Do you have an integrated brake controller?

[Jammer]

How's it working out for you?

There were some early reports of compatibility problems particularly with hydraulic brakes. Aside from that, how are these products working out there out in the real world?

[overlander63]

Mine works very well. The newest latest and greatest integratedcontrollers give the option of electric, or eletric bydraulic.

[AirsDream]

I've got one on my '08 GMC Duramax pickup. I have several trailers - only one here relevant is a '99 Safari 23'. All my trailers have electric drum brakes. All work very well indeed.

The onboard brake controller reads actual brake master cylinder pressure ... that is, it reads how hard you are pressing on the brake pedal (including power assist). Thus there is not the lag that can accompany controllers that read tow vehicle deceleration. No lag, right-now response. I'm quite pleased with my setup. I do understand that if you have a Kodiak or similar disc brake system, you have to do a little "trickery" to make the brake controller "see" the trailer brakes, inasmuch as it is looking for inductive impedance, and as I understand it, the Kodiak type system does not present a sufficient load to the controller to be recognized. This is my understanding only, no actual experience.

Others may have had other experiences, but I'll never go back to an aftermarket controller ... this is just too simple and reliable.

[SteveH]

I also have an '08 GMC Duramax, and the integrated brake controller is the best I've had.

[ESCAPE POD]

My 2010 Ford F-150 has an integrated brake controller. It works seamlessly in general, and can be adjusted for long downgrades, to shift more of the braking burden to the trailer brakes, if necessary.

[moosetags]

We have a 2011 Silverado. The integrated trailer brake controller works great with our Airstream's electric brakes.

Brian

[F450Harley]

Originally Posted by moosetags

We have a 2011 Silverado. The integrated trailer brake controller works great with our Airstream's electric brakes.

Brian

Brian,
Did you do anything to your factory integrated brake controller on your 2011 GMC for it to work with your AS?. Mine on 2012 Denali Duramax is not working on my 2006 Classic with hydraulic ActiBrake / Disc brakes. Any help will be heatedly appreciated . Thanks

[pappy19]

My 2008 F-250 has integrated brake and it has always worked no matter which trailer I am pulling. That pluss the up-fitter switches, are a really neat item. My '08 could have ordered the backup camera and I chose not to order it, in retrospect, I should have.

Pap

[nickmeloy]

Originally Posted by Jammer

How's it working out for you?

There were some early reports of compatibility problems particularly with hydraulic brakes. Aside from that, how are these products working out there out in the real world?

Our 2010 FORD ITBC works flawlessly on our Dexter hydraulic disc brake system.

[paiceman]

We had one on our F150 and have one now on our F250 Diesel, both worked and work fine without issue. As noted in another post one can adjust while moving simply by pushing a + of - button.

[Kosm1o]

Our 2011 Silverado's controller works great and is easily accessible to the driver. One thing important about the integrated ones on GM's is that they have "stabiltrak" or whatever it's called. It allows the truck's computer to apply brakes on one side of both the tow vehicle and trailer when one encounters an unstable condition such as sway. I questioned a friend of mine who is an engineer at GM and who works on that system and he says it works pretty well. You can't get that with an after market controller, I don't believe.

[nickmeloy]

Originally Posted by Kosm1o

... It allows the truck's computer to apply brakes on one side of both the tow vehicle and trailer when one encounters an unstable condition such as sway. ...

I do not understand how this would be possible on my 2006 Classic with hydraulic disc brakes. The E/H hydraulic actuator powers all four wheel brakes simultaneously, and there is no provision for selecting individual wheels.

How is this possible on electric brakes? Are there two seperate signal wires going from the tow vehicle to the trailer?

[Kosm1o]

I will have to ask when I see him next time.

[dkottum]

Our 2012 (Dodge) Ram Express has the ITBC, which also displays operation on the instrument panel vehicle info center. It has settings for light and heavy trailer electric, and electric-hydraulic brakes. Operation is convenient and so far works nicely.

I doubt the electronic sway control operates trailer brakes, but it does reduce engine speed and apply separate brake pressure as needed. If these were applied with some strength, the reduction in vehicle speed would activate the inertia-based brake controller proportionally to apply trailer braking, thereby also reducing trailer sway.

Good system to have for extensive trailer use.

doug k

[Kosm1o]

The GM website says that it does by auto braking the trailer brakes. It applies brakes on the tv on each brake independently of the others in order to maintain control. The question is does it do that on trailer brakes too? As another post said , I don't see how, but clearly it can apply the trailer brakes without driver input if needed. That is how I read it in the GM description of Stabiltrack and Trailer Sway Control.