Travel Trailer Set My Gain Higher: What Should It Be Set At?
It is strange terminology. When you buy your first RV or trailer, you are entering a world with its own terminology and language. The gain is an important term that is used for trailer brakes. It may sound weird but you will get used to it and learn what the new words mean
The gain is how much power is being sent to your trailer brakes. The higher the gain setting, the more power they will have. But be careful, if you set the gain too high, you can easily wear out your brake pads and have to buy new ones sooner than you thought.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about so you can set your trailer brakes to the right level for the best stopping power. Not every brake gain will be set the same.
Travel Trailer Gain
What is Gain And Sync On Trailer Brakes?
The gain merely means the amount of braking power applied to the brakes. This is all electronic and the higher you set the gain the more electrical current flows through those brakes.
When you send more power to the brakes, the stronger they will be. Generally, the trailer brake gain is set higher than the tow vehicle’s brakes because the trailer does not have an engine to help slow it down.
The risk in setting the trailer gain too low is that the trailer will start pushing the tow vehicle once you step on the brake. Your setting needs to be set above that low setting and just below the point where your trailer brakes lock.
The sync is also referring to brake performance but it does not control the power that reaches the trailer brakes. Instead, its job is to set the aggressiveness on the brakes.
This brake feature needs to be set to the driver’s preference. There is no approved scale for the best settings for either the sync or the gain. That is because road and load conditions vary as do the weight of the trailers.
To set them just right you need to go to a large and empty parking lot and test the brakes at different settings. Once you find those levels, it may be different from other vehicle levels
What Does Trailer Gain Do?
All the gain does is tell the controller how much electric current to send to your trailer brakes. That number will determine the force your trailer brakes will use to stop the trailer wheels from spinning.
When you adjust the gain, you are adjusting your trailer’s stopping power. That tells you that you have to be careful when setting the gain. Even too much power can make the trailer unsafe to have on the roads.
It is important to adjust the gain on a regular basis and it would be best if you actually did this every time you took your trailer out on the road. This is not always done but at a very minimum, every time you adjust the weight in the trailer, you should adjust your brake gain.
The heavier the trailer, the more power it needs on the brakes to slow it down. When you add more weight, make sure to adjust the gain so that it proportionately adds more power. You do not want to over compensate in the adjustment as that can cause some dangerous towing situations.
The good news is that some newer brake controller models have an automatic adjustment system built in. That means you do not have to get out and reset the gain every time you take your trailer on the road.
Travel Trailer Set My Gain Higher
Technically, the trailer cannot set your gain on its own. There is nothing in your trailer that would send a command to the brake controller to adjust the gain. Unless your brake controller has an automatic function, this is something you have to do.
The gain is set according to the weight of the trailer and road conditions. Also, they need to be set for when your brakes heat up. They may need more power at that time to keep their grip on the wheels.
No matter the situation you are facing, the gain should not be set so high that your trailer wheels lock up or the trailer begins to skid. Nor should they be set so low that your trailer pushes your tow vehicle once you step on your tow vehicle’s brakes.
It may take some time to get the right setting but it will be a safer ride if you do take the time to make sure you got the gain set at the right level. Keep in mind, that there is no perfect number and what your friend sets his gain to may not be the best setting for your towing situation.
Once you learn how to do this, it shouldn’t take much to set your gain and have a safe towing experience.
What Should My Trailer Gain Be Set At?
There is no set number that will work for every towing situation. Sometimes the perfect number will be 4 and at other times it may be 7. Some people warn that going above 7 will be setting the gain too high and they are usually correct on that in most situations.
Your towing situation may have your perfect setting at 5 or 6. This is why it is so important to test your brake settings in a large empty parking lot. You will have room to work and find your perfect setting.
There are risks of going too high and too low in your setting. For example, if you go too low, your trailer may push your tow vehicle and you can lose control and have an accident.
If you go high, then the trailer can skid once the wheels lock and you can lose control and have an accident. Take your time setting the gain as you want to make sure you have the right setting for your towing situation.
If you have a very heavy trailer, then that may be the time when you can set the gain to above 7. With lighter trailers, your perfect gain may be around 3 or 4.
