Ford Super Duty (2017 year). Manual — part 70

The active guidelines fade in and out
depending on the steering wheel position.
The active guidelines are not shown when
the steering wheel position is straight.

Always use caution while reversing.
Objects in the red zone are closest to your
vehicle and objects in the green zone are
farther away. Objects are getting closer to
your vehicle as they move from the green
zone to the yellow or red zones. Use the
side view mirrors and rear view mirror to
get better coverage on both sides and rear
of your vehicle.

Refer to the Rear View Camera section for
additional information. See Rear View
Camera (page 232).

Hitches

Note: On pick-up trucks, the trailer hitch
provided on this vehicle enhances crash
protection for the fuel system. Do not
remove!

Note: Do not cut, drill, weld or modify trailer
hitches. Modifying trailer hitches can reduce
hitch rating.

Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle. You
must distribute the load in your trailer so
that 10-15% for conventional towing or
15-25% for fifth wheel towing of the total
weight of the trailer is on the tongue.

Hitch components (If Equipped)

The following components will be included
in certain vehicles.

•

A 5/8 inch hitch pin rated to tow up to
21,000 lbs.

•

A 3 inch drawbar.

•

A hitch pin sleeve to be used when
mounting the 3 inch drawbar.

•

A clevis pin to help keep the hitch pin
in place.

Weight-distributing Hitches

WARNING

Do not adjust the spring bars so that
your vehicle's rear bumper is higher
than before attaching the trailer.

Doing so will defeat the function of the
weight-distributing hitch, which may cause
unpredictable handling, and could result
in serious personal injury.

When hooking-up a trailer using a
weight-distributing hitch, always use the
following procedure:

1.

Park the loaded vehicle, without the
trailer, on a level surface.

2. Measure the height to the top of your

vehicle's front wheel opening on the
fender. This is H1.

3. Attach the loaded trailer to your vehicle

without the weight-distributing bars
connected.

4. Measure the height to the top of your

vehicle's front wheel opening on the
fender a second time. This is H2.

5. Install and adjust the tension in the

weight-distributing bars so that the
height of your vehicle's front wheel
opening on the fender is approximately
halfway between H1 and H2.

6. Check that the trailer is level or slightly

nose down toward your vehicle. If not,
adjust the ball height accordingly and
repeat Steps 2-6.

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Once the trailer is level or slightly nose
down toward the vehicle:
•

Lock the bar tension adjuster in place.

•

Check that the trailer tongue securely
attaches and locks onto the hitch.

•

Install safety chains, lighting, and trailer
brake controls as required by law or the
trailer manufacturer.

Fifth-wheel Trailer Hitch (If Equipped)

Note: The mounting pads in the bed are
specifically designed for certain fifth-wheel
trailer hitches and gooseneck ball hitches.
Do not use these mounting pads for other
purposes.

Note: Contact an authorized dealer to
purchase gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches
that are compatible with your vehicle.

Your vehicle may be equipped with a
fifth-wheel prep package. This package
enables your vehicle to accept certain
fifth-wheel trailer hitches and gooseneck
ball hitches. The fifth-wheel trailer hitch
attaches to the four mounting pads in the
pick-up bed. An optional 7-pin trailer wiring
connector may be in the bed as well. The
gooseneck ball hitch is a separate
mounting pad from the fifth-wheel hitch,
located in the center of the bed.

Shorter pick-up boxes, such as the 6½-foot
box on the F-250 and F-350, provide less
clearance between the cab and the
fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer
compared to longer box pick-ups, such as
an 8-foot box on the F-250 or F-350. When
selecting a trailer and tow vehicle, it is
critical to check that this combination
provides clearance between the front of
the trailer and tow vehicle for turns up to
90 degrees. Failure to follow this

recommendation could result in the trailer
contacting the cab of the tow vehicle
during tight turns that are typical during
low-speed parking and turning maneuvers.
This contact could result in damage to the
trailer and tow vehicle.

Safety Chains

Note: Do not attach safety chains to the
bumper.

Always connect the safety chains to the
frame or hook retainers of your vehicle
hitch.

To connect the safety chains, cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning tight corners. Do
not allow the chains to drag on the ground.

Trailer Brakes

WARNING

Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to your
vehicle's brake system. Your vehicle

may not have enough braking power and
your chances of having a collision greatly
increase.

Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you
install them properly and adjust them to
the manufacturer's specifications. The
trailer brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.

The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.

Separate functioning brake systems
are required for safe control of towed
vehicles and trailers weighing more
than 1500 pounds (680 kilograms)
when loaded.

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Integrated Trailer Brake Controller

(If Equipped)

WARNINGS

The anti-lock brake system does not
control the trailer brakes.

