RacinRob Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Hi all. New here but will be visiting a lot I assume from now on. I am picking up a new to me 05 Camelot tomorrow and will need to add a brake controller ASAP for towing my 8-10.000lb car trailer. I have read about the Prodigy, which I have on other vehicles, activating the trailer brakes when the PAC brake is on and working. In trying to avoid that I was wondering if anyone has experience with an air activated controller. I found one from Hayes and it is supposed to solve that problem since it does not use the brake wire signal. https://hayesbc.com/product/air-actuated-controller/ I need to get one ordered and installed by next week when I take off for a race on Friday. I am super mechanical so not worried about installing anything. I read elsewhere and possibly here that people turn the gain down on the Prodigy to avoid the PAC issue, but what good are trailer brakes if you have them basically disabled in doing that? At $400 it is pricey, but if it works it will be worth the expense. Thanks for the help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vito.a Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 I installed a Prodigy trailer brake controller in our motor home. They are great controllers. Not all Monaco motor homes activate the brake lights when using engine braking. I used the brake light activation switch in the front generator compartment for the trailer brake activation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cherry Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 2 hours ago, RacinRob said: Hi all. New here but will be visiting a lot I assume from now on. I am picking up a new to me 05 Camelot tomorrow and will need to add a brake controller ASAP for towing my 8-10.000lb car trailer. I have read about the Prodigy, which I have on other vehicles, activating the trailer brakes when the PAC brake is on and working. In trying to avoid that I was wondering if anyone has experience with an air activated controller. I found one from Hayes and it is supposed to solve that problem since it does not use the brake wire signal. https://hayesbc.com/product/air-actuated-controller/ I need to get one ordered and installed by next week when I take off for a race on Friday. I am super mechanical so not worried about installing anything. I read elsewhere and possibly here that people turn the gain down on the Prodigy to avoid the PAC issue, but what good are trailer brakes if you have them basically disabled in doing that? At $400 it is pricey, but if it works it will be worth the expense. Thanks for the help. SHORT ANSWER... And am running late.... There are TWO ways to do this. The SIMPLE way is to get the AIR OPERATED system. ASSUMING that it requires you to TAP INTO the REAR DRUM air canister's line. You MUST use a High Pressure T fitting and then wire it from there. THERE are those that worry about a leak and the AirForce ONE system uses a separate SURGE or boost tank with a one way valve. MANY of us run the straight line directly from the brakes to an air fitting on the rear....since it is LOW flow. The OTHER WAY and you MAY or MAY NOT have it...is that in 2005 Monaco Installed a Brake Control Wire plug up front. BUT, they BOTCHED the 2005 and depending on when, in the Model Year, it is almost...but sometimes NOT QUITE a disaster. There SHOULD be an UNTERMINATED wire in the 7 o 6 pin adapter for BRAKE. it has to be a #12 Wire... There is a 5 Pin harness up front. Sometimes EASY to find...others NOT. It has a Positive Brake Light (Service Brake signal) that Monaco messed up. BUT, if it works right....that signal will work any Trailer Brake Controller that needs a BRAKE LIGHT. There is also a way to actually FIX the first year's screw up...but not ALL 2005's were wired incorrectly. The TEST is easy... The OTHER Way, which many have done. You have to FIND the Negative SWITCHED wire from the Brake Switch or Brake Pedal. Then you install a Relay...so when you press the BRAKE PEDAL, you get a Negative....that then will energize a Bosch 5 Pin Relay. You then use the Contacts on the Relay and that is the Brake Pedal LIGHT. You feed that into the Controller. https://www.monacoers.org/search/?q=Trailer brake&quick=1&type=forums_topic FROM THE SEARCH. Trailer Brake are the Key Words. Use the EVERYWHERE Drop Down Menu. CHoose TOPICS. You will get many pages and there have been at least 5 or 6 different TOPICS with at least 25 or more replies and everything anybody ever wanted to know about how to find the 5 wire harness and how it works...has been posted....many times by many different individuals and there are PICTURES... So that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J A Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Great information read. https://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/is-u-s-gear-unified-tow-brake-still-an-option-379759.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacinRob Posted June 8 Author Share Posted June 8 8 hours ago, vito.a said: I installed a Prodigy trailer brake controller in our motor home. They are great controllers. Not all Monaco motor homes activate the brake lights when using engine braking. I used the brake light activation switch in the front generator compartment for the trailer brake activation. I read elsewhere that an 05 and another 06 Camelot both had the light activation using the exhaust so I am kind of assuming this one will too. I know different build may be wired different. I will find out in the morning when I pick it up. 1 hour ago, Paul J A said: Great information read. https://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/is-u-s-gear-unified-tow-brake-still-an-option-379759.html Isn’t that system for flat towing? I am towing a 26’ 10k gvw enclosed car hauler. I’ll read what the link is though. 