Factory trailer brake controller

[Bmattei]

Dose anyone know what you can expect to pay to have the factory trailer brake controller either installed and programmed or just programmed got a price to day from one dealer of $230 just to program seams very expensive

 

[cdgoodling]

Dose anyone know what you can expect to pay to have the factory trailer brake controller either installed and programmed or just programmed got a price to day from one dealer of $230 just to program seams very expensive

I bought and installed mine. Took it my dealer and they only charged me $38.00 to add sales code and check that it was working properly.

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[geekything]

I literally just had a factory brake controller installed in my '16 1500 by my dealer. The controller itself was CAD$530 (USD$420) and another CAD$200 to install. This included the sales code programming, of course.

Pretty expensive, but I wasn't confident enough to take my dash apart.

 

[rotwiler]

I bought a used trailer brake controller for my 2013 off ebay for like $60. Then bought a new controller switch for dash for $25. I had to call around to dealer, one wanted like $150, one wanted $100, found one that did it for $40. Make sure it shows on your dash evic before leaving, mine didn't and they had to flash it again. Then when I got home, my 8.4an radio was missing the trailer settings, so I put in my latest radio update usb in, radio found the trailer brake was added on own and updated radio. Never even asked me to update, just updated in background and told me when it completed. Install of controller box was hardest part, need tiny ant hands to get back there, some just use good zip ties.

 

[PaulTGarrett]

I just bought one NEW off of eBay last night... $195 and they still have more in stock. I don't know if it will fit your '18 but they may have others in stock that will.

At least with my '12, I don't have to have the controller programmed into the computer, as all it does is show what the setting is on the display. I can save the dealer programming fee for beer and just glance down at the brake controller to see what it is set to. And anyway, when I'm pulling a trailer, I keep the trans temp display up on the dashboard...

 

[John Jensen]

I installed mine, the dealer charged 60.00 to flash.

 

[tuffy]

Do yourself a favor and go aftermarket. The factory controller is garbage. It does not apply enough voltage to the brakes to stop a large trailer properly. Do some research on this forum or google it. There is a large group of people who have actually had their controller unprogrammed and went after market

 

[Rampant]

Do yourself a favor and go aftermarket. The factory controller is garbage. It does not apply enough voltage to the brakes to stop a large trailer properly. Do some research on this forum or google it. There is a large group of people who have actually had their controller unprogrammed and went after market

I had the same feelings about mine until I found this setting. Works excellent now. I just towed my 12k+ lbs enclosed hauler over 1100 miles with the gain set on 5 and it worked very well.

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[rotwiler]

I love the factory controller. Had sway on my little 4,000 pound single axle travel trailer. I towed the trailer last summer around 8 times, even with sway bar, had sway, to point kind of made me uncomfortable. I was using a p3 controller and worked fine. Then I put in the factory controller, zero sway. I was having a issue with my sway bar making a noise, probably from rust etc . so I temporarily took the sway bar off. Went on trip 160 miles, no sway bar, no sway at all. I know in 2013 they added sway control to the Rams, so is only thing I can think helped the sway. Was windy and in past I never went on trip where I didn't have zero sway. Made me happy.

 

[dillardgl]

Has anyone installed an after market trailer brake controller on a 2018?

 

[Blkhammer]

Bought mine from amazon for 180 and dealer charged me 100$ to flash it and add sales code.

 

[mondo]

I had the same feelings about mine until I found this setting. Works excellent now. I just towed my 12k+ lbs enclosed hauler over 1100 miles with the gain set on 5 and it worked very well.

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Alot of people dont know about that. Works great.

 

[geekything]

I love the factory controller. Had sway on my little 4,000 pound single axle travel trailer. I towed the trailer last summer around 8 times, even with sway bar, had sway, to point kind of made me uncomfortable. I was using a p3 controller and worked fine. Then I put in the factory controller, zero sway. I was having a issue with my sway bar making a noise, probably from rust etc . so I temporarily took the sway bar off. Went on trip 160 miles, no sway bar, no sway at all. I know in 2013 they added sway control to the Rams, so is only thing I can think helped the sway. Was windy and in past I never went on trip where I didn't have zero sway. Made me happy.

