How to set trailer brake RAM 1500 2500 3500 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Hope this will help you to set you trailer brake on your RAM truck, this will also work on most after market tBrakes

[@richardratliff2263]

Finally, someone actually tells you how to do it, not just that you should do it or that it can be done! Why doesn't Ram do that!

[@jndtexas]

Finally, a clear explanation on how to set the trailer brake. Thanks so very much.

[@mptessier4084]

one of the best instructions.....better than my dealership's

[@1Arm]

Thank you glad it helped

[@buzzin414]

Sad How little my RAM dealership (and I am talking about the sales and service personnel specifically) knew about how to use a newly installed trailer brake controller..... You'd think they'd be a little more knowledgeable in the Motor City but they could only refer me to You Tube. Thank god for this video. And thank you Heinz

[@46fd04]

As a RAM diesel owner, I can tell you from experience. The Exhaust brake is awesome. FULL exhaust brake is max. stopping power. Only works when engine speed exceeds 1200rpm. AUTO exhaust brake works best with Cruise Control and Tow/Haul mode. If you have the truck set for 50mph, and you're going downhill, if you begin to exceed 50mph, the computer will activate the Exhaust Brake automatically, and, forcibly downshift the transmission to the correct gear, to produce approx 1500rpm and good exhaust brake slowing power.

[@FF-ub7bn]

New diesel Ram owner here. Never thought I’d own a diesel anything 😅. But your post is reassuring about the exhaust. The dealer told us we need to use it, but this video and your endorsement give me some confidence.

[@chrisl3550]

Thank you so much! I have been trying to find a tutorial with no avail until now. Even the dealer who installed it couldn’t give me this kind of direction.

[@1Arm]

Glad I could help

[@stevereid9913]

Hugely helpful. Just bought a 2023 1500 with this option.

[@rent361]

Thank you. You are good at explaining things.

[@1Arm]

Thank you

[@kewlnes987]

Thanks for the video. Super helpful. The manual always makes it more complicated than it needs to be to get the basics.

[@1Arm]

Perfect glad I could help

[@SilverbackReviews]

Awesome, I was wondering how to use this when towing. Clear clean cut tutorial.

[@1Arm]

Glad I could help

[@bobcatbarnes2522]

thanks! I have owned my 2014 RAM since it was new, hauled dozens of trailer loads of cattle, and never knew about the integrated brakes. I never had any problems, so I guess they work very well. LOL

[@t.j.7934]

Awesome! Thank you for modeling so clearly how to use the trailer braking system.😊

[@1Arm]

No worries, glad I could help

[@Hogprint25]

best explanation off the vids I’ve watched. Great job!

[@1Arm]

Thank you for watching.

[@erinsweet8147]

I’ve been looking for 30 minutes for a video like this. We used an aftermarket braking system before but couldn’t find any info on how to use the built in braking system.

[@1Arm]

As long as this helped

[@RedRiverMusicCo]

This was excellent, easy to follow, thank you!

[@1Arm]

Thank you glad I could help

[@marcypeoples6698]

We have a 2015 Ram 1500. Went to the local dealership and had them install the OEM trailer brake system for our travel trailer. The gain won’t change (plus or minus) and when we squeeze the brake system levers “service brake system” displays on the panel. This occurs with our trailer and we tried my sons trailer with the same results. Dealership says there’s no problem. We’re going back to them tomorrow. And ideas what’s happening?

[@kevinstroud6337]

Well done! Thanks for posting!

[@SirManny4]

Great video. Helped me understand it how to setup my trailer brake.

[@iHuman54]

Hi, very helpful for someone who never used their integrated break system before. One question: when we hook up the trailer and put the gear to drive and not push the gas to adjust the trailer break, the video is not clear if we should squeeze both plus and minus button together to adjust the trailer break or do one at a time? Can you (or someone) please help? Thank you!

[@otm646]

You've got yourself confused. There are three possible controls. You have the slider on the bottom which manually actuates the trailer brakes. Then you have the plus and minus buttons on top. The plus and minus buttons change the gain, or in other words how much brake is fed to the trailer. If you have a light trailer you're going to use less gain than if you have a heavy trailer.

[@msgt1942]

Great exactly what I needed to know! Thank you sir.

[@1Arm]

Glad I could help

[@P8triotrn07]

thank you so much! Great info

[@1Arm]

No problem

[@nick9124]

Great video! Thank you!

[@1Arm]

Thank you.

[@1Arm]

Most of the time 7 pin will have trailer brake, do you have a trailer brake in the truck? It might be aftermarket and located by your knees.

[@DocMagoo70]

Hey Heinz, we bought our 2017 RAM 1500 Hemi off you last June, preparing for our first trip with a travel trailer (6500 lbs empty). Thanks for the helpful video. Wondering about you possibly explaining the use of tow/haul mode. Noticed the Hemi "screams" at about 3500-3800 RPM when engaged and when cruising on the freeway, likes to stay out of 7-8th gear. Gas mileage decreases significantly. If out of tow/haul mode, it will go to 7th or 8th at about 95 km/hr and doesn't seem to jump around. Can you offer advice on this?

[@1Arm]

Glad to hear hope you are enjoying the truck.

[@DesignerDigital]

DocMagoo70 Same here, I have noticed that when breaking on 30s or 40s, what I do is to break mid hard slow then push slow gas as possible then engine gets back to normal but since my tow is heavy it slows down truck by itself without even using breaks. It’s a very tricky thing when in tow mode.

