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07-22-2017, 07:27 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 97
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Electric Brake Trailer on Air Brake A Class ?
Hi,
I need to tow an trailer with electric brakes behind my 2001 Monaco Diplomat with air brakes. Right now I only have a 4 prong trailer plug on the hitch. Is there anything special or anything I need to know about adding an electric brake controller to it ? I've never done this and no one I know can answer me, is it an issue because the Monaco has air brakes ?
Thanks
Michael
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07-22-2017, 07:44 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Mid Atlantic Campers Forest River Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Mechanicsburg, PA
Posts: 541
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If it's on a F-Liner chassis there may already be a brake controller plug in on the left side of the steering column under the dash area.
__________________
Earl
2013 Berkshire 390BH 360
My Albums
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07-22-2017, 10:15 PM
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#3
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Community Administrator
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 21,272
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Quote:
Originally Posted by duckboatking
Hi,
I need to tow an trailer with electric brakes behind my 2001 Monaco Diplomat with air brakes. Right now I only have a 4 prong trailer plug on the hitch. Is there anything special or anything I need to know about adding an electric brake controller to it ? I've never done this and no one I know can answer me, is it an issue because the Monaco has air brakes ?
Thanks
Michael
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You will have to add another line from the coach to the trailer for the brakes, which will mean a five or six prong plug. If your chassis is not already wired for a brake controller, then you'll have to run a wire from the controller in the cockpit area to the plug on the back of the coach.
__________________
2017 Phaeton 40IH XSH Maroon Coral - Power Glide Chassis with IFS
Previous '15 Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA and '06 Itasca Sunrise 35A
'16 Jeep JKU Wrangler Sahara or '08 Honda Goldwing
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07-23-2017, 05:32 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 97
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It's on a Roadmaster Chassis
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07-23-2017, 05:37 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 97
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Thanks, I was hoping it was pre-wired so I wouldn't have to run wires all the way to the dash. Where do I pick up the brake signal ? to activate the brakes on the electric brake controller ?
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07-23-2017, 07:03 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,912
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duckboatking-
Here is a link to a Google search of iRV2 posts with the terms "2001," "Diplomat" and "brake controller" in them.
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Mark
2008 Holiday Rambler Admiral 30PDD (Ford F-53 chassis)
2009 Honda Fit Sport
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07-23-2017, 10:42 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posts: 1,392
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It sounds like you will need to run all the wires. One thing to remember about diesel motorhomes with air brakes is that most have an engine brake of some type and many engine brakes activate the brake lights. When installing a electric brake controller on these you need to isolate that signal to the controller so the trailer brakes do not activate with the engine brake, only when the service brakes are applied. My last two diesel motorhomes had an isolated brake light switch so it was easy. I also helped a friend with a 07 Monaco that did not have that feature so I wired up a relay to isolate but you can also use a diode.
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2012 Monaco Knight 36 PFT
Towing either a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland or a car in a 20' enclosed car trailer.
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07-23-2017, 12:29 PM
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#8
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,573
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There will be a brake light switch terminal on the air brake treadle valve, but just where that is on a Roadmaster I cannot say. The treadle valve is the air valve that the brake pedal operates mechanically, so up front somewhere.
It's not necessarily bad if the trailer brakes activate with the engine/exhaust brake. If you use an inertial controller, it will still modulate as it should for proper proportional breaking. If it's a time-dependent controller, than long downhills can possibly cause excessive trailer braking.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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07-24-2017, 10:16 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Holt, Florida
Posts: 151
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Buy a trailer connector that has the hook-up for the 4 blade flat connector that you already have, Then the instructions for the controller will tell you how to wire it all the way to the rear. It will also tell you about installing an 40 amp auto reset relay. Do that back by your batteries.
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07-24-2017, 10:24 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Solo Rvers Club
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,834
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This might help.
Note the 5th wire (blue) going to the trailer for the brakes. If the trailer has a breakaway switch and a rechargable 12 volt battery to activate the trailer brakes in the event of a breakaway you might want a 6th wire to provide ignition on 12 volts to the trailer to charge the battery, use a 12 gauge wire and put a 20 Amp circuit breaker in series with it if you do it. If you have backup lights on the trailer and want to power them then that's the 7th wire on a 7-way connector.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-install...m-scratch.aspx
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Randy - Manhattan, Kansas
2015 Vista 27N
2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
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07-24-2017, 11:51 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 868
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When I rewired my 98 Dynasty for a trailer I put in a 7 prong plug. I had to run a wire from the dash to new plug and last week I wired my controller so it doesn't come on when
I use my exhaust break. I have a Roadmaster frame and there was 2 air switches wired parallel for the brake lights so I took switched wire off on off the brake light switches and tape it and hooked up the brake activation wire to it and it works great.
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07-24-2017, 12:31 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Eads, TN
Posts: 187
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I would recommend this brake controller as it is a Proportioned Brake Controller. You can get it off of Amazon, thats where I got mine, I just used this link for reference https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Contr...iABEgJWevD_BwE
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07-25-2017, 07:02 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 97
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Thank You, I ordered the brake controller today, so I'll have it in a couple more days, I'm sure I'll have more questions once I have it in my hand...lol
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