Is that little icon in the EVIC for the brake controller actually a sway indicator? I'd like to know I had some sway control on my little 3000lb travel trailer.

 

[TruckNut]

Love my factory trailer brake controller. Works great and I dont have to smack my knee getting in and out of the truck.

 

[rotwiler]

Is that little icon in the EVIC for the brake controller actually a sway indicator? I'd like to know I had some sway control on my little 3000lb travel trailer.

No, doesn't indicate it, the icon is just showing trailer brake is flashed into evic. But I was surprised the sway control (uses the abs) works without even noticing. My trailer is about 3,400 unloaded and closer to 4,000 on long trips, I went over mountains, with side winds from ocean, zero sway, was very happy. I used a p3 controller for year before I installed the oem one, instantly noticed the sway was gone with everything being equal. Installing the used controller module and switch was easy, hard to get to module screws but otherwise was simple. Then just flash was needed from dealer.

 

[Wahrsuul]

So, I can get an OEM controller and not get it programmed into an '09?

 

[Mcgruff]

I love the factory controller. Had sway on my little 4,000 pound single axle travel trailer. I towed the trailer last summer around 8 times, even with sway bar, had sway, to point kind of made me uncomfortable. I was using a p3 controller and worked fine. Then I put in the factory controller, zero sway. I was having a issue with my sway bar making a noise, probably from rust etc . so I temporarily took the sway bar off. Went on trip 160 miles, no sway bar, no sway at all. I know in 2013 they added sway control to the Rams, so is only thing I can think helped the sway. Was windy and in past I never went on trip where I didn't have zero sway. Made me happy.

That's very interesting. It's hard to find information about exactly how this system works. The owners manual just mentions that it works with the stability control system. From what I'd read in forums (RAM, Ford and Chevy all have this now) the system does nothing unless you get into a really hairy situation with sway getting out of control, at which point it will engage to cut engine power and apply brakes left/right to truck and to trailer as it deems appropriate to get you back in line (i.e. not flipped over in a ditch).

If the system is more active that seems even better. If it's constantly doing some light trailer braking with no indication that it's doing so however, it seems that would add wear to the trailer brakes and mask a problem that you might want to know about (such as an uneven load in the trailer).

 

[S0CAL]

So, I can get an OEM controller and not get it programmed into an '09?

I have one in my '10.

 

[rotwiler]

That's very interesting. It's hard to find information about exactly how this system works. The owners manual just mentions that it works with the stability control system. From what I'd read in forums (RAM, Ford and Chevy all have this now) the system does nothing unless you get into a really hairy situation with sway getting out of control, at which point it will engage to cut engine power and apply brakes left/right to truck and to trailer as it deems appropriate to get you back in line (i.e. not flipped over in a ditch).

If the system is more active that seems even better. If it's constantly doing some light trailer braking with no indication that it's doing so however, it seems that would add wear to the trailer brakes and mask a problem that you might want to know about (such as an uneven load in the trailer).

I agree, very little information out there. I will have more time to test it this summer, but last year towed same trailer with same hitch and sway bar. Took trailer out a lot, like 1-2 times a month, anytime I went out there was a sway even with the sway bar attached, but was acceptable. A few times I was only going maybe 10 miles and didn't connect sway bar and had to keep my speeds down and obvious sway. First trip after the factory controller I went to Oregon from WA, along the Pacific coast with side winds and no sway, didn't think that was even possible for it to totally go away and only reason I didn't have sway bar on was as I was leaving camp ground, was making a noise, needed grease. So removed it until I could find good place to stop and grease the sway bar ends, then noticed wasn't needed for first time.

 

[Npecosh]

Has anyone had any issues installing? I bought one directly from mopar and installed it, I’ve had the computer flashed by the dealer but I still won’t work. I made sure both connections on the control module and the one connector on the switch are secure and connected properly. Is there anything else I’m missing?