New guy here, first truck, 2010 Ram 1500 TRX4 4x4 4.7.
I will be towing a friend's car trailer soon, is uses the big round wire harness, (obiously I'm not familiar with them.)
I know these support brakes, I know the trailer has one, so the question; I'm assuming since this is a factory installed harness the truck has the brake controller built in? Or is this not the case?
Thanks for the help, sorry for the stupid question.

 

If the brake controller was built in it would be on your left kinda by your knee. I do not believe that the TRX came out of the factory with them...

As far as if you need one or not, anything that weighs over 3000lbs is mandatory. This is the total weight, meaning trailer and cargo. Basically in today's day an age anything with the 7-pin connector ("big round wire harness") is going to be quipped with electric trailer brakes. Most of the time any cargo trailer is going to have it anyways, chances of there being 3000lbs total weight with that trailer is going to happen more then once.

If you do a search here, you will find a DIY for installing the factory controller if you do not have one. Most people around here recommend going that way. Your truck is already equipped to handle it, all you need is the controller. It is a nice clean install from what I have seen, and your not bumping your knees into it like you would an aftermarket one. The only problem with that is in order to make it work with your evic you will need to go to the dealer to get it flashed. Some people do it, some people don't, but it still will work...

Hope that answers your question...

 

You do have the plug at the rear of your truck and the lights will work for sure. As you are sitting in the driver's seat, do you have the brake controler unit by your left knee? If you do not the trailer brakes will not work. You will need a trailer brake controler. You MAY have 2 options, if under the dash by where the brake controler should be there are 2 pigtails hanging you can install a MOPAR brake controler, if you only have one the only brake control box you can install is an aftermarket box. I assume you will have a car on the trailer? If you do, you will need a brake controler. Hopes this helps.

Robert M. Baxa
Parts Director
Steve White Motors

 

Does the trailer have hydraulic or electric brakes? If it has electric then you need a brake controller, if it has hydaraulic then you don't.

 

I'll tell you the same thing that made me buy a brake controller. They are required in most states. If you get caught without one you can get in trouble. That was enough for me to get one. I found a factory unit on ebay and paid $90 shipped then I spent $10 for the mounting bracket and another $90 for the dealer to reflash the computer. So I spent $190 installed and ready to run but it is the factory unit and install and I do not bang my knee on it when I get in and out of the truck. Look around it may take a little bit but you'll find one eventually and it will be done right without cutting wires or drilling holes in the dash. Good luck and happy towing!

 

mopar-wholsale.com

 

In NY, any trailer that weighs over 1,000lbs empty, is required to have brakes! All states are different, but 3k seems to be pretty much across the board for most.

http://www.roadkingtrailers.com/brakelaws.htm

No way I would ever tow 3,000lbs without brakes. It'll push your truck all over. If its wet out, it'll jack knife your truck if you brake hard. Very unsafe. For a car trailer with a car, it's a MUST.

 

That is kind of why I say generally most trailers (especially enclosed ones) will very rarely come without brakes...

I have towed a 6000lb trailer with trailer brakes, however without a controller. So technically no brakes. Its not fun...It was for an old company that I refused to buy a 3/4 ton for one thing, but was too cheap to even buy a controller for the 1/2 ton we already had. It was a 2006 GM with the 4.9 vortec or whatever it was (crap haha) We were climbing up side of mountains with this trailer, coming down was the scariest thing in my life. Put it in 4wd low, limited it to first gear. Still rode the brakes all the way down. NOT GOOD. It was then my coworker and I refused to drive it without one. We did one more job after that, no hills tho, but blew the tranny in it. They then replaced that with a piece of junk superduty with the 5.4 junk under the hood. The vortec had more power then that thing, however it did handle the trailer well but sacrificed ride quality. Built in controller...

Bottom line is I will never haul a trailer again without a controller, especially one at that weight. Which is around the same weight you will see hauling a car. Now that I think back if we were ever stopped by the DOT we would be in crapload of trouble.

 

I use a controller called Prodigy by Tekonsha. It's wireless. I have two different vehicles I can tow a light travel trailer with and all I do is take the remote with me to the new vehicle. They cost more but you don't have the cost of the hard wired controller and labor. I attached the trailer control module with the theft proof screws to the frame.