How do You Adjust a Travel Trailer Brake Controller?
Well, if you lucked out and bought a brake controller with an automatic gain setting feature, then you won’t have to do it at all. Those automatic options do get very close to the perfect setting for your towing situation.
Then they will automatically adjust when you change the weight in the trailer. That is very convenient when you have many things on your mind as you get ready to travel.
To set the gain, there are different situations when you do not have this automatic feature. Here are the instructions with some extra details to help with those different situations.
Step 1: Connect your trailer to your tow vehicle. Make sure your trailer is connected to your 5-7 point plug.
Step 2: Depending on your dial on the brake controller, you can either set it for 50%, or a number like 5 and if you have no numbers, then make sure the dial is set in the middle.
Each brake controller may have a different gain setting system. Look at the instruction manual for the controller if you are still not sure.
Step 3: Drive your towing setup onto the flattest stretch of road you can find. You do not want any type of slope in the road as that will throw off your measurements.
Step 4: Once on that stretch of road or parking lot, drive your vehicle and trailer at 20 mph. After hitting that speed mark, step on your brakes, but not too sharp and not too soft. What happens is as follows:
1. This is rare but the trailer brakes perfectly
2. The trailer brakes slowly
3. The trailer brakes lock the wheels
Depending on your result you will adjust the dial accordingly.
Step 5. Stop your vehicle and adjust the gain according to your results. If the trailer brakes slowly, then you need to turn the dial higher to a stronger setting.
If the wheels lock up on your trailer, then turn the dial down to a weaker setting. Make your adjustments in small increments or you may be doing this all day
Step 6: Repeat these steps until you find the perfect setting for your gain. Also, record the setting that you finish at. This will help you set the gain the next time you tow a trailer of similar size and weight. You won’t have to repeat these steps if you record your findings and keep the record in a safe spot.
That record will save you a lot of time. That is time you can spend doing more fun things like driving to your next destination.
There Are Wireless Brake Controllers
As technology advances and new discoveries and inventions are applied to RV life, you may find that you can control some brake controllers through your mobile phone.
This may make setting your gain easier as those devices may be able to record the different gain settings for you. Then all you have to do is select the right gain level and the brake controller sets the mark for you.
We checked and there are some on the market now. They use Bluetooth to create a wireless connection so you can use your cell phone to change the gain, etc. You get about a 50-foot connection distance which should be more than enough when you are in your tow vehicle.
You will need to download the app to make everything work.
Some Wireless Brake Controller FAQs
1. What happens if my cell phone loses all of its power?
The downloaded app will remain on the previously saved setting and operate at that setting until you get your power back. You may lose your manual override option.
2. What if I lose the Bluetooth connection?
The same response will happen here as it does in #1. The designers have foreseen this situation and have designed the device to maintain the last saved setting so nothing is lost and you are not put at risk.
3. What level of mobile phone will I need to download and use the app?
If you want to use this brake controller, you should upgrade to an Apple IOS 5 or higher and Android 4.3 or higher.
4. What vehicles are these brake controllers compatible with?
Each wireless controller will have its own specifications and compatibility but some work with all types of vehicles including Ford, GM, Chevy, Dodge, RAM, Toyota, Jeep, and more with 2, 4, 6, and 8 brakes (1-4 axles).
The vehicle specific wiring harness is sold separately from most brake controllers.
5. Are these wireless systems compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto?
No, they are not. But the good news is that the wireless braking controlling systems will not interfere with those features.
6. Can anyone hack into my wireless system?
The makers of these devices have created a system where you need to connect to a specific system band and enter the pin under the cap before there is a connection.
This is supposed to make the devices hack proof but read the instructions to make sure.
Some Final Words
Setting the gain is just one step in having a safe towing experience. Not all gain settings will be the same so it is vital that you go out and do your road tests before hitting the road.
You want the right setting for your towing situation, not someone else’s. Take the time to check your settings when you change the weight in your trailer. That way your settings will be geared to work with your current load weight and you can drive with peace of mind
Setting your gain is not hard to do.
