Clicking from electric trailer brakes with OEM 2018 Brake Controller; Normal?

[Sportbob]

Hello,

I asked a few RV shop techs about this they all never heard of it. I'm a new RV & truck owner and have a 2006 Forest River travel trailer with electromagnetic brakes, 2018 Ram 1500 and when I plug in the 7pin connector I hear a faint rhythmic tic/toc clicking from the brakes. About twice per second and it never stops unless I unplug or apply the manual override on the dash. I saw an article about an aftermarket brake controller on etrailer where the expert said it is normal for that controller to send a signal to the brakes constantly, resulting in that sound. Wondering if it is normal for a 2018 Ram? Seems odd that no RV experts have heard of it. Brakes are working normally otherwise. Also, I have disassembled and inspected during bearing repack and found nothing noticeably wrong or worn.

Thanks!
Bob

 

[GsRAM]

Good morning. Thats a new one for me. I've never heard of that before. My 17 when hooked up makes no sound unless the brakes are applied and then I get the click and hum from the trailer brakes. Same as I've heard all my life.

Not sure what you have going on there but it does not seem normal to me. Yours is the first I've heard with this issue. Did you inspect all the trailer wiring and grounds real good?

 

[clifford15]

You are going to find that is the test pulse to check if a trailer is connected. The Prodigy does the same thing.

 

[GsRAM]

Interesting. I have a P3 and never noticed that. Thanks

 

[Sportbob]

Thank you for the replies! The rv.net forum also had replies that varied from a phantom electrical problem to normal pulse from controller checking the trailer is hooked up. I'll go with the latter and also double check my grounds are good.

Thanks again!

 

[GsRAM]

Thank you for the replies! The rv.net forum also had replies that varied from a phantom electrical problem to normal pulse from controller checking the trailer is hooked up. I'll go with the latter and also double check my grounds are good.

Thanks again!

Good deal! Yep I saw your post over there. Hope all is well.

 

[2019RamInSC]

Hello,

I asked a few RV shop techs about this they all never heard of it. I'm a new RV & truck owner and have a 2006 Forest River travel trailer with electromagnetic brakes, 2018 Ram 1500 and when I plug in the 7pin connector I hear a faint rhythmic tic/toc clicking from the brakes. About twice per second and it never stops unless I unplug or apply the manual override on the dash. I saw an article about an aftermarket brake controller on etrailer where the expert said it is normal for that controller to send a signal to the brakes constantly, resulting in that sound. Wondering if it is normal for a 2018 Ram? Seems odd that no RV experts have heard of it. Brakes are working normally otherwise. Also, I have disassembled and inspected during bearing repack and found nothing noticeably wrong or worn.

Thanks!
Bob

I have exactly the same thing on my 2019 Ram with factory controller. And 2020 Surveyor.

It is extremely faint. 2-3 clicks per second. Only reason I heard it was I was putting chocks behind the wheels.

I am going to assume it's normal.

Thanks

 

[RVGuy]

Rams use the trailer brake circuit to check if there's a trailer connected. It will send a small pulse through the circuit, this is how the truck determines the towed mileage on the EVIC. You won't hear it on every trailer, but it's normal.

GM uses the charge line to do this. Ford uses the marker light circuit. We get a lot of complaints from Ford owners because of this. We have slide-in truck campers with LED marker lights and the Fords send just enough of a pulse to light up the LED lights dimly, problem is that it sends the pulse even when the truck is off so the lights never turn off. If you've had a truck camper you know some of them are not easy to unplug while they're loaded on the truck so it's not as simple as just unplugging the lights.

I'll take a slight clicking once in awhile over that any day.

 

[stevenP]

I have used both the RAM IBC, and the aftermarket P3, and hadnt noticed the ticking.