Do I need to install brake controller? (1 Viewer)

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Hi Friends:
Apologies in advance for silly question. Totally new to this stuff. I am planning to rent a travel trailer in the coming weeks. I have been searching this forum and on google on thing i need to be aware of when towing a travel trailer ( or just about any trailer). One of the things that come been mentioned in almost every video / blog is brake controller. I googled it to get to know what it is and how it works.. so far i am bit lost. Anyhow, I thought i will put this question to friends here ang get your take? As far as i know, my LC was used by the previous owner to tow boat and stuff but do not think he ever towed a heavy duty trailer. The trailers i been looking to rent are under 4k weight. I guess they call them "lite". Thank you in advance for your input.
 
 
Brake controllers are effectively variable power supplies for electric trailer brakes. If your trailer doesn't have brakes, then the controller can't do its job, so adding one will be unnecessary.
 
I added a mid-level brake controller because I expect to do some rent-an-rv-trailer towing in the next couple years. Not sure when, but probably on only a couple days notice, so I wanted it in place so I wouldn't have to do a last minute install. I've also considered trailering a car, and wished I had it setup then (but didn't), so I had to find a different solution.
 
Most jurisdictions require trailers over 2000lbs to have brakes.

There are two common types of trailer brake setups:
- Surge brakes. These are commonly found on boat trailers and do not require a brake controller in the vehicles. Brakes are activated by a device built into the tongue of the trailer.
- Electric brakes. These are commonly found on travel trailers and DO require a brake controller. The brake controller activates the trailer brakes.

Unless you're only towing around the block, I highly recommend having a brake controller for towing a travel trailer.
 
What is the weight of the trailer? Is it a tear drop or larger? Is towing a heavy trailer something yoy intend to do often?

If you are planning to tow a tear drop, you don’t need a trailer brake setup. Otherwise, for anything larger, you probably will. Do you need to physically install a trailer brake controller? Unless you really expect to make towing heavy things a regular part of your life, i would say ‘no’. I use a bluetooth enabled system that is entirely removable. There are lots of options. If you are renting a trailer from a dealer they may actually have a brake controller you can rent.

Otherwise, get one installed. Lots of options.
 
Almost all travel trailers except popups will have electric brakes. Applying varying amounts of power to the trailer brakes causing variable braking force. You will want to install a proportional brake controller in the LC to activate the trailer brakes. When you apply the LC brakes, the brake controller senses the rate of deceleration and applies and appropriate trailer brake force through one of the pins in the 7 pin trailer electrical connection. For each trailer you need to make sure the controller is adjusted correctly. Many folks on here use the Redarc controllers, so run a search on here for info on installing one. Whether or not laws apply and whether or not the trailer is "lite", use a controller. It's much safer to have the trailer braking.

Edit: Just FYI, boat trailers do not have electric brakes because those can't be dunked. They have hydraulic brakes.
 
Hi Friends:
Apologies in advance for silly question. Totally new to this stuff. I am planning to rent a travel trailer in the coming weeks. I have been searching this forum and on google on thing i need to be aware of when towing a travel trailer ( or just about any trailer). One of the things that come been mentioned in almost every video / blog is brake controller. I googled it to get to know what it is and how it works.. so far i am bit lost. Anyhow, I thought i will put this question to friends here ang get your take? As far as i know, my LC was used by the previous owner to tow boat and stuff but do not think he ever towed a heavy duty trailer. The trailers i been looking to rent are under 4k weight. I guess they call them "lite". Thank you in advance for your input.
Not mentioned here yet, but you truck is prewired for one. So it's nearly a plug and play affair, other than mounting the controller interface on dash somewhere.
 
I assume you are in CA, trailers over 1500lbs need trailer brakes in CA.
If that trailer has electric trailer brakes then you need a controller.
Avg weight of a tear drop is 1700lbs+, so you need trailer brakes on teardrops in CA.
I'll say just about any travel trailer in CA is going to have trailer brakes and will also assume they will be electric, so get a controller.
 
If you're going to be towing over 2500-3000lbs regularly then I would suggest getting a tow-brake controller. I installed the RedArc and I love it, simple and cleanly integrated into the truck.

9XzTZMy.jpg
 
Look up Kurt ECHO. It is a wireless bluetooth controller. I was skeptical but needing something quick and didn't have time to install a traditional one. Fully adjustable and once you set it up for your trailer you don't have to use your phone anymore unless you want to be able to manually activate your trailer brakes. I was impressed. Doesnt get any easier then this

Amazon product ASIN B07JQ99SDD
 
Look up Kurt ECHO. It is a wireless bluetooth controller. I was skeptical but needing something quick and didn't have time to install a traditional one. Fully adjustable and once you set it up for your trailer you don't have to use your phone anymore unless you want to be able to manually activate your trailer brakes. I was impressed. Doesnt get any easier then this

Amazon product ASIN B07JQ99SDD
Unless you want to use the manual activation to straighten out a sway situation, or have to use it for an emergency. Seems like a BAD use for a phone app.
 
