Conference noted::equitation

    Hi Stan. On my trailer I have an adjustable resistor that controls
    the amount of current going to each electromagnet on each brake.
    You need to play around with the adjustment as if you set it to
    avoid  lockup when empty, the brakes will not do a good job with
    the trailer loaded.
    
    Another interesting note. If the circuit to one of the magnets is
    open, then the all the current will go to the other electromagnet
    doing a great job of locking up THAT wheel, making you think there
    is a problem on that side while the problem is really an open circuit
    on the oposite side.
    
    By the way, do you have a brake controller in your truck? I'd be
    surprised if you don't. The one I have has a thumb wheel that controls
    the voltage to the brakes. So, if you are going along and are either
    locking up or not getting enough braking, adjusting the thumbwheel
    helps.
    
    The resistor I mentioned before is usually installed somewhere in
    the trailer...
    
    Good luck.
    
    bobk
    

   Back many years ago, when I pulled trailers for a living, I had a
   separate control for the trailer brakes.  Basically, it was a big
   resister with a long handle on it.  It was attached to the steering
   column and whenever I needed trailer braking I just had to pull the
   lever.

   If you have one of these controllers then you can brake the trailer
   without applying the truck brakes.  This is a very nice thing to have
   when the roads are slick from ice, snow, or rain.  

   In any case, if you're going to use the truck brake peddle to apply the
   trailer brakes (something worth doing if you're not used to pulling a
   trailer), then you will probably want to set up the trailer brakes (re:
   .1) to apply stronger braking to the trailer than to your truck.  Again,
   this is to keep you going in a straight line when the roads are slick. 
   If you don't do it, and you get in a slick situation you'll see the side
   of the trailer next to the truck cab faster than you can say Jack
   Robinson when you apply the brakes.

    It sounds like you just attached the electric brakes to the brake
    light circuit of the truck instead of to a brake controller.  To
    do so is very dangerous because there is no way to regulate the
    amount of braking in the trailer.  There are basically two types
    of brake controller, electronic and hydralic.  
    
    The electronic type is connected to your brake light circuit which
    activates the controller circuit when you apply your brakes.  There
    is a pendulum inside of the controller box which you adjust so that
    if you are stopping very slowly, the pendulum does not move or moves
    very little and therefore supplies very little current to the trailer
    brake circuit.  If you make a sudden stop, the momentum of the pendulum
    causes it to swing forward and apply maximum current to the brake
    circuit.  They can usually be adjusted for changes in load, trailers,
    and braking conditions.  They almost always have manual controls
    to put the trailer brakes on without the truck brakes.
    
    The hydraulic version has a hydraulic piston which acts just like
    the slave cylinders in each of your truck wheels.  The harder you
    push on the truck brakes, the more the cylinder actuates.  The cylinder
    then applies the appropriate current to the trailer brakes.  It
    is also usually adjustable for differing trailer conditions.  This
    version is much more complicated since it needs to be installed
    in your trucks hydraulic braking system.
    
    If you do have a controller already, I would suspect that it is
    either not functioning properly or it is not adjusted properly.
    Usually there is a light or LED on the electronic versions which
    will light brightly when the brakes are on full and dimly when on
    lightly.  The hydraulic versions have a handle that moves with pressure
    on the brake peddle.
    
    Regards,
    
    Bob
    

    Thanks everyone for your fast replys. I'm on my way to purchase
    an electric brake controller. Sounds like that will solve my problem.
    
    	Stan
    

I was going to ask here for information on electric brake controllers, but I
found an already existing excellent source.  So I'll offer the following
pointer.
                             Roger

From:	SIPAPU::KILGORE
                                                                        In the 
RV notesfile (GENRAL::RV) there are discussions about various brake controllers.
Check out notes 19, 38, 490, 510, 648, and 1112.

Judy