Use the integrated trailer brake
controller to properly adjust the
trailer brakes and check all

connections before towing a trailer. Failure
to follow this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death.

Note: The integrated Ford brake controller
is compatible with trailers equipped with
electric-actuated drum brakes and
electric-over hydraulic brake systems.

Note: The integrated Ford brake controller
does not control hydraulic surge-style
brakes.

E183395

When used properly, the trailer brake
controller assists in smooth and effective
trailer braking by powering the trailer’s
electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes
with a proportional output based on the
towing vehicle’s brake pressure.

You can adjust the amount of initial trailer
brake output by selecting one of three
settings through the message center.

Ford has tested the trailer brake controller
to be compatible with several major
brands of electric-over-hydraulic trailer
brakes. Contact an authorized dealer for
information on which brands you can use.

The controller user interface consists of
the following:

A: + and - (Gain adjustment buttons):
Pressing these buttons adjusts the
controller's power output to the trailer
brakes in 0.5 increments. You can increase
the gain setting to 10.0 (maximum trailer
braking) or decrease it to 0 (no trailer
braking). Pressing and holding a button
raises or lowers the setting continuously.
The gain setting displays in the message
center as follows: TBC GAIN = XX.X.

B: Manual control lever: Slide the control
lever to the left to switch on the trailer's
electric brakes independent of the tow
vehicle's. See the following Procedure for
adjusting gain section for instructions on
proper use of this feature. If you use the
manual control while the brake is also
applied, the greater of the two inputs
determines the power sent to the trailer
brakes.

•

Stop lamps: Using the manual control
lever lights both the trailer brake lamps
and your vehicle brake lamps.

Trailer brake control messages appear in
the information display as follows:
•

TBC GAIN = XX.X NO TRAILER:
Shows the current gain setting.

•

TBC GAIN = XX.X OUTPUT=/ / / /
/ /: Displays when braking. The bars
indicate the amount of power going to
the trailer brakes.

•

TRAILER CONNECTED: Displays
when the system senses a correct
trailer wiring connection.

•

TRAILER DISCONNECTED: Displays
when the system senses a trailer
disconnection.

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Procedure for Setting Trailer Brake
Controller Effort

Choose either the electric option for trailers
with electromagnetic drum brakes, or the
electric over hydraulic option for trailers
with these brake systems.

Trailer Brake Effort Setting

The trailer brake controller allows the user
to customize how aggressively the trailer
brakes engage. The default value is the low
setting and is the recommended setting
for most trailers. If your trailer's brakes
require more initial voltage, or if you prefer
more aggressive trailer braking, then select
either the medium or the high setting.

Procedure for Setting Trailer Brake
Controller Mode

Choose the low, medium or high setting
for the required initial trailer brake output.

Procedure for Adjusting Gain

Note: Only perform this procedure in a
traffic-free environment at speeds of
approximately 20-25 mph (30-40 km/h).

The gain setting adjusts the trailer brake
controller for the specific towing condition.
You should change the setting as towing
conditions change. Changes to towing
conditions include trailer load, vehicle load,
road conditions and weather.

The gain should be set to provide the
maximum trailer braking assistance while
making sure the trailer wheels do not lock
when using the brakes. Locked trailer
wheels may lead to trailer instability.

1.

Make sure the trailer brakes are in good
working condition, functioning normally
and properly adjusted. See your trailer
dealer if necessary.

2. Hook up the trailer and make the

electrical connections according to the
trailer manufacturer's instructions.

3. When you plug in a trailer with electric

or electric-over-hydraulic brakes, a
confirmation message appears in the
information display.

4. Use the gain adjustment (+ and -)

buttons to increase or decrease the
gain setting to the desired starting
point. A gain setting of 6.0 is a good
starting point for heavier loads.

5. In a traffic-free environment, tow the

trailer on a dry, level surface at a speed
of 20-25 mph (30-40 km/h) and
squeeze the manual control lever
completely.

6. If the trailer wheels lock up, indicated

by squealing tires, reduce the gain
setting. If the trailer wheels turn freely,
increase the gain setting. Repeat Steps
5 and 6 until the gain setting is at a
point just below trailer wheel lock-up.
If towing a heavier trailer, trailer wheel
lock-up may not be attainable even
with the maximum gain setting of 10.

Information Display Warning Messages

Note: An authorized dealer can diagnose
the trailer brake controller to determine
exactly which trailer fault has occurred.
However, your Ford warranty does not cover
this diagnosis if the fault is with the trailer.

TRAILER BRAKE MODULE FAULT

Displays in response to faults sensed by
the trailer brake controller, accompanied
by a single tone. If this message appears,
contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair. The
controller may still function, but with
degraded performance.

WIRING FAULT ON TRAILER

Displays when there is a short circuit on
the electric brake output wire.

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