GLOAT and brake control 101

7 position round shell connector with six flat blades surrounding one round center pin? That's the RV standard, that has become the norm for most everything non-commercial these days. Check RV.net and I'm sure you can find a wiring diagram. It's also standard on pretty much all newer trucks with factory tow package, so you can probably grab a manual for a truck and get the pinouts.

With that big trailer, I'd want a new good brake controller, like a Prodigy, which is highly rated in the RV world.

perhaps this will get you started:

Paul

Cool. Do you have a CDL?

i

I like the Primus proportional I've got for our 25' camper . Model number

89753 , adjustable for everything that can be adjusted and easy to set up . Oh , and Karl , if you look on the back side of those 7 pin round connector , they're marked for what wire goes where . Be sure to fuse the main power supply for those brakes at the battery ...

...

Thanks, just what I need.

Farmers in MN don't need one if within 150 miles of home. My son had been talking to me about just buying a semi. I'm worried about a rule change so went this route.

This should help me get light home use hobby machines home.

Karl

Exception for Farmers (49 CFR Part 383) Generally, a CDL is not required for operators of a farm vehicle that is: Controlled and operated by a farmer, including operation by employees or family members if the vehicle is: ? Used to transport either agricultural products, farm machinery, farm supplies or both to or from a farm ? Not used in the operations of a common or contract motor carrier; and ? Is used within 241 kilometers (150 miles) of the farmer?s farm

OB "You Suck!" ;-)

That is a good start, but you might want to place both a 7-pin Bargman (flat pin, travel trailer) and a 7-pin Pollak (round pin, commercial trucks) connector, because you'll run into both.

You can pick one and get adapters to do the others, but you'll go nuts with adapters on adapters.

How heavy is your truck? You really need a 1-ton or better if you are going to load that trailer to full capacity.

Brake controllers are like most modern mass-produced consumer electronics - If it isn't something simple like a blown fuse, or a wiring error, or a setup and adjust error - toss it and get another if you aren't able to break it open and do component level repairs yourself.

Sending it out for repair will cost a minimum of $60 labor to (let's say) $120 with parts, and no guarantees on how long it'll last. A brand new unit in a box, with a warranty, is $89.95.

(And when they break under warranty, they often just throw it out and send you a new one off the stack...)

You have to get into the expensive stuff before doing component level repairs starts making sense.

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Farmers have a long history of repairing and maintaining their farm machines. Any sort of metalworking equipment could reasonably considered "farm machinery", i.e. a lathe is necessary to machine replacement shafts and pins for other farm machinery. It is part of the farm maintenance shop.

Here on the coast a hack machinist or welder is called a farmer, so it stands to reason that a lathe is farm machinery. I suppose if you go inland a bit the pejorative becomes fisherman, so a lathe must also be fishing gear.

A 25,000# machine, on a trailer that can handle that load will gross well past the capacity of a 1 ton truck, even a dually. You're looking at an easy 30,000# gross trailer load which is maxing a class 4 truck. I wouldn't want to move that load with less than a class 5 truck. A 1 ton truck would do fine for moving the trailer empty of course.

Karl, obviously you already have a goose-neck hitch, but not a brake controller. If you are interested in combining a controller with a new hitch, I recommend this company:

The 5th wheel trailer hitch and controller are a previous version, but electronics and software the same. It uses strain gauges on the hitch to detect when and how much braking force to apply to the trailer brakes. The controller also works with a standard ball hitch, but not automatically.

I have it on my '97 Dodge 2500 4x4 and pull a 27ft Cougar 5th wheel. Have never had a problem and there is no monkeying around trying to find the correct setting for the braking action. Newer Ford and perhaps other trucks have a built-in controller, but our trucks are much before that accessory was included.

Paul

I hope that the local policeman will agree with you!

Well, if the fishing boat needs an anchor...

i

Will this help? I didn't read the other posts so you may already be aware of this.

On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:55:56 -0600, the infamous Ignoramus22050 scrawled the following:

He would have bought something at the local Obama Motors, um, I mean GM dealer.

-- There is no such thing as limits to growth, because there are no limits to the human capacity for intelligence, imagination, and wonder. -- Ronald Reagan

While a lathe might not be an implement of husbandry, it most certainly can be classed as farm machinery if it is to be used on the farm. Irrigation pipes are round, pumps for the sprayer can be re-worked on a lathe etc.

Within 100 miles of my home there are three fish farms that grow sturgeon for caviar. Fish or cattle it makes no difference.

On Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:42:49 -0800, the infamous "Roger Shoaf" scrawled the following:

"And the little woman uses the lathe to part off rings from the old irrigation pipes which she then welds together for yard art which the visiting yuppies buy on the weekends."

-- There is no such thing as limits to growth, because there are no limits to the human capacity for intelligence, imagination, and wonder. --Ronald Reagan