Silverado brake controller and hitch pin

[Wingeezer]

I use a back up camera , and I lay a 25 ft tape on the ground parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer and leading right up to the centre of the Hensley.

I then set the camera on the truck cap rear glass so it looks downward with the end of the stinger just in the picture and then I back up ensuring that the stinger stays centered on the bright yellow tape lying on the ground, - it leads my right up to the correct position to hitch up with the truck parallel to the trailer.

As well, I stick a dummy wooden 2"x2" bar into the Hensley hitch box on the trailer, and I stop backing just short of the trailer. I can then use the stinger and the wooden bar to ensure the angles of stinger and hitch box are correct for a good hook up using the tongue jack and jack screws to adjust.

I then pull the wooden bar out, and continue backing until the stinger is just about ready to engage the hitch.

At this point I usually get out, go back and check alignment for a final time.

If any adjustment is needed to get the stinger perfectly aligned, I use the tongue jack, and one of those "side winder screw gadgets" under the jack post to get it all right.

It takes much longer to describe this method than to do it, and it works very well for me.

Previously I did have a few "trying times" when hooking up, especially the first few times !

Other people say they can hitch up the Hensley first time without any aids, but not me! I am not to proud to use whatever tricks I can !

Brian.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Garmat

Any problems with dropping down the 2.5 inch receiver hitch to 2 inch with an insert and using the standard 2 inch shanks and hitch systems.

When using the hitch adapter insert, I was annoyed by the noise (rattle when not towing and bumping while towing). And, I was concerned that someone might steal it or I might forget to install the pin and loose it. Since I had no 2 1/2" shank draw bars, I wanted to leave the adapter in the hitch receiver all of the time. I did not want to weld the adapter in place, so I put a bead of clear adhesive caulk in the receiver as far as the caulk tube nozzle would allow. Then I put a bead around the adapter slid it into the receiver and installed the pin until the caulk cured. The adapter never made another sound.

If at some point I wanted to remove it, I could slide a knife blade around the adapter to cut the caulk loose.

[Jack46]

When hooking up yesterday, it was at my storage location. The area at the rear of the Silverado was completely dark when backing up. As I mentioned, I don't remember ever experiencing this when backing up our Suburban with the nav system. I would have thought that the Silverado back up lights would throw enough illumination but evidently not. I'm going to try a battery lantern to help generate enough light.

[Glenritas]

This should help , It slips onto your stinger and you can wire it to your back up light circuit.
Hitch Brake Lights - Universal Trailer Light From Anzo

There is another one like it that uses bulbs and is a bit less expensive.

[rmkrum]

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[flyerboy]

Jack,
I have a 2013 2500 HD w/ a Duramax w/ a factory, built-in brake controller pulling a 2008 Classic Limited w/ a Dexter controller and disc brakes.
My factory controller cannot "talk" to the Dexter controller. I ended up buying a Prodigy aftermarket controller to get the brakes to work. I actually pulled the 30' Classic from NC to IL without trailer brakes when I first bought it. Between the Jake brake and the Allison transmission, even the mountains weren't much of an issue.
MAKE SURE your brakes are communicating by manually applying the trailer brakes only, while moving.
This is a digital/ analog problem so make sure your controllers are both digital or they aren't communicating.
The Duramax is a phenomenal truck, you're going to love it!
Bob

[Jack46]

Thanks Bob. I'll adhere to your advice and approach the first use of the integrated brake controller carefully. Happy to know of your experience in pulling the hills with the Duramax. We plan to spend a good deal of time in Colorado (family) and our past experience with a struggling 2500 Suburban led to the Silverado purchase. Jack

[Pahaska]

If your Duramax will not recognize the disc brakes on the trailer, simply buy one or more (I installed 2) brake magnets, install them in the trailer tongue, and wire them to the blue brake wire. The truck will then think you have drum brakes and the controller will work just fine. I hav been pulling my disc brake 2005 for 15,000 miles with the added magnets and the brakes work great. I bolted my magnets to the storage box behind the propane tanks.

[Jack46]

John/Bob, Do you happen to know if the integrated controller and disc versus drum trailer brakes is a universal problem with the Duramax? If I find that the issue exists with my setup, given my limited mechanical ability, it will be most likely a trip to my trailer service shop. Jack

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by Jack46

John/Bob, Do you happen to know if the integrated controller and disc versus drum trailer brakes is a universal problem with the Duramax? If I find that the issue exists with my setup, given my limited mechanical ability, it will be most likely a trip to my trailer service shop. Jack

I don't know about this year's GM trucks, but my 2013 is specified to operate for drum brakes only. The two dummy magnets I added solved that problem for me. I know some RV dealers install brake magnets just as I did. I wrote an article about it in Airstream Life a few issues back.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I don't know about this year's GM trucks, but my 2013 is specified to operate for drum brakes only. The two dummy magnets I added solved that problem for me. I know some RV dealers install brake magnets just as I did. I wrote an article about it in Airstream Life a few issues back.

I also have the 2013 - does not work with electric over hydraulic brakes but my Flying Cloud has drums and it works perfectly.

Do you have pictures of your magnet setup?

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I also have the 2013 - does not work with electric over hydraulic brakes but my Flying Cloud has drums and it works perfectly. Do you have pictures of your magnet setup?

Here are my magnets. I bolted them to the storage box with 1/4" machine screws. I tied one wire from each magnet to ground. I connected the other wire from both magnets together and tied them into the blue wire from the umbilical. This makes the controller think it is seeing a single axle trailer with drum brakes.