8 hours ago, Tom Cherry said: SHORT ANSWER... And am running late.... There are TWO ways to do this. The SIMPLE way is to get the AIR OPERATED system. ASSUMING that it requires you to TAP INTO the REAR DRUM air canister's line. You MUST use a High Pressure T fitting and then wire it from there. THERE are those that worry about a leak and the AirForce ONE system uses a separate SURGE or boost tank with a one way valve. MANY of us run the straight line directly from the brakes to an air fitting on the rear....since it is LOW flow. The OTHER WAY and you MAY or MAY NOT have it...is that in 2005 Monaco Installed a Brake Control Wire plug up front. BUT, they BOTCHED the 2005 and depending on when, in the Model Year, it is almost...but sometimes NOT QUITE a disaster. There SHOULD be an UNTERMINATED wire in the 7 o 6 pin adapter for BRAKE. it has to be a #12 Wire... There is a 5 Pin harness up front. Sometimes EASY to find...others NOT. It has a Positive Brake Light (Service Brake signal) that Monaco messed up. BUT, if it works right....that signal will work any Trailer Brake Controller that needs a BRAKE LIGHT. There is also a way to actually FIX the first year's screw up...but not ALL 2005's were wired incorrectly. The TEST is easy... The OTHER Way, which many have done. You have to FIND the Negative SWITCHED wire from the Brake Switch or Brake Pedal. Then you install a Relay...so when you press the BRAKE PEDAL, you get a Negative....that then will energize a Bosch 5 Pin Relay. You then use the Contacts on the Relay and that is the Brake Pedal LIGHT. You feed that into the Controller. https://www.monacoers.org/search/?q=Trailer brake&quick=1&type=forums_topic FROM THE SEARCH. Trailer Brake are the Key Words. Use the EVERYWHERE Drop Down Menu. CHoose TOPICS. You will get many pages and there have been at least 5 or 6 different TOPICS with at least 25 or more replies and everything anybody ever wanted to know about how to find the 5 wire harness and how it works...has been posted....many times by many different individuals and there are PICTURES... So that's it. I am leaning towards the Hayes air unit. All I need to do is find {hopefully) the brake wire in the back/ front and hook up the air and power and done. I will verify that the exhaust brake activates the lights in the morning when I pick up MH. If not I will go Prodigy. If my unit is not pre wired it is no big deal since I wire 3-5 race cars a year in my “spare” time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dl_racing427 Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 Of course you don't want the trailer brakes to activate with the exhaust brake, but you also don't want your brake lights to activate with it either. Having the brake lights on continuously on a long grade means that whoever is behind you will have NO warning if you do have to brake suddenly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacinRob Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 Well, I cant get the air controller anywhere right now. So I got the Prodigy 3. Long story short. Ordered from Oreilly. When it got to my house it was open and someone had put the Chinese version from Amazon back in the box and returned it apparently. So, I have another on the way form Oreilly. Hopefully it is the correct one. I have been digging around under, in the dash and cannot find the connector. Nor in the side panel. At the rear of MH it has the 7 pin plug with all the wires going to it including charge wire, but not sure if it is hooked up or not. With key on no power, but have not started the engine yet to see if that does it. Do you think the engine should be running to have power at connector? I will try in a bit but did not want to start it for just a minute. I guess I will. I need to cut the zip ties and see how far the wires go, brake and power. They may just terminate at the rear maybe? Trying to get everything set up so when the controller gets here tomorrow I can just finish it up. So far thanks for the help. Previous owner used a dolly with surge brakes and the stop rt lft run lights all work at least. I may be towing my car trailer Friday morning with no brakes since I need to go one way or the other. If I lose the race early on Friday I guess I can keep working on the wiring if not done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacinRob Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 OK, I think that it is figured out some. Build date 07/04. That tells me probably not pre wired and that is why I can't find anything. The brake wire at the rear terminates in engine compartment so I need to run #12 wire to the rear of MH. In the side compartment under drivers window I have Monaco2 wires labeled 102 and 155. Brake light and brake something. Did not probe yet but I guess one of those too should be what I tap? Then do relay stuff. Or should I try to tap up near pedal assembly when the wire is identified? As far as PAC brake I don't know if lights are activated but I have a feeling they are. I'll get it, I hope. Not leaving till 6am Friday so plenty of time to stock up and learn all about this new unit. And figure out how to drive 72' of MH and trailer. lol Current is 60' so should not be too different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cherry Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 5 hours ago, RacinRob said: OK, I think that it is figured out some. Build date 07/04. That tells me probably not pre wired and that is why I can't find anything. The brake wire at the rear terminates in engine compartment so I need to run #12 wire to the rear of MH. In the side compartment under drivers window I have Monaco2 wires labeled 102 and 155. Brake light and brake something. Did not probe yet but I guess one of those too should be what I tap? Then do relay stuff. Or should I try to tap up near pedal assembly when the wire is identified? As far as PAC brake I don't know if lights are activated but I have a feeling they are. I'll get it, I hope. Not leaving till 6am Friday so plenty of time to stock up and learn all about this new unit. And figure out how to drive 72' of MH and trailer. lol Current is 60' so should not be too different. Focus on finding the NEGATIVE switched Service Pedal signal. It is NOT connected, at that point, to the Pac or exhaust brake. Pure and simple…it is a NEGATIVE switched signal. Run it to terminal 86 of a 5 pin Bosch relay. Find a switched ignition positive. Run to terminal 85. You can tie Pin 85 to Pin 87. THEN Pin 30 will be the Brake Light or Pedal signal for the Prodigy. Use the Chassis Stud and run an inline fused 20A #12 wire to the POWER input of the Prodigy. Then the #12 new wire to the rear will be the signal or the line to the brake assembly of your trailer. If you are using the 7 wire harness, you’ll have cut the Brake pin (number escapes me). Run the new brake wire to that pin on 7 pin. OK….here’s the BEST RESOURCE to help you find the elusive signal. http://usgear.cc/utb_install/utb_installtv.htm First….forget that this is for a Braking system for a Toad. All the systems have to have a Positive, service pedal ONLY signal to operate properly….so that is the same one that your Prodigy needs. Use the two links for Monaco. Monaco MESSED up. US Gear actually knew more. If you read both..one is for doing it like you need and the other was to fix the wiring error that plagued the first 2005 models with the INCORRECTLY wired Factory harness. Both are great references. Good Luck…. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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