Another dumb question, towing a cargo trailer

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Agree with RET2, any trailer shop will have you setup easily. It's about $400 worth of kit to install brakes. You'll need a left and right.

Needing brakes really depends on what you intend to carry within. And your tolerance for risk.

No question that brakes will be better. The first time you need them you'll really wish you had them. If any incident were to occur, that $400 would be a drop in the bucket relative to the incidental cost.

I tow these types of trailers often without brakes, and feel like I have solid control and braking when driving defensively.
 
Are surge brakes cheap? I dont plan to keep this trailer very long.
I'm getting pretty extreme quotes for adding electro brakes. $1000
 
AussieInExile said:
Are surge brakes cheap? I dont plan to keep this trailer very long.
I'm getting pretty extreme quotes for adding electro brakes. $1000
Click to expand...

I recently bought this brake kit for my trailer (will likely fit yours, too): Amazon product ASIN B014VBRKU6
And this wiring harness: Amazon product ASIN B07582MFBD
$415 CAD shipped. It'll take about 1.5hrs per side to install, plus a couple hours for new wiring, so figure 5 hours of DIY work.

The quotes you're getting sound about right to me. Parts, a tad of markup on them, and give or take 5 hours of labour.

Note that you'll also need to have a brake controller in the tow vehicle. I bought this one: REDARC EBRHACCV2 TOW-PRO ELITE CONTROLLER: Amazon.ca: Automotive, along with this adapter: Tekonsha 3040-P Brake Control Wiring Adapter for 02-C Toyota, Brake Controls - Amazon Canada
 
eatSleepWoof said:
I recently bought this brake kit for my trailer (will likely fit yours, too): Amazon product ASIN B014VBRKU6
And this wiring harness: Amazon product ASIN B07582MFBD
$415 CAD shipped. It'll take about 1.5hrs per side to install, plus a couple hours for new wiring, so figure 5 hours of DIY work.

The quotes you're getting sound about right to me. Parts, a tad of markup on them, and give or take 5 hours of labour.

Note that you'll also need to have a brake controller in the tow vehicle. I bought this one: REDARC EBRHACCV2 TOW-PRO ELITE CONTROLLER: Amazon.ca: Automotive, along with this adapter: Tekonsha 3040-P Brake Control Wiring Adapter for 02-C Toyota, Brake Controls - Amazon Canada
Click to expand...

Does every controller need that adapter, or it is only some makes and models?
 
Electric
The brake controller in a module in you car that detects if you are stepping on the brakes and how hard.
This thing was a pain to install on my LC, because the connection was way up under the dash..
Then on the trailer you have electric brakes that hook to the wire on the trailer connector that is a 7 pin (usually 7 pin) connector.

Surge.
Everything is on the trailer. When the trailer pushes toward the vehicle the trailer brakes come on.
 
AussieInExile said:
Right, but is install a surge brake cheaper?
Click to expand...
I can't imagine surge brakes being cheaper for the trailer side of the work. There are hydraulics involved. I just replaced the electric brakes on my camper, which is very similar installing them new, except for running the wires from the trailer plug to the wheels. Using a kit from etrailer.com, it was really easy and took maybe an hour a wheel. I'm sure hydraulic surge brakes would be more time-consuming because in addition to the brakes, you need a new surge-actuator hitch on the trailer, plus the hydraulics. I think of surge brakes as mostly for rental trailers that are hooked up to many different vehicles that don't have an electric brake controller.
 
Managed to get a decent quote from a place for around $800. I just need to sort out the brake controller. A little confused where to put the redarc one on the LX, given there are no slots on the left side of the steering wheel.
 
Ok, I've done a bit of research on the different controllers, what confuses me is where do I mount the redarc controller? There are no fake button places on the LX like there are on the LC. Anyone with an LX have any idea? I saw a few weeks back in one of these forums, that someone had mounted theres by drilling a hole through the dashboard.... :oops: .I'd rather not have to do that.

P3 Looks good, but I don't want to have to screw holes into the dashboard. Maybe some kind of stick velcro mount would work?
 
Sac Cerevisiae said:
Check out @Chrisleduc1 ’s build: Builds - Mountain Goat '18LX build thread
Click to expand...
Yeh, I saw that before, the problem is, that I already have a button where they put the redarc knob, and there are no other buttons to put them on.
2000206
2000207
 
How far are you pulling the trailer? If you're just hauling stuff around town you're way overthinking this. Just load it correctly and go. There's no way I'd spend $1000 getting a brake controller and brakes on a cheap trailer to just haul stuff around town for a month. I have a 3000 lb camper with brakes, and a 5x8 cargo trailer without. I've never been able to load the 5x8 heavy enough to feel the need for brakes, at least not between my house and the hardware store, which is it's normal route.
 
TimCFJ40 said:
How far are you pulling the trailer? If you're just hauling stuff around town you're way overthinking this. Just load it correctly and go. There's no way I'd spend $1000 getting a brake controller and brakes on a cheap trailer to just haul stuff around town for a month. I have a 3000 lb camper with brakes, and a 5x8 cargo trailer without. I've never been able to load the 5x8 heavy enough to feel the need for brakes, at least not between my house and the hardware store, which is it's normal route.
Click to expand...
If it were just around town I wouldnt worry about it. But I'll be hauling this on the freeway alot and over long distances, so I'd rather have the safety aspect of it.
 
AussieInExile said:
Yeh, I saw that before, the problem is, that I already have a button where they put the redarc knob, and there are no other buttons to put them on.
View attachment 2000207
Click to expand...

I've thought about swapping my Prodigy brake controller for a Redarc. Was going to locate the redarc knob below the side mirror controls, or just to the right corner of that button group frame.

It's a balance of putting it in an aesthetically pleasing and less obnoxious position, while making sure it's easily accessible in an emergency or sway event.

If you want it more hidden, the spot to the right of the hatch opening button and left of the steering column works great. But I have my aux tank control located there.
 
AussieInExile said:
Yeh, I saw that before, the problem is, that I already have a button where they put the redarc knob, and there are no other buttons to put them on.
View attachment 2000206View attachment 2000207
Click to expand...

I plan to drill to install mine. Not ideal, but as you've found, there aren't many options.

An alternative is to take out a useless button, like the PWR DOOR OFF one, replace it with a blank, and install the controller in the blank.
 
I juts ordered the teknosha p3 instead. I plan to plop it on the left hand side coin slot or whatever that opening is called.
 
That is the same model I installed, however I put on the other side (right) so I wouldn't bump it with my leg getting in and out.
I also needed a part called 3040-p to adapt to the LC200 plug.
(The slot is for the japan toll road card.)
 
See Post # 18 on this link .. not my car but same place.

forum.ih8mud.com

Trailer Brake Controller Connector

Darby Darrow and bstein have posted the location of the brake controller connector. I just installed mine and took some pictures. My Land Cruiser is a 2008 which came from the factory with a seven pin trailer connector at the rear bumper. First I removed the bottom panel below the...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom