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Old 07-02-2017, 11:38 AM   #1
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How necessary is a brake controller?

I recently purchased a Cornerstone. I also bought a 3,500lb flatbed trailer that I tow my F150 on, with a combined weight of roughly 8,400lbs. I have yet to install a brake controller, and doing numerous mountain grades I never even feel the trailer. I have also yet to even figure out if the trailer brakes are engaging when I push the brake pedal. But a brake controller is relatively cheap, and a accident is expensive, should I go ahead and install one? Will it make any sort of noticeable difference?
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Old 07-02-2017, 11:43 AM   #2
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It is not about weather you need it or not, with that weight, it is a law that you have the braking on the trailer. If you came into a bad situation where you had to stop fast, those brakes on that trailer will make the difference in being able to stop to avoid a accident.
The brake's working will make a big difference in stopping and braking for sure.........you will have to play with the controller to get it adjusted properly, the instructions that come with it will guide you on how to set it up and adjust the gain.
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Old 07-02-2017, 11:51 AM   #3
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If you have an accident and investigation reveals no brake controller, your liability is almost guaranteed. That's why I have it on my car otherwise 3500 lbs is no sweat for our 45,000 lb rig.
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Old 07-02-2017, 11:51 AM   #4
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Quote:
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I have also yet to even figure out if the trailer brakes are engaging when I push the brake pedal.

Confused by this statement .
When you bought the trailer , was it listed as having electric brakes , or surge braking.

If you have non functioning electric trailer brakes , in the event of an at fault accident , you're giving your insurance company a way out of paying a claim .
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Old 07-02-2017, 12:12 PM   #5
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Confused by this statement .
When you bought the trailer , was it listed as having electric brakes , or surge braking.

If you have non functioning electric trailer brakes , in the event of an at fault accident , you're giving your insurance company a way out of paying a claim .
The trailer 100% has brakes, it is a car hauler. It also has a breakaway kit. When I first purchased the trailer I pulled it behind my f-150 which has a built in brake controller. By adjusting the brake controller I could feel a considerable impact on the F150's braking power/impact, even with a unloaded trailer.

My first post is confusing the issue, I'm confident that the trailer brakes work, when attached to the Cornerstone. My question/concern was, I assumed without a brake controller that the brakes, when applied in the motorhome, could potentially apply too much braking force to the trailer, and maybe eve smoke the tires. I thought the purpose of the brake controller was to adjust how much force was being applied at the trailer.
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Old 07-02-2017, 12:29 PM   #6
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W/O a 'brake controller' installed in your RIG there is NO braking power going to the trailer electric brakes.

You HAVE to have a brake controller that is hooked up to your RIG via a 'harness' which has DC power from your rig, brake input from your rig and then brake power (plus trailer running lights, turn signals, brake lights) via the trailer 7 pin plug ...
you do have a 7 pin plug that trailer umbilical cord plugs into ???

Brake controller......pick rig year/model
https://www.etrailer.com/fitguidebc.htm
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Old 07-02-2017, 01:38 PM   #7
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Your cornerstone will have the wiring harness for the brake controller under the dash panel. It should be labeled. When hooked up correctly to a controller, you will have energy to your trailer brakes via the 7 pin plug in the back. Right now you have no power going to your trailer brakes.
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Old 07-02-2017, 02:29 PM   #8
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I would consider purchasing an automatic brake controller. I used a Tekonsha Prodigy P2 for years when towing a 6600 lb Travel Trailer with a pick up truck. The automatic ones apply the same amount of brakes as you apply to the tow vehicle. You program the controller to fit your trailer, such as how many axles it has and the type of brakes. They run between $120 and $130. I hope this helps
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Old 07-02-2017, 02:44 PM   #9
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Not sure what year CS you have, but the pre 16's the brake controller wire is a blue wire behind the left side kick panel. I don't know about the newer models. Connect that wire to a brake controller and your good to go.
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Old 07-02-2017, 03:07 PM   #10
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Not sure what year CS you have, but the pre 16's the brake controller wire is a blue wire behind the left side kick panel. I don't know about the newer models. Connect that wire to a brake controller and your good to go.
Great! Is there any sort of adapter that I need? I went ahead and purchased a Tekonsha P3.
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Old 07-02-2017, 03:13 PM   #11
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Great! Is there any sort of adapter that I need? I went ahead and purchased a Tekonsha P3.
That I don't know, I just remember there is a brake controller wire behind the panel. Here is an old post that might help. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/wiri...er-204232.html

Here is another post with more info. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/trai...er-180882.html
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Old 07-02-2017, 04:08 PM   #12
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Not sure what year CS you have, but the pre 16's the brake controller wire is a blue wire behind the left side kick panel. I don't know about the newer models. Connect that wire to a brake controller and your good to go.
Don't know about Cornerstone but on my 2017 Aspire the brake controller wires were behind the instrument cluster. More or less behind the tach. Insulation color is blue for the main wire.

Link to photo: https://goo.gl/photos/hVDdhgYMQsu136yn9
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Old 07-02-2017, 04:13 PM   #13
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Don't know about Cornerstone but on my 2017 Aspire the brake controller wires were behind the instrument cluster. More or less behind the tach. Insulation color is blue for the main wire.

Link to photo: https://goo.gl/photos/hVDdhgYMQsu136yn9

Thanks for the photos! How did you connect your brake controller to those two wires?
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Old 07-02-2017, 04:22 PM   #14
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Well I didn't use it for that purpose, I used it to send a signal back to a dash light to let me know when my toad brakes were actually being applied.

Not familiar with brake controllers but assume the output is a control wire and possibly a ground. As I recall the blue is the control wire that goes to the corresponding brake controller pin on the 7 pin hitch connector and there may have been a dedicated ground wire in there too - they were all labeled. If not and you need a ground for the controller output any chassis ground should do the job. Hope that helps a little.
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