[@Hogprint25]

The way i understand is 7 & 8th gears are the overdrive gears. Tow/Haul keeps the truck out of overdrive.

[@Jesus-zy2ce]

Well when I took it to big tex they tested the trailer brakes with a battery and they lock up but when I'm hooked up to my ram 3500 and squeeze the brake controller they barely work but won't stop the truck. It's like the truck isn't putting out enough power to engage the trailer brakes enough. It tests at 12volts. When I hook up my own battery and put 13 volts, the trailer stops like it should. Any ideas?

[@1Arm]

How much gain did you have it on?

[@Jesus-zy2ce]

@@1Arm all the way up....i figured out the problem...broken ground.😊

[@bulba77]

so if i get this right, you have to adjust so that the trailer break stays in the green limite to the yellow ?

[@1Arm]

It will change colour based on the amount of pressure when applying brakes.

[@tedstyle3798]

Excellent walk thru!!!

[@1Arm]

Thank you

[@stevedawson378]

Great video and thanks for explaining so well!

[@1Arm]

I do what I can to make it easier.

[@mic982]

Sounds like the exact right advice - except that the truck should be moving at around 25 mph, on a flat, level surface before squeezing the trailer brakes to find the right amount of Gain for that particular trailer/load weight. I don't think (?) doing it at engine idle will give the correct setting. Comments anyone?

[@1Arm]

I have found at that idle it gives you a pretty accurate setting, but I always tweak it while driving. Thank you for the comment

[@mic982]

You're welcome, tho I really don't know myself the 100% correct setting. I went with the trailer dealership which told me to use a +5 to +6 gain setting for my trailer-pickup combo. It seems to be about right, tho I haven't had to jam on the brakes in an emergency yet.

[@The2006200]

You wouldn’t Want to do it at 25 miles an hour with horses in the back and jam on the brakes and have them lock up if the setting is too high the horses will take a dive

[@EliteStricker]

Don't have trailer brakes Gotta rely on old fashioned

[@brentdreamer2025]

@@The2006200 YA like anyone would be that stupid to do it with horses in the trailer. On the other hand, ya never know.

[@murphyat61]

Thanks Heinz, that was very helpful. short and right to the point. I have seen in an 2014 Ram 2500 the option to switch form a "light electric" to "heavy electric" Break controller setting. And it was done in "Settings" in the menu. In my 2016 Ram 2500 with the 6.7 Diesel, I don't have that option. Can you or anybody comment on that? Thanks.

[@Kashaww]

I have a 2016 ram 2500 Big Horn with the 6.7 and I do have the option to switch.

[@kd221]

thank you for the great info!!!

[@1Arm]

My pleasure hope it worked for you.

[@notjoecheez1]

I have a 2012 Dodge Ram Laramie.i don’t have the same screen as shown in this video. It says it’s for a 2012 and up. I have the evic system with the alpine stereo touch screen. So I’m guessing this isn’t for a 2012?

[@1Arm]

In 2012 they did the refresh for 2013 model, the setup of trailer brake is the same.

[@notjoecheez1]

Heinz Zahn I can’t get to any of these things shown here that’s why I was thinking it’s totally different. I don’t have those options on any screen

[@llamacide73]

Thx Heinz-- helpful info!

[@Paul11B2P]

Excellent info!

[@brianbilodeau1903]

I bought the factory OEM brake controller and had it flashed into my ‘18 Big Horn. I do not have the trailer brake menu in my dash, the dealership says there shouldn’t be one. How do I explain to them that this screen on my driver information screen should be there?

[@1Arm]

Hi Brian, If the dealer installed a factory trailer brake in the center by heated seats. They should have unlocked the sales code for the trailer brake so it can show on your dash by the But you do have to have the big screen like in video.

[@brianbilodeau1903]

Heinz Zahn yes sir I do. They did not flash it in properly the first time so I now have the trailer tow option but they can not figure out how to get the trailer settings to work so I can set my trailers r and save them.

[@brianbilodeau1903]

It took 3 trips to the local ram dealer but I was able to get the screen that shows me the gain and what my brakes are doing.

[@tapavish]

Brian Bilodeau what did they have to do? I am struggling with the same issue right now

[@brianbilodeau1903]

Thorne Pavish they did not flash it in properly the first time, they had to re do it to get the icon on their scanner to turn blue to show it as available. The trailer options in my radio showed up after driving my truck about 60 miles. Hope this helps.

[@REMYSCH]

Great video

[@1Arm]

Thank you

[@Theplumber711]

Thank you big help

[@goddfadda]

Helpful video thank you!

[@1Arm]

NO PROBLEM

[@omzhar1]

Hey thank you so much dude I respect you

[@1Arm]

Thank you Glad I could help

[@cliffroberts1774]

Cheers brother thanks

[@davidcandao1]

What fuse size its that one

[@1Arm]

It should be a 30A

[@rustykhan2919]

Thank you.

[@EliteStricker]

You're all right

[@1Arm]

Thank you

[@SweetDaddyBarron78]

Teach us the game

[@kepjames333]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Herbert12348]

Your watch is on the wrong hand

[@wge3]

Razious damn that's Savage as fk

[@1Arm]

It keeps falling of the other

[@1Arm]

I tried the other hand but kept loosing the watch......