No brakes on front axle (M26

[cmartinez95]

Ever since we bought our brand new M26 my truck (2017 Sierra Denali 2500) would flash messages saying "check the trailer wiring". It would come on intermittently while on the road. I didn't feel like going through the hassle of taking it into CW (plus I didn't have the time to be without the trailer) so I brought it home from storage and I tore into it today. I removed the wheels and brake drums to inspect the wiring. All good all the way to the magnets on all four wheels. Started checking voltages and that's when I discovered the front axle was not getting much juice. The rear would show 12v+ but the front had next to nothing. Checked the wiring in the box where the 7way plug connects to the trailer wiring and found a loose ground. Fixed it. Still no brakes. Proceeded to undo the underbelly cover. Trace wiring back to axle. FIND A CONNECTOR THAT WAS NOT FULLY CRIMPED. I don't know what kind of connector it was but it had a wire that was barely making contact. I'm sure as I'd be driving down the road it would shake and would eventually lose connection and then would get it back. Seeing some of the wiring work in there left me disappointed with heartland. This should have been caught before it left the factory. Defective brakes are a serious issue. I hope I don't run into any other issues due to bad wiring. I love this trailer and I hope to get many years of use out of it with the wife and kids. Just thought I'd share in case someone else is having a similar issue. There have been a lot of people with their trucks telling them to check the wiring and 9 times out of 10 it has been something on the trailer. When I upgrade to something newer I will be checking this before I take delivery. Up until now it was not something I really gave much thought to. After all, it was brand new. SURELY everything is perfect, right? LOL.

 

[atthefarm1]

Haven't had any brake issues yet but the rest of the trailer is falling apart. Another thing is that some of the newer vehicles need to see a load on the electrical system or will throw the check wiring warning. Many times this is seen when led lighting is used. Earlier this was fixed by putting a simulated load between the vehicle and trailer. Now most of the time it can be fixed with a re flash of the ecm.


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[cmartinez95]

So...
I towed our M26 from Houston, TX to Salem, OR. Over 2200 miles over the course of 5 days (stopped in Moab for a couple of days. I am happy to report that I did not get a single message from the truck regarding the wiring. I'm glad that nothing else came up on this trip. I expect things will be the same on the way home. 👍

 

[JohnD]

I am happy to report that I did not get a single message from the truck regarding the wiring. I'm glad that nothing else came up on this trip. I expect things will be the same on the way home. 👍

With an RV you should always expect the unexpected!

 

[cmartinez95]

With an RV you should always expect the unexpected!

Indeed. When I was dumping the tanks prior to departure in Moab the handle for the blackwater tank came off when I opened the valve. I was like WTF!!!! Turns out the rod that the handle is on wasn't tightened down enough. Checking the greywater handle I found it loose too. Nothing a little threadlocker couldn't fix. I don't think the handles are going anywhere now! I'm glad I didn't lose them on the road. So definitely expect the unexpected!!