Towing an Oliver 2 with a Nissan Titan SV

[Imelda]

Hi all, Imelda back on line again. A quick update. I did buy a Nissan Titan SV in September last year as my 2010 F250 had to go due to mechanical problems. I did use the new Titan SV to pull my Oliver 2 about 3000 there and back to Tennessee from Texas with no problems. Later, I took your advice and bought the Andersen WDH. I have it installed ready for our next trip to Utah. I just need a strong neighbor (stronger than me even with a cheater bar) to come over and tighten it all down for me. When I was shopping around for Titans last September they were only 2 available, just the basic trucks - manual seats (I have to sit on a cushion to see over the steering wheel), no dual climate control just one knob with red and blue to manually adjust the temperature and it drives me crazy. No Semiconductor chips available then, I guess. My Titan did NOT come with the complete tow package. It doesn't have a way to adjust the trailer braking inside. It does have the sway control (i think) and the hitch receiver with the 5 prong trailer plug. I was just at Nissan dealership this week getting the oil changed and now they have 22 new Titans (2023) on the lot so I am thinking of trading in the Titan I have for one that has the options I want or need.

So my question is. Do I need the trailer breaking ability inside the truck?  I may still have to use the Titan I have for the Utah trip. Will I be ok with the Andersen hitch and the Oliver breaking system or do you think I should have the internal breaking?  We are not going to be going down any major hills and I think the sway control going west with the winds through Texas, New Mexico , Colorado and Utah but with the Andersen hitch I should be good? Some advice on the breaking would be very helpful.

Imelda

[Katjo]

Hello, Yes you do need a break controller.

In most states it’s required when towing a trailer that weighs more than 3,000 lbs. 

[Frank C]

The Oliver trailer has no brake controller.   The Oliver brakes are controlled by the brake controller on the tow vehicle.   Since your tow vehicle has no trailer brake controller, you are basically towing with no functioning trailer brakes.  A very unsafe situation, especially in any hilly/mountainous areas.  If your vehicle had a trailer brake controller it would look something like this on the dashboard, a digital display with +/- buttons to adjust the trailer braking, and two small squeeze paddles to manually apply the trailer brakes when needed.   Just because the tow vehicle has a pin connector on the bumper, that does not automatically mean the tow vehicle has a brake controller  

[Imelda]

All, this is very helpful and interesting. I just found this. I need to check in with Nissan re the brake controller. 

Are trailer brakes required in Texas?

 

It's imperative to have a trailer brake controller when towing a trailer that has electric or electric over hydraulic brakes. In most states, an adjustable trailer brake controller is required when trailers weight more than 3,000 pounds when loaded.Feb 18, 2019

 

 

The Titan does have trailer brakes but does not have the manual controller to set the breaking.  

 

[Mike and Carol]

If you are going to tow with your current Titan you need to have a brake controller.  It applies the trailer brakes when your truck brakes are activated and also gives you the option to manually apply your trailer brakes independently from your  truck brakes.  

[Imelda]

I am wondering if its too late to get a brake controller installed now or should this have been done at the factory? 

[Mike and Carol]

You can have one installed in your current truck.  Go to any local RV dealer, truck mod shop or trailer dealer and they should be able to do it.

[Rivernerd]

1 hour ago, Imelda said:

I am wondering if its too late to get a brake controller installed now or should this have been done at the factory?

Aftermarket trailer brake controllers have commonly been installed by auto electrical shops for decades.  They were not even available from some truck manufacturers until the last decade or two; they were almost always installed after the factory build.

Trailer brake controllers are available for your specific Titan truck for as low as $175:  See this link, for example:

https://www.etrailer.com/bc-2022_Nissan_Titan.htm?style=without+factory+Tow+Package

Installation may cost double that amount--get quotes.

I strongly recommend you contact a reputable auto electrical, or auto mechanical shop, or two or three, wherever you live and get competitive quotes. 

And, I strongly recommend that you don't tow your Oliver again until it is installed, and you know how to set the gain to properly control the trailer brakes.  It is a critical legal and safety issue.  If you are involved in an accident towing your trailer without a trailer brake controller, your insurance company may try to decline coverage.  I would not even consider taking that risk.

[Rene]

1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:

If you are going to tow with your current Titan you need to have a brake controller.  It applies the trailer brakes when your truck brakes are activated and also gives you the option to manually apply your trailer brakes independently from your  truck brakes.  

Hello.  This part of towing is all new to me.  When would you need to put the trailer brake on independent of the tow vehicle brakes? 

[Katjo]

20 minutes ago, Rene said:

Hello.  This part of towing is all new to me.  When would you need to put the trailer brake on independent of the tow vehicle brakes? 

There are a several videos on YouTube I suggest you watch to see exactly what a brake controller does and how to use it. It’s a very important thing to know how to use and to have when towing. 

[John E Davies]

27 minutes ago, Rene said:

Hello.  This part of towing is all new to me.  When would you need to put the trailer brake on independent of the tow vehicle brakes? 

You use the manual lever to apply the brakes fully, to test your adjustment setting initially, and when towing over different road surfaces, for example smooth asphalt versus slippery gravel, and as the brake shoes wear in. The trailer brakes need to be adjusted “as needed” for best operation, don’t just set them once when they are new and never touch the controller again. In theory you need to be able to put on the trailer brakes if the trailer starts to sway, but a properly loaded and maintained Ollie just doesn’t sway. Fingers crossed.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Rene]

11 minutes ago, Katjo said:

There are a several videos on YouTube I suggest you watch to see exactly what a brake controller does and how to use it. It’s a very important thing to know how to use and to have when towing. 

