Gold Rush Stacker Trailers

[bevans6]

I use the Tekonsha Prodigy, but it's usually around a hundred bucks.  Uses g-force sensing so it doesn't have to be mounted level, and has very proportional braking that you can adjust so you can have different amounts of braking delay or boost on the trailer depending trailer weight, etc.

Brian

[belfert]

The hardest part about a brake controller on a bus is running the wire(s) from the front to the back for the electric brakes.  I ran the 12 volt for my controller from the battery box in the rear as I didn't have enough switched 12 volt up front.  I spent two hours at minimum running the wires.

The second hardest part was hooking up the brake light switch.  I was lucky that my brake light switch is 12 volt even though it controls a relay.  I would have expected it to be 24 volts since there is a relay involved.  I found out later that my brake controller doesn't even require a feed from the brake light switch no matter what the manual says!

[Joe Camper]

That's good cause my brake light switch is 24volt too.

I already have access to the brake lite wire there is a post on the fuse box under the drivers window and it goes back from there. There is also a 12 volt lug there.

Prevo also put a couple spares going from that fuse box to the engine compartment.

Question how big does the wire need to be?

I have a draw-tite activator II in my hand and it is pretty simple hot ground brake lite switch and a fourth wire to go back to the trlr.

Is there a possibility this has to be mounted level in order to work correctly?

I am also still unsure what terminal on the trlr plug to run it thru?

[belfert]

I used 10 gauge wire for the brake wire to the trailer because of the distance involved and voltage drop.  I don't believe the brakes use more than 15 amps so 12 gauge should work.

My particular brake controller didn't need the brake switch hooked up, but yours very well may need the brake light switch connected.

[Joe Camper]

I have a very old controller in the garage and I also found this file for everything and it looks very straight forward accept 1 thing.

The schematic ends at the trlr plug. I suppose I need to crawl under there and follow the wheel cylinder wires forward to the plug. 

I am assuming the industry does not have this position standardized or someone would have set me straight by now.

http://www.bsaohio.com/instructs/5500in.pdf

[belfert]

Trailer plug wiring is pretty standard as long as you don't have an oddball plug.

See http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx for how to wire the common types of plugs.  Do NOT trust color codes!  Just worry about the signal showing up on the right pin.  I bought a 8 foot 7 way trailer plug from Northern Tool and the colors were all different from standard.  I had to ohm everything out to figure the color code they used.

[Joe Camper]

The answer as to the position of the blue brake wire for a 7-pin trlr plug (6 spades surrounding 1 round pin in the center) is the 7 o'clock position that is where it should be. It is where Dodge located it on our Ram and also where the trlr manufacturer for this trlr also put it.

Everything seems to work well on the trlr just tested my controller and the brakes themselves with the PU.

Now I find out if Prevo had the in site to make one of those spare wires going from the front fuse box to the engine fuse box  10 gauge. That would be perfect.

The instructions on the controller strongly suggest that you power it from the trlr battery if possible. Anyone doing that and or want to explain why?

[belfert]

Why would you power the controller from the trailer battery?  There is often a diode on the battery on the trailer to prevent it from feeding power back to the vehicle when parked.

I suspect they mean the vehicle battery, but as long as you have adequate 12 volt power up front you should be fine.  I ran mine all the way back to the battery, but I didn't have enough 12 volt power up front.

[bevans6]

The instructions that I read said use the tow vehicle battery, not the trailer battery.  You need a 30 amp capable supply, although the rule of thumb is 10 amps per axle, the controller is usually rated up to three axles.  10 gauge wire at 12 volts is adequate.  On a 24 volt bus, there won't be a lot of spare 10 gauge wires, you can use two 14 gauge wires in parallel.  Use an auto-reset breaker so if the breaker pops for some reason it will auto reset once the load is gone.  i set mine up with a dedicated 30 amp 10 gauge supply wired from the house batteries (which are crossed tied to the bus charging system when the bus is running) and pulled a 10 gauge wire back to the engine compartment  using the old AC piping as a duct.  PITA but it's done now.  Nothing says you can't mount the brake controller at the rear of the bus and eliminate all the front to back wires, but then you can't adjust it or see the warning or operating condition lights.  Kind of the same as having an air brake to electric converter or a brake buddy in your towed car, I figure.  I didn't do it that way, though.

Brian

[belfert]

Mounting the controller in the rear doesn't eliminate the wire from the brake light switch that is generally in the front of the bus.  (Someo controllers don't need the brake light switch connection.)

I suspect you would rarely need the hand control on the brake controller with a bus, but it could come in handy the one time you do need it.

[bevans6]

Oddly, I was thinking that mounting it in the back would eliminate running the brake switch wire from the back to the front, since that's exactly what I had to do!  I have my 24 volt to 12 volt light converter in the back, and it supplies the 12 volt brake on signal to the controller in the front.  You can use the vehicle brake lights to switch the controller if you don't have access to the actual brake switch.

All in all, a lot of work to borrow a trailer...

Brian

[belfert]

I forgot about the option of using a 12 volt signal from the lights themselves instead of the brake light switch.

[brando4905]

Joe,

FWIW, I sometimes tow a heavy tandem axle trailer with my bus, and my brake controller is in the engine compartment. Never needed the hand controller, it's hard for the trailer to push these big busses. Now, I have needed to press the hand button pulling the same trailer with a pickup.

I use the Tekonsha Prodigy, but it's usually around a hundred bucks.  Uses g-force sensing so it doesn't have to be mounted level, and has very proportional braking that you can adjust so you can have different amounts of braking delay or boost on the trailer depending trailer weight, etc.

Brian

Brian, I'm a big fan of the Prodigy controller. Don't have that model in the bus, but just put one in another truck we have and love it.

Brandon

[Joe Camper]

Brian yes it is a lot of work to borow a trlr probably wont be the last time thou. IMO a worthwhile project thanks for all the help everyone it is all downhill from here.

[hutt1]

luvrbus"

I happen to see your post about the gold rush trailers. I am in the markrt for such, did you buy them if so are you interesed in selling if not do you have any information as to if one is still aviable or would you have interest in working with me some way. just trying to find a trailer at a resonable price.

sorry, hated to barage in on your post but all help would be appreciated

yoy may e-mail me  huttonracing@comcast.net or i will check back on this site

thanking you in advance

wayne hutton