Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-19-2016, 06:50 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 832
My first Panic Stop

Folks,

I have a question about my Tekonsha P3 brake controller. I thought I had it set up right and haven't really checked it since I set it up. We were heading home up RT 50 from Delaware last night. We were driving at about 55 in heavy traffic. I was leaving a nice distance in front and a van cut in front of me and then hit his brakes. I had to hit my brakes HARD and my anti-locks on my truck kicked in and it felt like the trailer didn't help much at all. When I got into my neighborhood I was going 25mph and did the manual brake engage on the P3 and the trailer tires didn't come close to locking up. I had it set to about 7 but they didn't really grab hard until I had it close to 14.

Is it normal for these settings to require adjustments or did I have it wrong in the first place?

Just looking for opinions as to why the settings may have changed.

Thanks!

Marty
__________________
2016 Rockwood 2703WS Sapphire
2016 F250 SD 6.2L
Martsing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 08:02 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Restcure's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 967
Could be your trailer brakes need to be adjusted.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...-2UJjYhWZvc99A
__________________
2012 Rockwood Ultra-Lite 2701SS, Goodyear Endurance LRD, ProPride 3P 1400 hitch
2013 F-150 FX4 7700# GVWR SuperCrew 3.5L EcoBoost 157" WB Max Tow 3.73:1
John, Dawn and Emily... and Bella the camping kitty

visit our website at www.restcure.ca
Restcure is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 08:10 AM   #3
Site Team
 
Flybob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,265
Looks like you have a fairly new trailer. New brakes take a while to wear in and usually need some adjustment after the first 1000 miles or so. Easy to do if you have a good jack. I would not adjust the controller until you have the brakes adjusted. it is a good idea to check the brake adjustment at the beginning of each season.

PS You did good if you only had one panic stop on Rt50 yesterday.
__________________

2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
Flybob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 08:30 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 832
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob View Post
Looks like you have a fairly new trailer. New brakes take a while to wear in and usually need some adjustment after the first 1000 miles or so. Easy to do if you have a good jack. I would not adjust the controller until you have the brakes adjusted. it is a good idea to check the brake adjustment at the beginning of each season.

PS You did good if you only had one panic stop on Rt50 yesterday.
Wow. I love this forum. I have some DIY skills but I am not automotively inclined.

I will check and adjust the brakes.

Marty
__________________
2016 Rockwood 2703WS Sapphire
2016 F250 SD 6.2L
Martsing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 03:32 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 27
brakes

Its always a smart thing to do , leaving lots of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. I would first take it to a licenced garage to have the brakes adjusted, not a TT dealer.... There is a lot to consider when adjusting your brakes on your TT. For example, did you set it up when the TT was empty or loaded, had the TT been sitting for a few weeks etc....
So for sure start by getting the brakes adjusted by a mechanic and go from there for your final adjustment...
Hope this helps you out a little.
P.S. it took me a while to finally set up my P3.
bobquest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 03:47 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: West Texas
Posts: 146
Once your brakes are adjusted, go follow the instructions on setting the P3. I also use the P3, and 7 sounds way low. That's about what I set on gravel roads to keep the trailer from skidding. I set at 10-11 while on good, dry pavement.
__________________
2018 Chevrolet 3500HD CCSBSRW
Duramax/Allison

Demco 18k Autoslide
2012 Puma Unleashed 356QLB toy hauler
Toys - CRF250X, CRF250R, CRF450R, TTR230, TRX250EX, STX-1500 jet ski
rmoore0852 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 04:17 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 218
There are too many idiots out there, I would also suggest getting a dash cam. If they had cut you off shorter, you may not have been able to avoid a crash. My daughter is a truck driver and suggested that I get one. She said they never drive without it.
RitaB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 05:24 PM   #8
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: VA
Posts: 97
"PS You did good if you only had one panic stop on Rt50 yesterday."


x2 x3 x4 Never liked that road ever since a car from PA decided to pass and almost hit us head on, at dusk.
Dorrie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 05:33 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Oaklevel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Virginia
Posts: 9,728
I own 3 trailers with electric brakes all three require different settings on the brake controller.

