The GMC Sierra full-size pickup was made for hauling; if you own one, chances are strong that at some point, you’ll be barreling through the countryside with a boat, a camper, or some other trailered cargo secured to the back end. In this video from GMC, we’re shown the basic steps of setting up the electronic brake controller for any wheeled payload.
Large, modern trailers most often have electric braking systems to decelerate the towed payload as the towing vehicle is decelerated. This typically used to mean installing a separate electric brake controller somewhere in the truck’s cabin to control the force applied to the trailer wheels, but with the GMC Sierra, the electric trailer brake receptacle and controller can be integrated.
Setting up a trailer to respond to the truck’s braking is a simple matter of adjusting the electrical gain, which is essentially a multiplier for the truck’s deceleration; the more you apply the brakes in the truck, the more the trailer’s brakes apply. But the factor by which the trailers brakes engage relative to those of the GMC Sierra must be appropriate, lest the wheels provide either to little braking, or too much (resulting in lock-up).
Watch the video below for a demonstration of how to adjust the GMC Sierra’s mighty electric trailer brake controller:
Comments
Good, and rare to see a truck doing what it was built for. Usually they serve as air haulers, trucks the size of what would be considered an agricultural vehicle in most countries, with nothing in the bed, doing no labor. Uncomfortable, bouncy ride, cumbersome handling, drinks gasoline like it’s free, and XXL size is just what the suburbanite wants. Why? Who knows.
I’m sure most people don’t even know how to open there tailgate or ever need to. It’s all in the size(bigger people,bigger houses,bigger RV’s,etc) and everybody thinks they are better off sitting higher. You can’t even buy a “Regular 2dr pickup” other than white work truck…..it sucks
I love how guys like you ASSUME anyone driving a full size pickup never uses it for what it’s intended for and can’t contemplate why someone would ever want to drive one. Listen city boy, just mind your own business and quit with the snide comments. I guarentee that a majority of truck owners use or will eventually use their truck for hauling of some sort. Now go back to your Prius sissy boy.
Generally they have become the only choice if you want RWD and the Ability to haul anything taller than 2.5 feet.
I have a big trunk in the Malibu but yet no box larger than 2.5 feet will fit in the opening.
Then you have the people who want mileage and the ability to haul but still sit up high and that is fueling the CUV market.
Lets fact is TV are getting bigger and cars are getting smaller. If you want to bring your 80″ home or even a average 60″ now most cars will not handle it.
This may be key to why the new Mid Size truck doing well. When gas goes back up the MPG and price will help drive people to the smaller trucks that can do a little of everything well.
I have 2017 GMC Sierra SLT 14,000 miles (under warranty) with a factory trailer brake controller. I have been getting “Service trailer brakes” warning for a couple months . The alarm is intermittent .Truck has been in 2 GMC dealerships now and nobody can fix it. Put it in the shop.. get it back.. and alarms. The truck is useless to me if I can’t tow a light trailer on the weekends. I think GM will wait for it to go out of warranty and tell me too bad.
Bob, How did you make out getting your “service trailer brake ” warning repaired? Was the problem with the vehicle or the trailer?