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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / August 2006grand caravan 06 brake controler to install
Hi, I wonder if somebody know in which wire that I have to tap into to connect my controller at the brake switch on the cold side of it ?? thanks in advance > Hi, I wonder if somebody know in which wire that I have to tap into to > connect my controller at the brake switch on the cold side of it ?? If you don't mind my asking, what do you intend on towing with your Caravan? If the trailer needs brakes, I'm afraid it's probably too heavy for your tow vehicle. Advocate a écrit : > > Hi, I wonder if somebody know in which wire that I have to tap into to > > connect my controller at the brake switch on the cold side of it ?? > > > If you don't mind my asking, what do you intend on towing with your Caravan? > If the trailer needs brakes, I'm afraid it's probably too heavy for your tow > vehicle. Not really, I'm pulling just a tent trailer but its still heavy enough to convince me that I need help for the braking system of the van I bought the towing package. That include a tranny oil cooler, an engine oil cooler, bigger cooling system, bigger alt. and battery and finnaly the self leveling rear suspension. I weight the van and trailer in real condition including the passenger on board, and I am within the acceptable limit . The van is good for 3700 lbs I am at 3300/3400 lbs . Driving slowly and safely will take me wherever I want to go without breaking the van......I hope ;-) Advocate a écrit : > > Hi, I wonder if somebody know in which wire that I have to tap into to > > connect my controller at the brake switch on the cold side of it ?? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > tow > vehicle. Not really, I'm pulling just a tent trailer but its still heavy enough to convince me that I need help for the braking system of the van I bought the towing package. That include a tranny oil cooler, an engine oil cooler, bigger cooling system, bigger alt. and battery and finnaly the self leveling rear suspension. I weight the van and trailer in real condition including the passenger on board, and I am within the acceptable limit . The van is good for 3700 lbs I am at 3300/3400 lbs . Driving slowly and safely will take me wherever I want to go without breaking the van......I hope ;-) Just out of curiosity, if you got the tow package, didn't it include a plug in wiring harness for a brake controller? Both my 01 Chevy p\u and 06 Toyota Sequoia did. >Advocate a écrit : > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >in wiring harness for a brake controller? Both my 01 Chevy p\u and 06 >Toyota Sequoia did. 3400 lbs, you definitely need brakes on the trailer. It doesn't matter how "safely" you think you are driving, you never know when you will have to make a panic stop or some other maneuver that the trailer will just shove you around like you were nothing. After all, it weighs as much as the tow vehicle.  SignatureFrank Tabor I see where Frank Tabor <ftabor@gmail.com> contributed: >3400 lbs, you definitely need brakes on the trailer. It doesn't matter >how "safely" you think you are driving, you never know when you will >have to make a panic stop or some other maneuver that the trailer will >just shove you around like you were nothing. After all, it weighs as >much as the tow vehicle. For once I agree with Frank - and add that FWD is not well suited to towing. Not just because of traction issues, but because it adds an element of squirrelly handling. We once had a driveshaft problem with a 4wd p'up towing a mid-sized Airstream, so removed the rear shaft and drove for quite a few miles on FWD only. It was much more scary than I anticipated. Will Sill The Curmudgeon of Sill Hill > For once I agree with Frank - and add that FWD is not well suited to > towing. Not just because of traction issues, but because it adds an > element of squirrelly handling. We once had a driveshaft problem > with a 4wd p'up towing a mid-sized Airstream, so removed the rear > shaft and drove for quite a few miles on FWD only. It was much more > scary than I anticipated. While I agree about 4wd not being any good for towing, your example has a major flaw: you modified the vehicle in a major way that was never anticipated by the engineers who designed it. FWD can tow without being squirrelly. I have some experience which I would never attempt to duplicate, but as bad as FWD is for towing, it's not as squirrelly as you say. I