Can-Am in Canada does a similar fix using a single magnet. I found a pair of magnets on eBay very reasonable, so I went with 2 magnets.

[flyerboy]

Jack,
I bought the Prodigy 2, (I believe; my truck is in storage for the winter so I can't check it right now) after talking to the folks at Dexter.
etrailer.com has a detailed discussion/ instruction on how to wire it into your system. There is an unused harness under your dash for an aftermarket controller even if you do have a factory in dash controller. You will use these wires for all but the blue controller wire. That you have to run a separate one to the back and cut your factory "blue" and substitute your new blue into your 7 pin female harness bumper connector. I put the same female wire connectors on the old and new "blues" and a male connector on the stub of the harness connector. This way, I can crawl underneath the rear bumper and switch to the factory "blue" when I tow my show car hauler with electric brakes. The Prodigy will handle the hauler electric brakes too if I don't want to swap those blues. The factory controller works fine with the electric brakes. It just can't communicate with the Dexter electric controller controlling the hydraulically actuated disc brakes on the Airstream.
My hangup with the magnets is that Dexter claimed if you have an accident and the insurance company sees the magnet "work around" they may give you trouble with (read:deny) your claim.
It really bites that you pay all that money for an "onboard" in dash controller that doesn't work with everything. Other than that, like I said, you are going to love your new Duramax. The add on Prodigy is a pain in the a-- to set up but once installed, you're on way to Streaming On!

[Jack46]

Thanks Bob. I had a Prodigy installed in our Suburban and it worked just fine. I believe I've seen here that the Flying Clouds have drum brakes so i may be OK with the stock controller. I'm waiting for the longer hitch pins to arrive so I can hook the trailer up to see if the brakes work, how the Duramax pulls etc.

I also noticed that the truck has the trailer tow transmission button. Given the grunt the truck has anyway, do you find that you use the tow feature regularly?

[dznf0g]

Jack,

If you don't mind me jumping in here.....GM recommends the tow/haul feature be used only when the GCW of the rig is above 75% of the GCWR. That being said, when I have pulled my loaded 30' Classic and loaded bed, I rarely, if ever used tow'haul with the Duramax. When I have a 2500 Gasser, I only use it when in the "mountains".

Also, just to clarify, the GM integrated trailer brake controller was not compatible with E/H disc brakes prior to 2014 for the 1500s and prior to 2015 for the HDs.

I am driving my first 2015 (just got out of a 2013 2500) but haven't had the AS hitched up yet in order to test it against my DirecLink.

[flyerboy]

Jack,
I mainly use the tow button to assist in slowing down w/o using the brakes. I turn it on when I know I'm exiting and the Allison downshifts beautifully almost to a complete stop.
I've used it going down mountains but if its not steep enough, the Allison will slow you down too much and you end up turning it off before you get rear ended by a trucker! you're going to have to "experiment" to use it for your type of driving. For starting out w/ a load, it holds the RPM longer and provides crisper shift points but I agree w/ Rich that I really don't use it much either. Maybe a steep uphill entrance ramp w/ a full load?
Experiment and have fun!

[dznf0g]

I prefer the exhaust brake to decel and hold back on downhill runs, over the TH mode.

[cathyjohn]

Your R.V. dealer shoud have the locking pin are camping would .

[Jack46]

An update. I had the opportunity this morning to hook up the Flying Cloud to the new (to me) Duramax for the first time and here are my observations:

Cutting my existing Hensley stinger from eight to six inches was perfect. Height of the trailer all around was about sixteen inches hooked up.

The non-navigation system backup camera will take some getting used to. It is a much wider view than the nav creating a much smaller view of everything. Shadows are still a problem, but I wrapped a high intensity flashlight at the hitch and that helped some. I'm going to spray some white paint on the stinger tip. I think that will help some.

One other observation. At a height of 14", the stinger seemed to slip into the coupler much easier. Perhaps everything is much more level than the 19" height of the Suburban hitch. Even with sight issues I was able to align the stinger after two or three tries. And though I still had about three inches to go, it snugged up without much effort. I also use Gojo as a lubricant on the stinger shaft and that helps.

The installed brake controller system worked great at the standard 3.5. I'm sure though that the setting may change based on circumstances.

Now for the ride which was terrific. I truck went easily into overdrive and stayed there, something that would never happen in the 'Burb. As recommended here, I did not use the trailer two feature, but the engine brakes worked great. Downshifted at the correct time. I used cruise control and the truck stayed in it without any diffculty. We live in the "flatlands" of Virginia and I'm sure the truck will run differently when I get back on the Million Dollar Highway heading out of Ouray to Durango, Co. But, so far the new setup has more than met my expectations.

Thanks again to all who replied to my questions. Your responses really helped me in getting ready for the inaugural run.

[flyerboy]

Jack,
For what its worth, the "sweet spot" for mileage for my 2013 Duramax is 1600RPM (which is where all the torque comes in) and 65MPH. I get 22-23mpg flatland no tow, and 12-13mpg towing my '08 Classic @ about 9,000#. Rarely out East does it downshift while towing up the mountains, 1600RPM all the way up and over. These trucks are beasts! I love it! This is how towing should be. It's a blast to pass 18 wheelers going uphill at 65MPH towing 9-10,000#.
Good Luck!
Bob