Look up Kurt ECHO. It is a wireless bluetooth controller. I was skeptical but needing something quick and didn't have time to install a traditional one. Fully adjustable and once you set it up for your trailer you don't have to use your phone anymore unless you want to be able to manually activate your trailer brakes. I was impressed. Doesnt get any easier then this

Amazon product ASIN B07JQ99SDD


As someone who doesn’t use the controller to stop sway I find this intriguing. It must have some pretty sophisticated accelerometers in that little package. i have a couple of niggling concerns though, like not having any way to know if it becomes disconnected to the truck. I imagine that you get a message on your phone but that isn’t the most reliable method-dead batteries, phone left in trailer - or the potential of being damaged under the truck. All things said it is an innovative idea. And, no, I’m not going to get one, my P3 is more than adequate.
 
As someone who doesn’t use the controller to stop sway I find this intriguing. It must have some pretty sophisticated accelerometers in that little package. i have a couple of niggling concerns though, like not having any way to know if it becomes disconnected to the truck. I imagine that you get a message on your phone but that isn’t the most reliable method-dead batteries, phone left in trailer - or the potential of being damaged under the truck. All things said it is an innovative idea. And, no, I’m not going to get one, my P3 is more than adequate.
I personally would not have bought it other than it was better than no trailer brakes at all with my time constraint and a 2200 mile trip.. I am not usually the kind of guy for anything wireless, rather old school and love tried and true, But.....

Any ways it takes a couple minutes to set up and there you go. Trailer sway is a product of you the operator not loading the trailer with enough tongue weight, So if you don't have the knowledge on how to tow properly you probably should not be pulling a trailer either way. Anyways I ran the app for a few miles to make sure all was dialed for my set up and quickly turned off the app as it worked really good and I had my load correct on the trailer.

I towed my 2200 miles with zero issues and it worked as advertised. So again for someone who has a 7 pin on their truck but no controller I can say this thing works. And honestly worked really well, No hiccups.
 
Trailer sway is a product of you the operator not loading the trailer with enough tongue weight, So if you don't have the knowledge on how to tow properly you probably should not be pulling a trailer either way.

Apparently I shouldn't be towing then. In the world I live in there are multiple causes of sway, wind being a significant one. But since I shouldn't be towing anyway, I'll leave that to the experts.
 
Apparently I shouldn't be towing then. In the world I live in there are multiple causes of sway, wind being a significant one. But since I shouldn't be towing anyway, I'll leave that to the experts.
That is probably a good idea.


95% time sway is induced by improper loading period, if you get lots of sway in the wind again loading is the biggest contributing factor, Other wise it settles right down on it's own. But either way the echo has fully functional manual control that worked flawlessly for 3 straight days through the windy plains, the steep mountains and the 80mph open sections. I did't post how this controller was the end all be all. I simply gave another option that happened to work well in a pinch for me even with my doubts, you had to chime with your indignant reply on how it was a "BAD idea" when in fact you have no clue if it is or isn't.. So take you shoulder chip and relax.
 
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Thank you all for your inputs. I am looking to install brake controller. I looked into Redarc products and found two to be available? There is is Tow-Pro Liberty and Elite. Which one should i go for. On the paper it seems Liberty will just be enough for me as i do not see myself towing heavy duty travel trailers. It is alot cheaper as well. What is your opinion? Thank you in advance.
 
All depends on your personal requirements. I have the Tow Pro Elite and highly recommend it.
 
I use a Tekonsha POD in both my Tacoma and 200 series for my lightweight trailer. It is very simple, and doesn't have to be mounted in any particular orientation.
Tekonsha Pod - Amazon
In my 200 I plugged in the factory harness and routed it to the panel just under the knee pad. Then I made a short adapter harness to attach the POD. I remove the POD when I am not using it, and when I am using it, I just stuff it between the seat and the console. I'd highly recommend this route if you tow small electric brake trailers rarely.
All of the wiring you need should be included between the Toyota electric brake harness and the POD adapter for Toyota vehicles. Here's a few quick snaps:

IMG_0419.JPG


IMG_0420.JPG


IMG_0421.JPG



And yes, there are more sophisticated controllers out there than the POD, and I would recommend these for regular pulling of heavy trailers. The POD is a good low cost option that you can install without having to drill your dash to mount for occasional towing duties, especially lightweight trailers with brakes. That said, I towed 6k lbs from SC to NH with my Tacoma using this setup and never once felt that the braking performance was lacking.
 

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