do it as part of my living.. Installing and setting up tow equipment on the most incredible variety of 'tow' vehicles.. And yes, we have installed on Caravans, Odyssey's and all manner of minivans, mini suv's and passenger vehicles.. as well as the 'normal' towing vehicles.. trucks, pickups, rv's, buses... All but airplanes.. And we find the automotive voltmeter or 12v test light is the best all around method of finding the cold side of the brake switch wire.. If you tow over 1500 pounds with the van for any length of time.. Please consider a transmission fluid cooler, a power steering cooler ), both recommended by Honda.... and if you find the tow is not level, use a weight distribution setup with an anti-sway to give you the best towing profile. Better safe in all counts . Your vehicle, and your companion roadies, will most probably give you a big thank you for doing it correctly. BK snipped > Please consider a transmission fluid cooler, a power steering cooler ), > both recommended by Honda.... and if you find the tow is not level, use [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > BK I might add a note of caution about the Honda Odysee. Between the years of '02 and '05, they had a sub standard transmission. When they increased the hp of the engine for '02, they didn't beef up the transmission. They have an "secret" warranty on the tranny for those years and will replace a bad one. Trouble is, they have no parts to repair so you gotta wait till a "donor" unit comes up. I know this why? Because my daughter got stung by this. Only 80,000 miles on the van and the tranny went belly up. Honda gave them a rental car for the three weeks it took for a donor unit to come up. They traded the Honda in for a Ford Freestyle. Hugh >Not really, I'm pulling just a tent trailer but its still heavy enough >to convince me that I need help for the braking system of the van [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Driving slowly and safely will take me wherever I want to go without >breaking the van......I hope ;-) I hope you budgeted for a transmission every xx,000 miles. Unless they're drastically improved since we bought our '96 Grand Voyager (which we still have, with 202,000 miles on it), you'll be buying one soon by pulling that heavy a load. We also ordered the factory tow package with ours, which supposedly takes towing capacity to 3500# (it's a 3.3-liter engine). I once pulled my 4x6 steel-body utility trailer loaded with gravel -- about 2500# or so, gross -- for a few miles, and I'll never do it again with that vehicle. It wasn't because I felt unsafe, although I knew I wasn't going to be able to make any quick stops. It was that the vehicle -- engine and drive train -- was clearly under a tremendous strain. I could feel it. (BTW, there was nobody but me, and no other cargo, in the vehicle.) Chrysler minivans just aren't good tow vehicles. >Just out of curiosity, if you got the tow package, didn't it include a plug >in wiring harness for a brake controller? Both my 01 Chevy p\u and 06 >Toyota Sequoia did. Our Grand Voyager didn't get one with its tow package. I'd say they were subtly trying to discourage towing a trailer that's heavy enough to need brakes, despite the alleged "tow rating." GB in NC GBinNC a écrit : > >Not really, I'm pulling just a tent trailer but its still heavy enough > >to convince me that I need help for the braking system of the van [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > GB in NC I hear you about the tranny. I'm leasing the van 3 years , 5 years 100000km warranty on the power train got me well covered I think. I probably mixed up lots of people with my Frenglish...I am saying that the whole combo, trailer , van and passengers weight a total of 3200/3300 Lbs not the trailer only that is a 3200 ;-0. The van have an extra engine oil cooler and an extra tranny oil cooler. I haul the very same combo with a pontiac Montana extended version with a 3.4 ltr and an aftermarket tranny oil cooler. And yes I had the brake on the trailer operational. Thats a must and I wouldn't tow without. The handling was pretty good, no fish tailing , the trailer flies straight as an arrow. I drive conservatively at no more than 100 kmph on highway and I was feeling pretty safe, above that ...Hummm didn't like it. So I agree with you guys, a van isn't the best vehicule for the job, but its the perfect vehicule for all the other job that I am making far more often !!! I probably tow my TT less than 5000 km per year, I Am sure