brake controller set up

campfire joe · 05-13-2014, 09:03 AM

Hi all, brand new here, and brand new to campers. Always tent camped since the 70's. Anyway going to pick up a 2013 rockwood pop up model 2318g. I'll be towing it with a trailblazer. I have installed a drawtight brake controller. My question is, when I hook up the trailer at the dealers should I set the controls to minimum settings until I can get somewhere to get them properly adjusted? The dealership is conjested and when you pull out of it you are right into heavy traffic. I've towed a heavy boat and trailer with my trailblazer, it doesn't have brakes so no need for a controller. The popup weighs a lot less then the boat set up, so will I be all right till I get somewhere to make adjustments? Thanks joe

Ringbill · 05-13-2014, 10:47 AM

I saw the specs on the 2318g and it is something like 2158# dry weight...I towed a similar weight Coleman popup w/o electric brakes and did fine, but in retrospect should have had them. If you exercise caution and watch your following distances, should be ok. I have a much lighter rockwood 1940 ltd (1550#) that I have towed with my full size pickup...it does come with electric brakes and I have the wire harness for my truck just have to figure how to configure the whole thing. Definitely need it for the wife's Toy Highlander.

campfire joe · 05-13-2014, 11:50 AM

Yea, the trailer tongue weight and load weight is way less then my boat set up. If the camper didn't have brakes I wouldn't worry that much, but since it does and my blazer will be activating them I wasn't sure how things were going react. Like I said in the dealership parking lot i'll mostly be just dodging around other campers and traffic and i most likely won't be able to make adjustments, then we are going to be pulling out into heavy traffic,and since I'm new to break controllers I don't want to be making adjustments on the fly there either. I also have a GMC sierra pickup that i'll be using to tow the boat, but its not wired for towing trailers with breaks.

mark0224 · 05-13-2014, 12:05 PM

Dealer should be able to adjust for you while you are there picking it up. You really don't need a lot of space to adjust them.

gettawaydriver · 05-13-2014, 12:10 PM

Modern popups don't really have much of a sway issue unless you change lanes quickly and on pavement they respond much better than gravel. So you shouldn't need to run brake for those reasons if you are careful.
They are also very light but just be aware of the physics force model that: 2x speed = 2x stopping force, 2x weight = 2x stopping force, but 2x weight and speed = 8x stopping force. So give yourself extra room for vehicle brakes only to stop you until you can set the controller.
That said I've pulled lots of trailers without brakes with no issues. Mostly a comfort, safety, and TV brake saving measure with smaller trailers.
Enjoy the new unit.

campfire joe · 05-14-2014, 09:05 AM

Thanks everyone for your help. We'll be going over to VT sat. to pick up our popup. long trip back hopefully we'll have the controller figured out by the time we get back. I'll probably have more questions to ask after we get it home and set up, so brace yourselves. We have a bunch of questions written down to ask our sales rep on the walk through, but you never ask everything and I'm sure things will come once I get my hands on this thing. Anyway thanks joe.

dalew20121 · 05-14-2014, 09:15 PM

Same with me . I'm a newby, we bought a rock wood HW 276 are trailer brakes a must have . We're using a ford F150 as a tow truck

f5moab · 05-15-2014, 08:29 AM

I would guess it has brakes since it weighs in around 2800 lbs. And in some states, trailers over certain weight limits require brakes. I personally, would not tow a trailer that heavy without brakes. Brake controllers are not that expensive and normally on most vehicles, do not take long to connect. And if you live in a mountainous state, it sure helps.

State Towing Laws for RVs

gruss01 · 05-15-2014, 09:44 AM

Campfire Joe, just picked up the same camper last Monday, I just plead ignorance on brake controllers since our old pop up didn't have brakes, and asked him what he'd start out with.
The guy doing the walk through was pretty much dead on with his guestimation IMO after pulling it home.
Pulled real easy with an 03 Explorer so even if the settings aren't perfect I doubt you'll have an issue with the trailblazer.

campfire joe · 05-15-2014, 02:33 PM

grusso1, seems like we have almost the same set up, my trailblazer is the same year as your explorer, 03. Anyway I called the dealer and told him I have the controller installed and was concerned about hitting the road under fire, and he said not to worry they would make sure it was adjusted before they turned me loose on the world. Anyone have any advise on what to ask , or look for during the walk through and setup/take down?

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