Towing Brakes??

[dieselscout80]

I have a 2003 Explorer Limited with a 4.6L, which has the 2" hitch and the factory 7 wire plug.

I have checked and the 7 wire plug works with all the lights on my trailer.

I ordered the Tekonsha-Trailer-Brake-Control-Harness 3035-P to use my Tekonsha prodigy brake controller.

I found the plug behind the glove box to plug the 3035-P into.

Do I need to make any other connections to get the trailer brakes working?

 

[wifes2011xlt]

Well, you gonna need a trailer to pull.

Other than making sure all connections between the trailer and tow vehicle work, looks like you're all set on the tow vehicle side. Run your checks on the trailer side too. There is much more involved in towing than making sure brakes are working though. Whacha ya gonna be pullin'?

 

[dieselscout80]

Well, you gonna need a trailer to pull.

Other than making sure all connections between the trailer and tow vehicle work, looks like you're all set on the tow vehicle side. Run your checks on the trailer side too. There is much more involved in towing than making sure brakes are working though. Whacha ya gonna be pullin'?

I hope I don't forget to hookup the trailer...

I have to haul hay with the Explorer this year since my 97 GMC K3500 engine went belly up. With the GMC I hauled 80 bales at a time since I can only store about 75 bales, but I was trying to get setup to haul and store 160 bales, which is what I need to get through a winter.

I have a 18' tandem flatbed trailer with brakes that weighs just under 2500lbs. The hay is about 50lbs per bale. I'm not sure if the Explorer will like the tongue weight with 80 bales, so I may load 60 or 70 bales.

With 60 bales the trailer is 3 bales high (tiers) the full length. With 70 bales I would load 4 tiers on the back of the trailer over the trailer axles and three at the front which may help with the tongue weight.

Trailer 2500lbs + (60 bales=3000lbs) = 5500 lbs
Trailer 2500lbs + (70 bales=3500lbs) = 6000 lbs
Trailer 2500lbs + (80 bales=4000lbs) = 6500 lbs

I think I'm going to try 60 the first time.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

You using weight distribution? That will help with tongue weight and more even braking. Actually, I think you may need it anyways. Class III/IV hitches usually only go up to 5000lbs dead weight and 500-600lbs tongue weight.

 

[dieselscout80]

You using weight distribution? That will help with tongue weight and more even braking. Actually, I think you may need it anyways. Class III/IV hitches usually only go up to 5000lbs dead weight and 500-600lbs tongue weight.

I have never used one and not sure how to set one up with out a load on the trailer.

I'm thinking of trying the first load with out one and then trying one if I need one. Its right at 30 miles one way to get hay and 55 MPH is max.

I miss my one ton it was simple just hook up and go even with a 8000lb excavator on the trailer.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

Ya man, that one ton will definitely git 'er done. I have a 1/2 ton burb that I tug our boat with about 5700lb rig. Not winning any races but man, is it stable motoring down the road.

Ya, you'll have to load the trailer up and also find some way to get an actual tongue weight. With varying loads too, it might get tricky. I personally just don't wrench the chains on as much with lighter loads.

I think you got a game plan that'll work though. Good luck.

 

[Joe in NY]

I hope you have great trailer brakes... The brakes on an explorer are just enough for the explorer alone! I towed our empty tandem car hauler/flatbed with my explorer. Holy crap! It felt like I was in our Suburban, all 5 family members, car full of food and clothes, tools, + the 5,500 lbs of boat behind us that has no brakes of its own! And that was only me and the trailer, nothing else! So while it is equipped with towing wiring and receiver, it is not setup for stopping. (or taking off really, the 4.6 is really gutless)

 

[dieselscout80]

I hope you have great trailer brakes... The brakes on an explorer are just enough for the explorer alone! I towed our empty tandem car hauler/flatbed with my explorer. Holy crap! It felt like I was in our Suburban, all 5 family members, car full of food and clothes, tools, + the 5,500 lbs of boat behind us that has no brakes of its own! And that was only me and the trailer, nothing else! So while it is equipped with towing wiring and receiver, it is not setup for stopping. (or taking off really, the 4.6 is really gutless)

Well I don't think it will pull like my GMC did, but I'll bet it will do for three loads of hay this year.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

Just adjust the boost on your brake controller. I set it so I can feel the trailer brakes almost pulling my tow vehicle to a stop.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

5,500 lbs of boat behind us that has no brakes of its own!

that would be illegal where I'm from.