__________________

2005 Dodge 3500 Cummins
2017 Wildwood Lodge 4092 BFL
1966 Mustang GT
1986 Mustang SVO
Lillie Spoiled Rotten Boxer Mix
Oaklevel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 07:09 PM   #10
Junior Member
 
jftrombley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 24
Some brake controllers have a leveling sensor which adjust the braking for the grade. Could this have been your issue? Less braking going up hill and more braking going down.
jftrombley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 08:48 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: California
Posts: 142
I find that keeping the battery connections clean and tight helps the braking. Probably not your problem with a new trailer but worth checking.
__________________

2015 GMC Sierra 1500
2013 Heartland North Trail 28BRS
spudston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2016, 09:03 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Crusadernoob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 806
I notice on ours that I change the setting to a large trailer when on the highway, it will start applying the brakes at a heavier rate, and will definitely help slow down. Around town I need to adjust it down to a light trailer setting, if I don't it grabs too hard. Not sure if this is the "approved" method, but it works for us.
__________________
2006 2500HD CCSB 2WD 2014 Crusader 285RET
Nights camped in 2013 - not enough!, 2014 37, 2015 40, 2016 39, 2017 38, 2018 36, 2019 37, 2020 26, 2021 28
Crusadernoob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-20-2016, 03:39 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: West Texas
Posts: 146
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusadernoob View Post
I notice on ours that I change the setting to a large trailer when on the highway, it will start applying the brakes at a heavier rate, and will definitely help slow down. Around town I need to adjust it down to a light trailer setting, if I don't it grabs too hard. Not sure if this is the "approved" method, but it works for us.
X2, I do the same
__________________
2018 Chevrolet 3500HD CCSBSRW
Duramax/Allison

Demco 18k Autoslide
2012 Puma Unleashed 356QLB toy hauler
Toys - CRF250X, CRF250R, CRF450R, TTR230, TRX250EX, STX-1500 jet ski
rmoore0852 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-20-2016, 08:22 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 832
Stupid question

Quote:
Originally Posted by rmoore0852 View Post
X2, I do the same

What is a light trailer or heavy trailer setting? Is that something arrived at through experience or is there specific setting?

Marty
\
__________________
2016 Rockwood 2703WS Sapphire
2016 F250 SD 6.2L
Martsing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-20-2016, 08:46 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: West Texas
Posts: 146
Im not actually looking at mine right now so this is from memory. On the P3 its also called the boost setting. B1, B2, or B3. Press the top right button to toggle through the modes. It adjusts how quickly the brake voltage "ramps up" in proportion to how quickly you are stopping. The little icon on the top right changes also. It shows a really small trailer on B1, a larger trailer on B2, and a big trailer on B3. The larger (heavier) the trailer you tell it you are pulling, the more voltage it sends to the brakes for any given stop. I usually keep mine on B2 while on the highway, but need to turn it down at slow speeds or it gets too aggressive for stop and go traffic. Of course, this is all dependent on having the maximum gain properly set to begin with.

I think that the P3 is the absolute best stand alone controller on the market. Just like anything else though, it is not a set it once and forget it piece of equipment. It stops my 12k lb trailer great, it is smooth and comfortable. If it starts to rain or I go onto a gravel road, I need to turn it down or it will skid the trailer wheels. This can be done by turning down the boost or turning down the total gain (usually a combination of both). My normal, dry pavement gain setting is 10-11 and B1 or B2 depending on speeds. Keep in mind, every truck and trailer is different. My setup is substantially heavier than yours.

Steps to be done in order
1. Be sure trailer brakes are in good condition and properly adjusted. This means on maximum gain the manual lever on the P3 should skid or almost skid the trailer wheels on clean level pavement at about 20 mph.
2. Next set the total gain to allow the wheels to just barely skid, using only the trailer brakes by FULLY applying the manual lever. Keep turning it down until the wheels no longer lock up. If I remember right, the manual says to turn it back up so that the wheels will skid under maximum braking. (Personally I don't ever want the wheels to skid so I leave it at this setting. For my trailer that is about 10-11)
3. After getting the maximum setting, play with the boost levels to get a comfortable ride. I try not to ever adjust the max gain setting, since I am always worried that I will forget to turn it back up. There have been times on slippery roads that I did have to turn the gain down though (slippery crushed granite road in colorado). 90% of the time if stuck in stop and go I just turn the boost down until back on the highway. That means that even if I forget and leave it on a low boost setting I will still have maximum braking in a panic stop. If you turn down the maximum voltage and forget about it, then that's all ya got, no matter how hard you hit the brakes.

