what do you all recommend for 2012 Tundra w tow package towing my 80 for brake controller . And is the wiring harness there? I do have the 7 pin and coolers and all
what brake controller recommended? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter tromz
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Harness should be there for plug and play. Its under the kick panel on the drivers side near the E brake pedal... I have the redarc liberty. A little more pricey than some of the others, but super simple install without a big box mounted 100% plug and play and uses a factory switch position.
Tundra / Tacoma Brake Controller Kit - https://www.redarcelectronics.com/us/tundra-tacoma-brake-controller-kit
Tundra / Tacoma Brake Controller Kit - https://www.redarcelectronics.com/us/tundra-tacoma-brake-controller-kit
Install in the video is the same on the Tundra.
I have the OEM controller in my Tundra - it's terrible. I use a Curt Echo. It's kinda $$ up front now. They used to be under $200. Not sure what the going rate is currently. You can use it on any vehicle and keep it from vehicle to the next. Plus - no installation. It's a bluetooth plug in controller that goes between the truck and the trailer plugs. And it has multiple trailer profiles, so you just pick the trailer profile for the trailer and off you go. The other plus is if you ever do let someone else pull your trailer, you can send it with and have it pre-set for that trailer. I've had a few others hard mounted over the years. A good OEM controller is best IMO - I liked the F250 one. After that, I'd spend the $ on an Echo.
Good luck!
Good luck!
joseywales
Renaissance Redneck
I’m going to have to offer the counter point on the Bluetooth controllers. I own a company that builds custom Airstream trailers, so I’m dealing with tons of tow vehicles and tons of different controllers. The only one I’ve ever had to tell a client “you’re on your own” when it came to setting up for towing was the guy who showed up with the BT control. We spent hours and hours trying to get it to connect to the trailer unit, and despite trying it with multiple different configurations, none of the 3 people who worked on it could get it to function.
I‘m certain that they CAN work, and that people love them, but from what I’ve seen, they can also totally NOT work. Anyone that pulls multiple trailers regularly, knows that there are enough potential issues with lights, brakes, safety chains, tires, tongue jacks, hitches etc etc without adding a Bluetooth device to the mix. Go with a hard wired controller.
I‘m certain that they CAN work, and that people love them, but from what I’ve seen, they can also totally NOT work. Anyone that pulls multiple trailers regularly, knows that there are enough potential issues with lights, brakes, safety chains, tires, tongue jacks, hitches etc etc without adding a Bluetooth device to the mix. Go with a hard wired controller.
If it doesn't work and isn't user friendly - it's not going to be a very good controller! I agree that a traditional one is probably better in an absolute sense, it's just more work to install and you can't transfer between vehicles. OEM controllers should be the best option. It's too bad that the Toyota version is crap. The interface is good. It's the software/tune that sucks. It's all or nothing regardless of what setting you choose. I've read that Toyota had a TSB for them that helped a little, but it still isn't very good. I don't know if mine was ever updated or it was the old software. I already had the Echo so I just swapped over to that and haven't looked back.
I bought mine originally when I had a rental truck to pull a trailer and it didn't have a controller so I needed a solution that wasn't permanent. I just found that I really liked it and have used it for the last 4 or 5 years.
I know there's a few BT options out there. I only have experience with the Echo, although I've setup 3 of them for other family members, so it's more than one specific unit. They are pretty simple to use and I've never had issues with connectivity. Once you have it setup - you can disconnect the BT and it just remains set in the last setting. Even if you turn it on an off, unplug, etc. It's always set at the last setting until you change it. Internally, it's basically the same as any other brake controller. Just a different way to setup. I think that's why they're so common on rental trailers - I can set it up and then the next user can't adjust it. For some users - that's exactly what I want.
The biggest issues I know of are that you'll have to either buy the button for the dash or have your phone on and in a holder for emergency braking of the trailer only. No slide on the dash. In some types of emergency it can be useful to have that. I could use an old phone and just have a dedicated phone on the dash for that, but then it sort of defeats the purpose of avoiding the installation work. And I already have a trailer camera screen on my dash, so it would start to get cluttered. (I'm a big fan of the camera on the back over towing mirrors. I often just skip the tow mirrors now. Love the wireless back cam!)
The other is if you own some certain year F150s - they don't work with controllers that take power from the 7pin. Possibly that was your issue? F150's in some recent model years for whatever reason do not keep the +12v pole on the 7 pin plug hot continuously. It turns off and one during use for whatever reason. So, in those models it doesn't work and probably none of the trailer mount electric or BT controllers will work because they require power from the truck via the 7 pin plug. Ford is the odd ball in that respect. I've never heard of any other make or model that does that.
It's also pretty easy to steal. If someone knew what they were doing, they could just steal them off your truck pretty much anywhere it's unattended.
The other issue I've had is in the 4Runner - you have to make sure it's well secured because of the tilt of the plug it could fall out if the lid latch doesn't hold it in place.
It's not a perfect solution by any means. Just easy. I don't tow every day like a contractor would, so I probably don't use it as often as some. I mostly tow a Travel Trailer 4-6k miles of towing per year, so I do semi-frequent long distance tows. But it's definitely become my go-to option.
joseywales
Renaissance Redneck
Curt sells plug and play pigtails to fit virtually every vehicle you could tow something big enough to need brakes. You undo one plug in your footwell and you can swap any hard wired controller to another vehicle in 2 minutes.
That what Ive used in the past. It's easy enough. But you still need to open up the dash and run the wires to some location and then mount the controller. I don't like it hung on the lower dash, so I'd put it in a cubby usually. It's a few hours to get it all in and the wires tied up nicely.
And then it's pretty well fixed in place.
Ideally Toyota would just offer decent software for the OEM one I have. It's already factory fit in the dash. No effort needed. I'm surprised how bad it is. It's not a complex thing to do.
joseywales
Renaissance Redneck
My factory controller in my 19 Tundra works fine. There are definitely a few things Toyota doesn’t do perfectly, but they still manage to get enough things done perfectly to keep us all coming back!
Mine is basically all or nothing on the brakes. I have 3 trailers with brakes that all work well with good brake modulation by the Curt Echo, my old OEM F250 brake controller, and a Prodigy controller I had in my 4Runner. My Tundra is a '16. I know Toyota has had at least one TSB trying to fix the controllers. It's been a long term issue of poor controller function in the Tundra. Some report no brake engagement even with the gain maxed out. Others get all the brake force at once. That's how mine is. It's either no trailer brakes under any conditions or full lock up. Nothing in between. Using the brake manual slide automatically sends it into error mode every time.
This is a pretty good thread on the issue: Factory brake controller issues. - https://www.tundras.com/threads/factory-brake-controller-issues.5103/
I already own the Echo so I just use it instead and it has the profiles saved for each trailer so it makes any mix or match of trailer and vehicle easy. Choose the trailer profile on the app and off I go.
This is a pretty good thread on the issue: Factory brake controller issues. - https://www.tundras.com/threads/factory-brake-controller-issues.5103/
I already own the Echo so I just use it instead and it has the profiles saved for each trailer so it makes any mix or match of trailer and vehicle easy. Choose the trailer profile on the app and off I go.