Off to YT University I go! 🙂

[Imelda]

I plan on getting the brake controller install and getting it adjusted correctly before my next trip. You may have all saved me from a bad accident as I naively thought that the Titan was breaking the trailer and the controller just adjusted the amount of breaking power. I didn't realize that No Brake Controller means No Brakes at all to the Oliver 😒

I think the reason why it didn't come with a brake controller was due to the Auto parts shortage and the auto manufacturers were shipping to the show rooms without a lot of the electronics. Now they seem to have more trucks. It looks straight forwards to put a brake controller in my Titan as there is a void in the area where it should have been.  Hopefully, the wire harness is somewhere behind it. I am still in two minds as to get a newer Titan that has everything I want. I will keep you all posted on the progress. I have 9 weeks to my Utah trip  get this resolved one way or another. 

[Hokieman]

5 hours ago, Imelda said:

My Titan did NOT come with the complete tow package. It doesn't have a way to adjust the trailer braking inside. It does have the sway control (i think) and the hitch receiver with the 5 prong trailer plug. I was just at Nissan dealership this week getting the oil changed and now they have 22 new Titans (2023) on the lot so I am thinking of trading in the Titan I have for one that has the options I want or need.

Lots of good advice on brake controllers given, but be sure you are seeing the big picture.  As several folks here have  mentioned, it is illegal to tow your trailer with your truck, and you are exposed to liability in the event of an accident.  Your insurance may not protect you.   Before you modify your truck with a brake controller, you should evaluate the entire truck for towing capability, as just adding a brake controller may not be all you need to tow a 6000 lb trailer with >500 lb tongue weight.  This includes payload, tow capacity, axle ratio, hitch load ratings, 7-pin connection,  and the anti-sway compatibility with Andersen WDH.  I might be overlooking something, but you get my point.   It’s not difficult to figure this stuff out yourself, and if you do, you will that much more familiar with your tow vehicle and towing in general.   Your initial idea of selling or trading the truck for an appropriate TV is worth looking into, and you might consider another brand in a 3/4 or 1 ton capacity. 

[Rivernerd]

16 hours ago, Rene said:

When would you need to put the trailer brake on independent of the tow vehicle brakes? 

Once you get the "gain" properly set on the trailer brake controller (on a deserted, straight and level section of road), you don't have to touch the brake controller lever for normal braking.  You just put your foot on the brake pedal, and the trailer brake controller applies the trailer brakes at the same time your tow vehicle applies the tow vehicle brakes. 

You can feel the difference in braking power once you get the gain properly set.  And, you can feel the trailer brakes stopping the trailer, independent of the truck braking system.

Setting the gain is a trial and error process, which is why you do it on an empty section of straight, level road.  Start by setting the gain to #5 out of 10.  Get the rig up to about 25 mph and then stop it using the brake pedal.  If the trailer brakes "grab," reduce the gain to 4 and try again.  If you can't feel the trailer brake engaging at all, increase the gain to 6, and try again.  After 5-10 minutes, you should be able to get the gain set to where the trailer brakes engage to about the same extent that the truck brakes do, so they work as a team to stop the whole rig as a unit.

As well explained by John Davies above, you may need to use the manual lever on the trailer brake controller to engage the trailer brakes independent of the truck brakes, but those situations are not common.  As he notes, manually engaging he trailer brake lever is an effective way to stop trailer sway, but Oliver's don't sway!  For nearly all driving conditions, once you get the gain properly set, you should not need to use the manual lever for normal braking. 

But, the settings do change as your brake shoes wear in, so at the beginning of every long trip, I engage the brakes on an empty road close to home to verify that I can feel the trailer brakes engaging, as they did when I initially set the gain.  If not, I adjust until they engage smoothly with the truck brakes, then proceed with the trip.

[dewdev]

I have set my brake controller gain as described above and I do notice that the Oliver brakes are being applied but I have one other question.

While at a stop sign when the grade goes down and applying the brake controller manual lever (without your foot on the truck brakes) should the Oliver brakes stop you from rolling ahead?

 

[topgun2]

14 minutes ago, dewdev said:

While at a stop sign when the grade goes down and applying the brake controller manual lever (without your foot on the truck brakes) should the Oliver brakes stop you from rolling ahead?

Doesn't this depend on a whole host of factors - steepness of the slope, weight of the tow vehicle, quality of the surface all eight tires are on, etc.?

p.s.  there are a ton of videos on YouTube explaining how to set up a brake controller.  People unfamiliar with brake controllers would be well served to watch several of these videos until they fully understand how they work.  In addition, the owner's manual of the tow vehicle covers this if the vehicle originally came equipped with a trailer brake controller - read it.

 

[Geronimo John]

1 hour ago, dewdev said:

While at a stop sign when the grade goes down and applying the brake controller manual lever (without your foot on the truck brakes) should the Oliver brakes stop you from rolling ahead?

YES!  

[Mike and Carol]

6 hours ago, dewdev said:

I have set my brake controller gain as described above and I do notice that the Oliver brakes are being applied but I have one other question.

While at a stop sign when the grade goes down and applying the brake controller manual lever (without your foot on the truck brakes) should the Oliver brakes stop you from rolling ahead?

 

I’m with BIll on this one.  It depends.  When I towed with 1500’s and the slope isn’t too steep it probably would hold everything at a stop.  With a my current 2500 and torque at 900+ I’m not sure.  The trailer wheels may not turn but the truck/trailer may not stay stationary.  When I adjust the gain I don’t ever go for tire skids on pavement.  Gravel, yes.  On pavement I judge the amount of drag when I apply the controller and go from there - you learn to feel where it should be.  I routinely apply the trailer brakes first thing when we start out in the morning to ensure the grab is enough and to work any moisture out.  Mike