I did this by memory, so if anyone needs to correct anything I said feel free.
__________________
2018 Chevrolet 3500HD CCSBSRW
Duramax/Allison

Demco 18k Autoslide
2012 Puma Unleashed 356QLB toy hauler
Toys - CRF250X, CRF250R, CRF450R, TTR230, TRX250EX, STX-1500 jet ski
rmoore0852 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-20-2016, 08:50 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Frederica DE
Posts: 1,223
I believe the P3 boost settings are B1, B2,and B3 for light, medium, and heavy trailers. I would set mine on B2 with a gain of 8/9. If I was in the hills I would set it on B3 at about 7. But the boost settings will change the braking quite a bit. I had set gain on 5 and and went through the 3 boost settings, big difference. Find a quiet street or a big parking lot and make a few runs. Just try to get your speed consistent before braking.
__________________

2016 Ford F250 XLT 4X4 6.2L
2015 Rockwood Signature Ultralite 8329SS
Hensley Arrow
uhduh camping is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2016, 09:50 AM   #17
Member
 
mac.dblues's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Lower Arkansas (L.A.)
Posts: 87
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martsing View Post
Folks,

I have a question about my Tekonsha P3 brake controller. I thought I had it set up right and haven't really checked it since I set it up. We were heading home up RT 50 from Delaware last night. We were driving at about 55 in heavy traffic. I was leaving a nice distance in front and a van cut in front of me and then hit his brakes. I had to hit my brakes HARD and my anti-locks on my truck kicked in and it felt like the trailer didn't help much at all. When I got into my neighborhood I was going 25mph and did the manual brake engage on the P3 and the trailer tires didn't come close to locking up. I had it set to about 7 but they didn't really grab hard until I had it close to 14.

Is it normal for these settings to require adjustments or did I have it wrong in the first place?

Just looking for opinions as to why the settings may have changed.

Thanks!

Marty
I am not new to towing, but I am new to travel trailer towing with distribution bars and had my first emergency braking situation coming down a mountain over Labor Day. Had my foot nearly through the floor and came to a nice smooth stop just shy of the bumper at the end of the line of brake lights ahead of me. I did glance down at my controller and while set on 50, it was only putting out 10%. I've decided the load levelers keep the nose of my truck from diving as much therefore not putting enough brake to the trailer. Gonna raise my setting before our next trip and see what happens. I have a Hopkins Agility controller.
__________________
2017 Cherokee Grey Wolf 26RL Dragged around by a 2004 Ford F-150 FX4 5.4L
2018 Nights Camped 05 : 35 total booked
2017 Nights Camped 37
2016 Nights Camped 23 (3 in popup)

Laissez les bons temps rouler!
mac.dblues is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2016, 09:57 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 832
Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. Obviously, this is important. As soon as the Boost settings were mentioned I had my small "a ha" moment. I didn't think about the Boost settings in that way so I need to experiment with that.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

Marty
__________________
2016 Rockwood 2703WS Sapphire
2016 F250 SD 6.2L
Martsing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2016, 12:59 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,502
I had my first panic stop last month when towing a 3,000 atv trailer loaded. Although I was towing very light, I was not impressed by my F350's brakes. I'm dumping the OEM pads and getting EBC Redstuff pads all around. I was able to stop inches away from the stupid deer who decided to stop in the middle of the road to stare at my headlights.
Skyliner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2016, 06:05 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 180
I had a P3 on my Tundra and now a factory controller on my 2500 Silverado. I have NEVER been able to lock up my brakes on my 2012 Coachman Catelina. I have serviced them, a buddy mechanic, and a local shop, ALL the same results. I recall seeing/reading somewhere that some trailers won't lock up. I don't know if that is my imagination, or true. Ether way, I've always been able to stop, but never been able to lock up my trailer brakes.
Kf4mnc is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:08 AM.