Can I Make My 2013 Chevy 3500 Compatible With Electric Over Hydraulic Trailer Brakes?

Question:

I have a 2013 Chevy 3500 and a RV with electric over hydraulic brakes. Do you sell a product that will make the two compatible? Unlike newer trucks I understand mine is not reprogram able.

asked by: Mike

Expert Reply:

It is possible to make your 2013 Chevy 3500 compatible with a trailer with electric over hydraulic brakes. It is a common issue for the Chevy OEM brake controllers to have problems with EOH brakes. You are right that there is no way to reprogram the truck. Since case with your truck, we have two options.

The first option is to use an EOH adapter for your actuator. The adapters are model specific, so we would need to know what brand and model of actuator is on your trailer in order to recommend the correct adapter. For example, the common one is the # HBA-CAM which works with the Hydrastar brand actuators like the # HBA16. Basically, the adapter will (in most cases) make the OEM brake controller compatible with the EOH system on your trailer.

The other option is to install an EOH compatible aftermarket brake controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 # 90195. This way the brake controller and the trailer will communicate normally, and there will be no need for any kind of adapter. Generally, we recommend this method over the adapter. There is not always a compatible adapter available, but replacing the brake controller itself is guaranteed to fix the issue. Since your truck already has the tow package, the wires for this brake controller will already be run under the dash. It will be a fairly straightforward add-on so this is what I would do if it were my truck.

I have linked a few of our install videos for these products below if you want to get a more in-depth look.

expert reply by: Jesse M