Hill Descent Control & Towing

[JFD.]

When towing a travel trailer does the Hill Descent Control operate the trailer brakes too or will I have to engage the trailer brakes with the brake controller?

[redwngr]

A blinking HDC light indicates the system is actively applying the brakes to maintain vehicle speed.

HDC can maintain vehicle speeds between 1 and 22 km/h (1 and 14 mph) on grades greater than or equal to 10%. 

 

 

[JimCost2014]

1 hour ago, JFD. said:

When towing a travel trailer does the Hill Descent Control operate the trailer brakes too or will I have to engage the trailer brakes with the brake controller?

Think you are talking about the grade braking, not the hill descent, which is an off road feature. 

 

You may have to play with the trailer gain, plus or minus (not sure). The reason for grade braking is to keep your speed constant without applying the brakes very much using the engine compression as the main braking factor.

 

Normal mode powertrain grade braking assists when driving on a downhill grade to help maintain desired vehicle speed by using the engine and transmission to slow the vehicle. The mode helps reduce brake temperatures and wear on the traditional braking system. Normal mode powertrain grade braking defaults to “ON” after each ignition key cycle. To disable or enable all grade braking within the current ignition key cycle, press and hold the Tow/Haul button for three seconds. No grade braking is available in Range Selection Mode (Manual Shift Mode).

For grade braking to activate it requires the driver to apply steady brake pedal pressure to maintain desired speed while driving on a downhill grade. The vehicle’s modules monitor the amount of brake pedal apply, vehicle deceleration rates, and other factors to determine if normal mode powertrain grade braking is necessary. When the feature activates for the first time that ignition cycle, the DIC will display “Grade Braking On” or “Grade Braking Active” and you will notice the transmission downshifts and engine RPM increases. At this point, if the brake pedal is released the transmission will hold the current gear. If additional engine/transmission braking is needed to help maintain the desired speed, reapply steady brake pedal pressure and additional downshifts may occur.