I have a 2010 Laramie Crew Cab with factory brake controller. I'm having a trailer built with Kodiak disc brakes and want to use an electric over hydraulic actuator. I've been looking at the Titan Brakerite II Actuator. No one knows at the trailer dealer if this will work with the Ram controllers. Does anyone here have an electric over hydraulic actuator and if so what kind and does the brake controller work with it? Thanks in advance.

 

Any electric actuator that needs a 12V signal should work with the factory BC. Thats really all it is doing is sending a signal that is modulated by how high/low the BC is set. Now, as to how well the actuator works, I have no clue.....

 

I know how an actuator works.

I want to know if anyone has hooked up an electric over hydraulic actuator like the popular Titan brand or some other company and actually had the factory installed Brake Controller actually control the actuator. Right now, there seems to be a question as to whether it will. The trailer companies and actuator manufacturer are not sure if the Ram brake controller on the 2010 and 2011 will be compatible.

 

Doubt if the factory controller will work. There are only a few controllers rated for electric over hydraulic - most of them specifically say that they will not work.

 

Your question is so specific the only way to get an answer is if someone has that exact set up. If the trailer and the brake people don't know I doubt Dodge would.

Would it be possible for the trailer people to hook up the actuator to your truck and see if it works? That is the only way I can think of to find out.

 

Not really. Problem is that most electronic brake controllers have a pulsed output which plays hell with electric over hydraulic systems. They might appear to work, or even work some of the time but not work right when you really need it.

 

Not really specific except for using an EHB (electric over hydraulic brake actuator). These are becoming more popular than the surge brake system of the old days. The same question would have applied if the EHB was Titan, Dexter or any other brand. Seems the brake controller IS only setup for electric brakes. Electric brakes would not last in saltwater. The EHB is located on the tongue of the trailer. The brake controller sends an appropriate signal to the electric side of the actuator and the actuator meters the appropriate hydraulic pressure to the brakes. I have friends that have them and they are really slick. The braking control is 10X better than surge. Bleeding is a piece of cake, maintenance is easy, etc., etc.

I've been digging deeper. There is an adapter made for Chevy and Ford trucks which plugs into the newer Titan Brakerite II SD brake actuator and their controllers work. No one has used one on a Dodge factory installed brake controller and no one will stick their neck out and say it will work. The adapter is an easy plug in fit and costs $60. I'd go with it and be happy to pay the $60 but I would be committed since the trailer would be a special build and the brakes would need to be controlled by some type of electric signal to the actuator. Worse case scenario, I would have to wire in another type of brake controller. No big deal but I would like the factory installed to be my controller of choice.

For those interested, I will update as I learn more. EHB is definitely going to be the way to go in the future for heavy saltwater boat hauling. Matching up a quality EHB with Kodiak stainless brake calipers and silver cadmium rotors takes a lot of corrosion problems out of the trailering process.

 

Have read in other forums that the oem controller on a dodge do's not work properly on eoh systems because of not enough amperage to power motor as well as pluse. You are correct that eoh is the way to go as far as boat trailers however after 16 years building trailers please look at the dexter oeh controller as well as I have replaced to many other heads that break down and company no longer in business to get warranty.

 

My understanding is that the controller for the '09-'11 Rams won't work with EOH brakes, but the controller for the '12s and newer will. I don't think they're interchangeable,