Getting ready to tow a '21 Ram 1500, need some help.

[FIRE UP]

Hey gang,
Well, we traded in our beloved '11 GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab 4x4 that we've owned for 12.5 years for a '21 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 with the 3.0L Ecodiesel. Sure is a beautiful truck! But, time to move on and move UP. I think I'm gonna use the Demco base plates but not totally sold just yet. In bouncing around on E-trailers website, I can't seem to find a plug-and-play wiring harness for the tail lights.

I usually don't have any issues when digging up equipment I need for things like this but for some reason, I'm just not finding a harness for this truck. They (E-trailer) does show one but from the pics it's an open ended wiring one which means you have to cut and solder or crimp etc and I'm not totally against that, been doing that stuff for decades. But, I figure with the amount of folks towing, and available rigs for towing like our new-to-us '21 Ram 1500, SOMEBODY should have started making a tow harness. I'll keep looking but, if someone's towing a later model Ram, can I ask what harness you're using, I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks way in advance.
Scott

[hypoxia]

https://www.curtmfg.com/all-products...wing+Harnesses

[hypoxia]

https://www.irv2.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=1896

[FIRE UP]

Hey Boys,
I surely appreciate your assistance here. Ya know, I checked on Etrailer's website and just couldn't find what I was looking for. I've know Curt products for decades but it just didn't dawn on me to cruise on over to the Curt website and take a look around there. I'm pretty sure that the one you linked is gonna work on our new '21 Ram 1500. Sooooo, it's ordered up and should be here in a couple days, we'll see.

Now, to find some base plates. They're sure proud of them but, ya gotta pay what ya gotta pay if you're gonna you want the necessary parts that will do the job correctly and safely.

Then comes the brakes. I've used both NSA (Ready Brake) in the past and it worked find but, when it came time to rebuild it, they wouldn't send me the parts I needed. Sooooo, I went with the M&G for our other truck. Not sure I want to go that M&G route this time or not. Still considering different avenues.
Scott

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Then comes the brakes. I've used both NSA (Ready Brake) in the past and it worked find but, when it came time to rebuild it, they wouldn't send me the parts I needed. Sooooo, I went with the M&G for our other truck. Not sure I want to go that M&G route this time or not. Still considering different avenues. Scott

The only real difference between M&G and Airforce 1 is the position of the cylinder. I chose M&G since I prefer their approach. Your mileage may differ. I have a 2021 Ram 1500 toad.

[PanJH]

Originally Posted by hypoxia

The only real difference between M&G and Airforce 1 is the position of the cylinder. I chose M&G since I prefer their approach. Your mileage may differ. I have a 2021 Ram 1500 toad.

I also like the M&G ---- M&G 2.0 cylinder is under the hood and AF1 cylinder is on the brake pedal. Also, AF1 taps into the vehicle vacuum lines, M &G doesn't .

[DuaneMiller]

For my 22 Ram with the Hemi, I went with and use everything Demco as far as baseplates and tow bars. If you are handy, the install is pretty easy and straightforward.

I use the RVi3 brake box for brakes, as I sometimes switch between the truck and my wife's 2019 Grand Cherokee as a toad...

[R.M.A]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Hey Boys,
I surely appreciate your assistance here. Ya know, I checked on Etrailer's website and just couldn't find what I was looking for. I've know Curt products for decades but it just didn't dawn on me to cruise on over to the Curt website and take a look around there. I'm pretty sure that the one you linked is gonna work on our new '21 Ram 1500. Sooooo, it's ordered up and should be here in a couple days, we'll see.

Now, to find some base plates. They're sure proud of them but, ya gotta pay what ya gotta pay if you're gonna you want the necessary parts that will do the job correctly and safely.

Then comes the brakes. I've used both NSA (Ready Brake) in the past and it worked find but, when it came time to rebuild it, they wouldn't send me the parts I needed. Sooooo, I went with the M&G for our other truck. Not sure I want to go that M&G route this time or not. Still considering different avenues.
Scott

Give the Brakemaster a look. Totally separate from the towed rig. Takes less than a couple minutes to hook up or unhook.