that my van can handle it Btw I received the info regarding the controller, anyway thank to all of you for your input I see where "Homer" <richardgarneau_6@sympatico.ca> contributed: >I probably mixed up lots of people with my Frenglish...I am saying that >the whole combo, trailer , van and passengers weight a total of >3200/3300 Lbs not the trailer only that is a 3200 ;-0. Yer math is confused. Will Sill The Curmudgeon of Sill Hill > I see where "Homer" <richardgarneau_6@sympatico.ca> contributed: > >I probably mixed up lots of people with my Frenglish...I am saying that > >the whole combo, trailer , van and passengers weight a total of > >3200/3300 Lbs not the trailer only that is a 3200 ;-0. > > Yer math is confused. I suspect he is mistaking kilograms for pounds. According to http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/3469.html the 2006 Grand Caravan has a curb weight of 4273 pounds. If the weight of the whole rig on a scale is 3200kg, that would leave 2767 lbs for passengers, cargo, and trailer. Rick Onanian a écrit : > > I see where "Homer" <richardgarneau_6@sympatico.ca> contributed: > > >I probably mixed up lots of people with my Frenglish...I am saying that [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > a curb weight of 4273 pounds. If the weight of the whole rig on a scale > is 3200kg, that would leave 2767 lbs for passengers, cargo, and trailer. The van equipped with the towing package is rated for 3700 pounds . On the scale I weighted the van front axle than rear axle , with the trailer weight on the tongue and without, finally I weighted the trailer only. What the van is carrying is 3300 pounds, that include pasengers, cargo, and the trailer. For calculation you can divide the above numbers by 2.2 and you will get kilos !!! ;-)) > What the van is carrying is 3300 pounds, that include pasengers, > cargo, and the trailer. Oh...that's different. Previously, you said > > > >the whole combo, trailer , van and passengers weight a total of > > > >3200/3300 Lbs not the trailer only that is a 3200 ;-0. hence our confusion. > The van equipped with the towing package is rated for 3700 pounds . Try to be more clear. I've posted the curb weight already. Specifications are hard to find online. The closest I've found is http://www.automobilemag.com/am/2006/dodge/grand_caravan/specifications.html which says "gross trailer weight braked (lbs) 2,000". Perhaps you could post the GVWR and GCWR for my own curiousity's sake, because after all this discussion, now I want to know... > Advocate a écrit : > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > in wiring harness for a brake controller? Both my 01 Chevy p\u and 06 > Toyota Sequoia did. Some get the brake harness and some don't. My 04 Sierra (2500HD ordered with all trailer including 5th wheel pigtail) didn't have anything. Not the fuse for the 12 volt trailer either. Fortunately I noticed right away that what they had in that slot was just a plastic plug. Harness didn't matter too much. I bought the Tekonsha cable and just plugged it in. > "Homer" <richardgarneau_6@sympatico.ca> wrote in message > > Hi, I wonder if somebody know in which wire that I have to tap into to > > connect my controller at the brake switch on the cold side of it ?? OP: The manual for your brake controller, or tech support from it's manufacturer, should be able to tell you. Chances are that any wire that's activated by the brake will do, but I'm no expert on the matter. > If you don't mind my asking, what do you intend on towing with your Caravan? > If the trailer needs brakes, I'm afraid it's probably too heavy for your tow > vehicle. "If the trailer needs brakes" doesn't necessarily mean so much. Some trailers, by design, require brakes because they're likely to sway or jacknife. TTs would fit that description. Others, with their axles further rearward, and maybe more percentage tongue weight, may be okay sans brakes (as long as the tow vehicle doesn't require them). Boat trailers, for example. "If the tow vehicle specifies brakes for trailers of that weight" is more important. I vaguely remember my Pontiac's manual saying trailers above something like 800 pounds (up to the limit of, IIRC, 1200 pounds) required brakes. > Hi, I wonder if somebody know in which wire that I have to tap into to > connect my controller at the brake switch on the cold side of it ?? > > thanks in advance You might get a better response from someone at: alt.rv.pop-up-trailers |
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