Safe Towing: Understanding Your Trailer’s Brake Controller Wiring

When it comes to driving a truck with a trailer attached, you need to drive even more carefully than normal. You can’t just attach a trailer to your truck’s towing hitch and start driving across the country — you need to make sure that you’re ready to safely tow any sized freight behind your truck.

For instance, weight distribution systems are recommended if your trailer’s weight is more than 50% of your vehicle’s weight. Preventing and correcting sway is a must for any truck driver towing a trailer, but so is having functioning braking systems on both vehicles.

Trailer brake controller wiring must be secure and connected correctly in order to ensure safe towing out on the roads. Here is everything you need to know about handling and installing electric brake controllers for trailers:

• Understanding the controller wires — There are numerous wires involved with a trailer’s brake controller. Some of the wires need to be connected individually, and a few others lead to the electronic adapter, which plugs into the trailer connector, allowing for basic writing functions without the hassle of cutting or splicing into your truck’s system. The three basic wiring functions for the connection involve tail lights, turn signals, and stop lights. One wire runs directly into the truck’s battery in order to supply power to the trailer connector, one runs to the brake controller to actually supply the braking power, one gets grounded to the truck’s frame, and another hardwires to the truck’s reverse lights.
• Utilize a wiring kit — Since brake controller wiring can be quite complicated, especially if you have little-to-know experience with towing a trailer or connecting the hitch to the tow, it’s essential that you are using trailer wiring kit. In many cases, since the wiring connected directly to the truck’s battery, you’ll need to find a wiring kit that is specific to your vehicle’s make and model. Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all kit and using the wrong one could damage your truck and jeopardize your tow.

If you want to learn more about brake controller wiring or find high-quality trailer switch control hitches to safely tow any trailer any distance — give Hayes Towing Electronics a call today!