[dons2346]

If you can get the M&G that mounts between the brake booster and the brake cylinder, that would be the cleanest install. Then there is only one air line to attach. If you want the breakaway then there is the lanyard

[FIRE UP]

Hey gang,
OP here. Again, I surely appreciate all your help and expertise here. I have installed a few M & G systems in various toads and on some, it's not too bad but on others, it can be a real pain. I just looked up the M & G for our '21 Ram 1500 and without a phone call to really confirm some information, it appears I cannot go with the new 2.0 M&G system. The part I'd need is 403. I'm assuming it's pretty much the same as the earlier versions that insert between the master cylinder and the power brake booster.

Our '21 Ram 1500 with the Ecoboost 3.0L turbo diesel has some ABS lines directly in front of the brake booster so, I can see one serious pain in the a$$ in installing it in our truck.

I do like the older M&G systems because it doesn't mess with the brake pedal which, if it did, on some vehicles it would apply the brake lights and some it doesn't. If it did mess with the brake lights, that interferes with the signals from the coach so, I have work-a-rounds for that but it's just more work.
Scott

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Hey gang,
OP here. Again, I surely appreciate all your help and expertise here. I have installed a few M & G systems in various toads and on some, it's not too bad but on others, it can be a real pain. I just looked up the M & G for our '21 Ram 1500 and without a phone call to really confirm some information, it appears I cannot go with the new 2.0 M&G system. The part I'd need is 403.

Take another look Scott. 2019 and up EcoBoost diesel uses M&G 2.0. I mounted the cylinder above the driver side running boards which on mine extend and retract. I mounted the breakaway cylinder in front of and below the driver side battery. No idea how the diesel fits.

Curt harness will apply brake lights and running lights.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by hypoxia

Take another look Scott. 2019 and up EcoBoost diesel uses M&G 2.0. I mounted the cylinder above the driver side running boards which on mine extend and retract. I mounted the breakaway cylinder in front of and below the driver side battery. No idea how the diesel fits.

Curt harness will apply brake lights and running lights.

Well Sir,
I did take another look and it appears you're right. It looks like the 2.0 version WILL work on our '21 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. As stated, I've installed a few of the basic M&G systems and they're not too hard. I'll have to look up what it would take to install the 2.0 on our truck.

As for the Curt harness powering the running and brake lights, yep, I know all about that. The problem is, and many RV'ers that do their own toad wiring don't realize this, is that when the toads original tail lights are used as towing lights, AND, there's a brake system in the toad for tow braking, AND that brake system either pushes on or pulls on the toads brake pedal, the toads own brake light switch can send a signal to the same filament that the coach is sending one to.

And if the coach is sending a TURN SIGNAL to that filament, and the toads brakes are applied by the auxiliary braking system at the same exact time, the toads signal will cancel out the turn signal from the coach and in that kind of a scenario, it's confusing to a following driver behind the toad. See what I'm getting at? There are some on here that have dealt with that situation including myself with the use of a switch to turn off the brake light signal from the toads system while it's being towed.

This is why I really like the original M&G system because, it applies the brakes of the toad without moving the toads brake pedal and therefore, no brake lights are triggered from the toads system to conflict with the motorhome signals being sent to the toad.
Scott

[Dutch Star Don]

You need to test your new to you truck. Most new cars, once they're turned off, go to so to sleep after about ten minutes and you won't have the brake lights overriding the turn signals.

Roll the driver's window down, shut the truck off and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then take a broom handle and depress the brake pedal and see if you get brake lights.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

You need to test your new to you truck. Most new cars, once they're turned off, go to so to sleep after about ten minutes and you won't have the brake lights overriding the turn signals.

Roll the driver's window down, shut the truck off and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then take a broom handle and depress the brake pedal and see if you get brake lights.

Hey Don,
Well, here's what I've done so far. I'm at present doing some research on retractable steps and the truck had been sitting for around 2-4 hours in the garage. I went out, opened the door and stepped on the brake pedal and the brake lights went on. I'll do the open window broom handle test to see if there's any change. What I've found out in the past is, some cars/trucks do have their brake light switch active when the ignition is OFF and some don't. When we were towing an '11 Honda CRV, its tail/brake lights ARE active when the ignition is OFF. But, the '11 GMC Sierra 4x4 Extended Cab we just traded in, DID NOT have active brake lights when the ignition was OFF.

And that didn't matter how long it sat after the ignition was turned OFF. As soon as that truck was turned off, you had NO brake lights if you pressed that pedal.