guys... I have a few questions I hope you can help me out with.

My 2003 1500 is wired for electric brakes. If I wanted to hook up a controller...where is the harness "dead ended" in the cab (Where do I hook the controller to)?

What type of controller should I get…whats preferred?

Is my towing with my bumper rated at the same as towing with my class 3 hitch? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but the two seem to be the same when I look underneath...? On the bumper, it says 500lb tongue weight and 5000lb towing. The specs for the class 3 hitch are much higher (about 1200lb tongue and 10000lb towing according to dodge). The guy from dodge told me 10000lb max towing capacity...I thought that seemed a bit high, he said thats the actual towing capacity and I do NOT have to subtract my vehicle weight form it. Does that sound right?


Thanks in advance!

 

the connector for the brake box is going to be under your steering wheel. Take that panel off and you should find the 4 pin connector somewhere on the left side. If I remember right, the connector is either white or blue. I picked up a Reese brake controller from Menards and I still use it. It even has a lifetime warranty.

 

Tekonsha Prodigy is the controller you want. Get the harness for your truck as well and it is plug 'n play. As for tow rating, it depends on what you have for a truck. Engine, tranny, towing package, gear ratio etc. all come into play. Your truck does NOT have a 10,000# towing capacity. My 2003 2500 is only rated at 8300#.

 

According to data provided by the American Camper's Association, my '04 1500 QC Hemi 4x4 with tow package and 3.92 gearing is rated to tow 8300 lbs. when ALL recommended accessories (trailer brakes, weight distributing hitch, etc.) are used. Upgrading to 4.56 gears increases this rating to 9300#.

These are IMPORTANT guidlines, because it is the ACA ratings that insurance companies use if it does not specifically specify tow limitations in your policy. Exceed these capacities and have an accident and YOU WILL NOT BE COVERED!!!

Ask "the guy from Dodge" if he will put that 10,000 lbs rating in writing so that you can go to them if you have an accident on the road and your insurance won't cover your damage or liability...


Sorry but I've got a pet peeve about idiots at stealerships giving bad advice because they are clueless and too lazy to find the correct answer, especially when it could end up costing you BIG TIME...

 

Thanks for the responses so far.

I'm definitely going to go for the Tekonsha prodigy (P3) if I were to get a controller.

As for the dealers giving the wrong info...trust me, its my pet peeve also! After I sat on hold for 30min I knew he was giving me bad info...aggravating!

I just ordered some Arnott Airbags to give me a bit more stability when carrying or towing heavier loads. I'm looking for a used dump trailer in my area to move around some wood and to do some odd jobs (demo jobs). Since my front end is lifted (my torsion bars were adjusted to bring my front end level) I know I would loose some control when carrying loads which in the past wouldn't have effected me as much with the stock rake.

Most of the trailers I'm looking at have electric brakes...but I'm going to wait and see what I end up with before buying the controller. Thanks for the help so far!

Any ideas on my bumper/hitch set up?

 

the P3 is a great controller, i love mine. and as for bumper towing, dont even consider it. the bumper is not anywhere close to as good as a hitch. if you have a class III hitch just forget about that hole in the bumper.

 

+1 on forgetting the bumper. They make hitches for a reason, use it. My dad used to run a prodigy, and my thats what I use to stop my 38' travel trailer that I have for work. Lol, and no I dont use my dodge to tow it with.

 

Tekonsha P3..Love mine. Has the progressive braking features that other controllers don't. This allows for even breaking between the turck/trailer whether braking at 30mph or 60mph rather than only one setting to stop the trailer like the other controllers give you.

Pulling with the bumper...It should be illegal. Don't even try it unless it's a small log splitter your towing. Even then, it's too close to the truck for comfort. A hitch pushed the trailer back a good 8-10" depending on your hitch length. This makes for easier towing and backing.
Stick to towing under 9,000lbs. in rarities and under 8,000lbs in everyday situations and you will be legal.
I wouldn't even think of towing any trailer that weighed over 3,000lbs without brakes. Huge difference in handling and stopping power not to mention you'll cook your truck brakes much faster.
As far as the lifted front...you can get Hotchkis fron/rear sway barsif your a mostly on the road guy. They will surely help with handling and towing stability.
And those Arnott bags...I've got'em and like'em. Only thing is that you cannot install them on lifted rear axles. They rest on top of the rear axle and bolt to the frame. If you lift the truck, the frame gets lifted away from the axle. You would need a set of Airlift or Riderite airbags that mount on the leaf spring for rear lifted trucks. The front being lifted has no effect on the rear. So if your rear is on blocks your bags won't work. Just a heads up. With just a level you will be fine. Actually the bags must have 5-10lbs air minimum and 10lbs of air in those bags lifts the back end up about 3/4". Go 40lbs and it will raise the back over an 1".

 

If I can only tow 8300 pounds with the 3.92's...then I guess I need to get the 4.56's!

 

If you plan to do that much on a regular basis you really should have a 2500. Sure you'll physically move it down the road with a 1500 but it just wasn't designed for that kind of duty.