Recommendation for users of Tekonsha/ Reese brake controller users (especially Dodge)

[GON]

Yesterday I met a missionary who travels the U.S. and picks up irregular and/or damaged windows/doors/pews and brings these building materials to aid in the building of small rural churches in Mexico.

As fate would have it, the brake controller cable melted in his 2014 Dodge Ram with Cummins engine. I took a quick look and said I think I can help. The pastor tows a Mexico manufactured enclosed gooseneck trailer.

The controller was apparently a low end version of the Tekonsha brake controller, maybe made for the Mexican market. I had never saw that controller before.

I thought an easy fix, at least for the brake controller cable. Tractor Supply, AutoZone, and O'Reilly's all stock Tekonsha/ Reese brake controller ls and their cables.

What I discovered is that TSC, AZ, Orielly, AAP, have all dumped Tekonsha/Reese for Hopkins. And for the Hopkins, not a single store had the Dodge /Ram cable.

I have tried Hooking brake controlers and they are not anywhere as reliable as the Tekonsha/Reese. Huge loss for retail in store buyers of brake controllers.

I ended up taking the cable off my Ford and cutting off the controller connect and putting it on the Dodge cable to get the missionary up and running. I also gave him a Tekonsha P3 controller, so he could have a display to tell him how the controller was operating.

Never expected to see this issue, but the gauge of the wire clearly shows high amps running through the wires.

I will be ordering spare Tekonsha cables for all my trucks to keep in the glove box. This could be a real show stopper. A few years ago, solving the problem was as easy as a trip to TSC, AZ, etc. Not anymore.

 

[meep]

That tekonsha prodigy controller is in my opinion the best aftermarket controller one can buy.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Might be other issues with the grounds on the trailer and also truck connections adding a lot of resistance. I've seen many poor ground connections almost like an afterthought. Think of all the lighting issues you see on trailers caused by that. Brakes need to ground somewhere and extra grease on the ball/king pin insulates.

Tekonsha Voyager available to buy from E-Trailer. I used to have one like it. Basic, easy, move the lever for manual braking if needed.

 

[GON]

Might be other issues with the grounds on the trailer and also truck connections adding a lot of resistance. I've seen many poor ground connections almost like an afterthought. Think of all the lighting issues you see on trailers caused by that. Brakes need to ground somewhere and extra grease on the ball/king pin insulates.

Tekonsha Voyager available to buy from E-Trailer. I used to have one like it. Basic, easy, move the lever for manual braking if needed.

Fully concur. If I had time, I would spend it on multiplying the grounds on my trailers.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I take the wire from harness connector and make sure paint is cleaned off to where I screw/bolt it. I make sure the wire connector is heat shrinked/waterproofed and I use a small amount of the Kopr-Shield to protect the bare metal and make a better connection. I do that with any ground wires I connect anywhere on my cars and trailer.

Poor grounds cause many issues including high resistance that may contribute to what you showed.

Special effort to go do it maybe not but if I'm doing something with them that happens. A nice extra ground is nice but like 99% of oil change public, they don't make extra effort like we do and get buy fine normally. I do know that when the 1 ground wire got messed up my lights were not always working.

 

[jhellwig]

Existing grounds aren’t the problem. Something is shorting to ground that shouldn’t be to make it pull high enough amps it melts. I would wonder if the magnets are worn out and shorting just enough to pull high amps and not blow the fuse.