Howdy all. I am the proud owner of a 2016 Platinum with the max tow package. It has the factory brake controller installed. I have towed many trailers over the years, but never one with a brake controller. So I started looking around to see how to use it. In my production screen it was preset to 10, so I lowered it to 5. Which got me to thinking what should it be set at.

I currently have an 18 foot open car trailer and will be carrying my Shelby (3800 lbs maybe 4000), so 6000 to 6500 lbs total, how do I check to see if I have it set to high or to low?

If that is the right question to ask. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to set it correctly.

Thanks
Mike

 

It's described in the owner's manual...but in brief:

1/ hook up
2/ find a long straight stretch of quiet road
3/ get up to 30 mph
4/ manually engage the brake (hard)
5/ if it locks up the TT brakes, reduce the gain and you are done
6/ if it doesn't, increase the gain and try again

 

Thanks I have always had XL's or XLT's and not fully loaded, so I have been in the book trying to figure out, well what I have. I didn't get to the towing section yet, I am sitting at work goofing off and just thought about it. I will read that section when I figure out the radio and before I tow.

Thanks Again Mike

 

To clarify...manually engage just the trailer brakes using the slider on the dash.

You don't want to step on the truck's brake.

 

I've never been able to get the brakes to lock up doing that method with the new IBC's. Now with an aftermarket I have but the way the new brake controllers work its not entirely possible in some trailers.

 

Then set it on 10 and go RVing.


With the integrated trailer brake controller (ITBC), test the trailer brakes when on a clean, dry paved road or parking lot. Press hard on the brake pedal = as if in a panic stop. If the trailer brakes lock up, then reduce the gain until the trailer brakes almost lock up, but not quite.

 

No. The correct way to set the gain threshold is with full deflection of the manual slide bar. Doing it with the brake pedal is too subjective and most people won't do it hard enough to reach maximum controller output. Then when you actually do have to make a panic stop, the trailer locks up and slides. Set the gain independently of the trucks brakes, just like its spelled out in the manual.

 

In a panic stop, 99% of drivers - including me - are going to slam on the brake pedal and not remember they even have a manual control until after the panic is over. When you stand on the brake pedal in a panic stop, you want the trailer to stop without the brakes locking.


Use the manual control to fine-tune the gain setting. But the final test should be with the brake pedal to simulate a panic stop. That's for any brake controller not just the Ford ITBC.

 

You're missing the point entirely. The method you prescribed is one that is LIKELY to produce a locked trailer in a true panic stop. During the set-up phase, most drivers won't actully apply enough service brake to get the controller up to full output, whatever it may be set at. Using the manual controller FOR SET-UP PURPOSES will. I have not advocated or even suggested using the manual control for actual driving, so I don't know where you got that from.

 

When I picked up our lovely trailer, they did a three hour "walk around" with me, right down to hooking it up . They let me find the proper link to hook to for my WDH etc...allowing me to get to know it better. We then went for a drive with the brake controller gain set to 5. Hit 70 and hit the binders hard! Oh, 70 kph..hehehe...I'm not that brave LOL The tech guy asked if it felt like a normal application ...as if I had no trailer. Nope....so we increased the gain to 7. Did the same panic stop again. Awesome!!!! Stopped like I was in my Austin Mini! A little too touchy for my liking so we backed 'er off to 6.5 and found my sweet spot! Basically they said have a full braking stop feel as it would without the trailer.

One thing they also suggested in a demanding way was a tug test before you even move. Roll ahead and let the trailer brakes stop you using the manual controller. With my manual controller, it comes to a nice stop within a foot or so.

This is how I set it up anyways.