Electric Brake Controllers

[wishuwerehere]

Electric Brake controllers, I am using one of the Bluetooth units that plug into my trailer light plug then the trailer plugs into it. Our SUV wasn't wired for elec brake so this was the simplest fix several trips now and working great, has anyone else tried these Bluetooth controllers? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Xerofall]

I went the old fashioned way... my Jeep didn't have the tow package, so I added the offical kit from MOPAR for $120, then wired it all myself. I got a brake controller from Amazon and wired it to the Jeep, luckily the stop brake wire was on the bottom of the loom, but I still had to contort my fat bod into a pretzel shape to tap into it... but it's all complete. I'm learning more and more about things by doing it myself, however if I were a rich man, I'd gladly pay someone else to do it because it was a royal pain in my back!

Funny thing, 10 years ago it was hard to find that stuff and I relied on wire twists, cheap crimps and electrical tape... now there's fancy heat shrink solder tubes and better wire taps making the install a little easier.

I'm getting too old for this $***! lol

[wishuwerehere]

[QUOTE=Xerofall;27294]I went the old fashioned way... my Jeep didn't have the tow package, so I added the offical kit from MOPAR for $120, then wired it all myself. I got a brake controller from Amazon and wired it to the Jeep, luckily the stop brake wire was on the bottom of the loom, but I still had to contort my fat bod into a pretzel shape to tap into it... but it's all complete. I'm learning more and more about things by doing it myself, however if I were a rich man, I'd gladly pay someone else to do it because it was a royal pain in my back!

Funny thing, 10 years ago it was hard to find that stuff and I relied on wire twists, cheap crimps and electrical tape... now there's fancy heat shrink solder tubes and better wire taps making the install a little easier.

I'm getting too old for this $***! lol[/QUOTE]

Me and you both, just dumping the waste tanks when leaving a campground is challenging for this 70+ yr old.

[APD]

I hard wired the controller as well. The Bluetooth stuff may be great but I'm leary....
They say that we only fear that which we do not understand. So I guess it would be more accurate to say I'm afraid of it.
(Cause I sure don't understand it.)

[APD]

BTW I remember the old hydraulic controllers that you had to tee into a brake line...... man I'm old.....

[twinster2]

Blue Tooth sounds like it would have been much nicer, but I hard wired my unit in as well. BTW, how are you powering your electric brakes. Don't you still need to run a 10 or 12 gauge wire from your battery back to your trailer wire harness?

[wishuwerehere]

Originally Posted by twinster2

Blue Tooth sounds like it would have been much nicer, but I hard wired my unit in as well. BTW, how are you powering your electric brakes. Don't you still need to run a 10 or 12 gauge wire from your battery back to your trailer wire harness?

The wiring to the trailer connection has a hard wire from the Battery to the center post of the trailer plug, this powers the brakes. I place my cellphone in a gps holder and access the appt. It connects and then I choose the "profile"/weight being towed and the screen displays a large circle that is the manual brake button, when I am slowing the circle start filling showing the trailer brakes being applied, to lock it down or apply brakes while driving you just touch the circle and it shows bake pressure being applied.

[LJAZ]

Have not seen these before. I have a prodigy P3 but my TV is new enough that it came set up to plug in a brake controller.
A question though. The description says it functions even if your phone screen locks. But if the phone screen is locked can you still access the manual brake button in an emergency?

[wishuwerehere]

Originally Posted by LJAZ

Have not seen these before. I have a prodigy P3 but my TV is new enough that it came set up to plug in a brake controller.
A question though. The description says it functions even if your phone screen locks. But if the phone screen is locked can you still access the manual brake button in an emergency?

don't know I have taken calls while using it with no effect, my android has never screen locked before.

[Eagle]

I installed a Tekonsha 90195 P3 Electronic Brake Control unit in my former tow vehicle and it functioned great.
Current tow vehicle has built in brake controller and that also functions perfectly so no need for anything else.

[JimboFunFinder]

I read the Curt verbiage on Amazon and it seems like a novel implementation of a Brake Controller in series with the trailer electrical connector rather than in the driver's area. The Bluetooth link seems to allow the phone to tune and monitor the brake function but the integrity of the wireless link does not determine whether the automatic brake function is applied to the trailer brake or not. The only downside I see is that the MANUAL application of the trailer brakes is dependent upon the Bluetooth connection. Now, the issue is did Curt succeed in designing a rock-solid product? If you read the comments from users who rated it 1 star I would include that the Curt Echo needs some improvement.

[Myron]

WIthout a brake controller your RV brakes will lock up when camped and running generator. I did not know this; but knew something was wrong pulling it: it was as if the brakes were on. Without a brake controller you can't turn it off. It's an unknown safety feature I suspect, when camped, to keep camper stabilized. Unplug the battery, instead. If you don't, and pull it irregardless, your transmission will eventaully break, like mine did.
I wish a site like Funfunderclub would help us new RVers become aware of these unknown dangers.

[JimboFunFinder]

Myron, it sounds to me like your Break Away Safety Brake switch may have failed or is otherwise inoperative. When you connect the trailer to the tow vehicle there is supposed to be a relatively small cable running from the switch mounted on the front frame of your trailer to the TV. In normal operation the circuit to the electric brakes is OPEN and the brakes are NOT applied but if the hitch were to fail then the cable will trip the switch and apply the brakes, This will hopefully slow the trailer and prevent an accident. If the switch were to short then the electric brakes would be applied all the time.
I hope this helps.

[JimboFunFinder]

Here is a photo of the Emergency Breakaway Switch mounted under the tongue frame of my Fun Finder.

[APD]

What Jimbo said.
I pull the pin to check my breakaway operation every trip just to make sure the switch, all connections, battery status and brakes will lock up if needed. My breakaway cable length is just slightly shorter than the safety chains.