 

[Joe in NY]

that would be illegal where I'm from.

You should see how many boat trailers that have no brakes. 3,500 + lbs for the boat and 1,500 + lbs for the trailer. Then you add all the ropes and boards, etc...

 

[dieselscout80]

Well I got the cable and controller installed and tested them and it works great. I did NOT have to make any other connections.

Our Explorer did come with the factory 2" hitch and 7 wire plug.

 

[dieselscout80]

Well I noticed a problem tonight.

My brake controller (Tekonsha Prodigy from late 2003) was staying on all the time.

My controller has always timed out / gone to sleep in my 97 GMC K3500.

Why would it stay powered on with the Explorer?

 

[Joe in NY]

It might think that there is a trailer hooked up. Check for any shorts in the wires.

Also with ford, at any moment you can press the brake pedal and the lights will come on. GM you have to have the key in and on in order for the brake lights to function. Might have something to do with it...

 

[wifes2011xlt]

It might think that there is a trailer hooked up. Check for any shorts in the wires.

Also with ford, at any moment you can press the brake pedal and the lights will come on. GM you have to have the key in and on in order for the brake lights to function. Might have something to do with it...

I think Joe might be on to something here. Also, the type/manufacturer of the trailer's actuator might have something to do with it. I've heard of tow vehicles requiring adapters for certain types of actuators, i.e. electric over hydraulic braking systems. I've never had any experience with this though so can't help any more than that.

Also, when you say "stay on", do you mean the trailer brakes are constantly applied or just that the controller is always powered on? If it's powered on, does it also do it when they key is on your pocket? It could be that your truck is wired so that you can have apply brakes without having to turn the ignition switch to ON, as an added safety feature.

 

[dieselscout80]

I think Joe might be on to something here. Also, the type/manufacturer of the trailer's actuator might have something to do with it. I've heard of tow vehicles requiring adapters for certain types of actuators, i.e. electric over hydraulic braking systems. I've never had any experience with this though so can't help any more than that.

Also, when you say "stay on", do you mean the trailer brakes are constantly applied or just that the controller is always powered on? If it's powered on, does it also do it when they key is on your pocket? It could be that your truck is wired so that you can have apply brakes without having to turn the ignition switch to ON, as an added safety feature.

Just the controller powered on no trailer hooked up.

I should have stated that one the trailer was not hooked up and two the Explorer had been turned off four more than 24 hours.

I called Tekonsha and the tech said to test for voltage between the red and white wites at the controller end of the 3035-P wireing harness.

If the there is voltage there with the key off he said the Explorer brake light switch may be faulty.

He did state that maybe just unhook it wait a few minutes and then reconnect the Prodigy and that may reset it (its been unplugged since last night).

 

[dieselscout80]

I checked for power between the red and white wires, but my meter only showed 0.7 of a volt.

I reconnected the controller and this time it went into sleep mode like has always done before.

The tekonsha tech said they can some times need restarting because the software gets confused.

 

[Joe in NY]

hmm strange. But everything needs a reset sometime. We have the P3. Its fantastic. Currently only electric brakes on our car carrier/flatbed. But its much nicer to tow behind our suburban with the controller...

Which controller do you have?

 

[dieselscout80]

hmm strange. But everything needs a reset sometime. We have the P3. Its fantastic. Currently only electric brakes on our car carrier/flatbed. But its much nicer to tow behind our suburban with the controller...

Which controller do you have?

Tekonsha Prodigy P2, but I got it back in 2003, so maybe it just a Prodigy.

 

[dieselscout80]

Well I hauled hay yesterday the load ended up being 70 bales (50 lbs each) which is 3500 lbs. The trailer is just under 2500 lbs so the load was about 6000 lbs. The explorer is about 4500 lbs so the gross combined load was 10,500 lbs or so. The 4.6L Explorer's max trailer load is 7,160 lbs, so I was under that. The GCWR for Explorer and trailer is 11,600 lbs per the link below, so I was under that.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416616

I think the tongue weight was high, but the explorer handled it just fine. The route is hilly and the 4.6L pulled the load great.

The GMC K3500 in the back ground died and that's why the Explorer got pressed into hauling hay.