Here's How To Tow Heavy Without a Brake Controller | Wireless Brake Controller Comparison Review!
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- ( www.TFLtruck.com ) The Toyota Land Cruiser is rated to tow 8,500 lbs, but it does not have an integrated trailer brake controller. Here is a 'TFL Reviews' wireless brake controller comparison to help you tow safely in any SUV or Truck.
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#BrakeController #Wireless #LandCruiser - Авто та транспорт
Welcome Alex. At first I thought, who’s kid is this? But then, WOW! Well spoken, clear voice, to the point. Job well done!!! Eagerly looking forward to more of your reviews, thank you.
5:52 Crikey! A Mr.Truck sighting...
I think he probably climbs into bed every night with that vest on.
Lmao
YOU'RE IN THE SHOT! what? We're shooting a video! huh? Go! Just walk that way! ok
Great review, nice and informative. And welcome Alex! Looking forward to the surge brake controller review.
Alex is a nice addition to the channel. Great video as always boys
Well spoken Young Man, far more professional then expected.
Good review on the different types of available controllers. Yes, would like to see a review on surge brake units.
Love the idea. Bring in the reviews.
I bought an intellihitch when you and mr truck featured it years ago. I still use it
Have had the Prodigy RF installed on our camper for 3 years now. Seriously easy to use, and can tow with either of our vehicles without issue. May have been quite a bit more than a traditional controller, but for us, it's perfection. Never lost signal, and one thing missed in the review is if you do lose signal, the controller defaults to the last settings so you still have brakes!
Haven't checked prices but I spent $150 on my controllers, 3 of them one for each of my tow vehicles all 3 are hard wired, and all 3 work every time, I would never trust that wireless crap, if you can afford to have a tow vehicle and trailer, or multiples you can afford the proper trailer brake controller.
I used to watch Alex’s UA-cam channel!! Great to see him getting into vehicles/towing
Justin Redenius he seems familiar what was his old channel?
Exactly the information I needed to decide between hardwired (not for me) and Bluetooth, and which Bluetooth would be best for me. I also appreciated the tip about testing the unit before hitting the road. I see that Curt now has a manual “panic button” that drivers can affix to the dash, separate from the phone, which resolves that concern for me. Thanks for great information!
Quite a decent showing in front of the camera, Alex. There are ones with years of experience who don’t have the composure you’re showing. Nice job.
New channel TFL Info-commercial ;O) Kidding good stuff and will be watching and sharing .
Thats why i love my new f150 because it has all those goodies already. Love the channel. Great job kid!
Need more Alex! Very thorough and excellent. I have the trailer mounted unit and it is awesome. It works well with specifically German SUVs which don't come with wiring harness included.
Alex is much better than the Canadian guy. Looks and sounds professional and is able to make even a a boring topic interesting which is a big plus. TFL, more Alex please! :)
In Europe surge brakes are the standard for all trailers, in my opinion they are better for smaller trailers (up to 5000 lbs) you just don’t need all this enrage stuff… that’s why no European car has trailer brake wirkng
I just bought the Curt Echo last weekend. works Fantastic! Note for anyone wondering what happens if it looses bluetooth connection, the controller will continue to operate with the last configured settings. If the plug comes loose while driving the app will notify you to pull over and check the connection.
Excellent narration, no un-needed yaking.
Good job. I liked the comparison. Appreciated.
Love these vehicle gadget reviews!!!! Can you do one on PowerTrays? I’m undecided if it’s really needed or not in my vehicle. I have a super basic setup with tons of electrics hooked up in old school fashion. I’d also like to see a review for off-road light controllers. Thanks!!!
As an owner of the Prodigy RF, it's good to be reminded that pairing the remote control to the actual brake control can be difficult depending on the tow vehicles brake lighting system. Vehicles that have LED/low voltage brake lights may not be able perform the pairing process of the remote to the control box mounted on the trailer. One such vehicle is the Volkswagen Touareg. This can be overcome with using another truck with traditional lighting as a tow vehicle to do the one time pairing of the remote to the controller. The Prodigy RF is the equivalent to the Prodigy P3 in it's features.
If I'm renting my trailer to someone, which I do, I simply give them the remote and set the gain based on the weight of their tow vehicle.
I see no use for that Curt Bluetooth unit. That looks like an accident and denied insurance claim just waiting to happen.
Consider how easy it would be to steal the Curt unit. You stop for a bite to eat then head off down the road potentially unaware that you have no trailer brakes.
Coming from the guy who drives a VW! lol
@@nalong55 Digging deep into the old comments...this one sitting here for 2 years. You feel better now that someone hears your voice muffin? I don't drive a VW by the way lol
Lots of good info ...thanks Alex
Alex is an excellent addition to the TFL team.
I like the Curt device because I rent out my travel trailer every week. So the renter only needs a smart phone. So many renters don’t have the required brake controller on their truck. Just make sure your smart phone battery is fully charged before using on a long trip.
We tow a Jayco 145 RB 3,000 lbs behind our 2014 Ford Edge with the Prodigy RF we love the system because it allows us to use our 98 Ford Ranger all we had to do was change the 4 wire to 7 and run a hot wire to the 7 pin. I love the fact you have a real brake controller not your phone.
Wonderful detailed video.
This is probably the 50,000th video series
I love my Echo. All flaws mentioned have a solution. I mounted the controller semi-permanently to the trailer, meaning it can easily be removed with basic tools but not just taken by a passer-by without tools. Got a short pigtail that connects the vehicle to the brake controller.
Being that the controller is black and attached to the black trailer hitch doesn't make it noticeable.
Also saw there's a button Curt now sells for panic stops without using your phone.
FYI, if the unit disconnects it automatically resorts to the last used settings or profile.
If need be, I can lend my trailer out and/or borrow someone else's trailer or even vehicle.
So versatile.
Works great for me. Just my pennies 👍
The Curt ECHO does work (braking signal starts at the unit, so just needs lights and power wired to it - that is how i set up my Jeep so I can verify that). Also, once you set it up, the setting are stored in the unit, so the connection with your phone only matters if you want to manually boost braking power or use your emergency 4-way blinkers (there is a flaw in the unit that it doesn't work properly while you have 4-ways on but there is a button in the app to let it know your 4-ways are on). However, the fit isn't overly secure so you risk a big loss if you are going over any bumps or rough terrain. I lost mine somewhere on a long road trip. $300 loss and also needed to replace my trailer 7-way connector because it got damaged when the Curt ECHO fell off. Also had to complete the trip without trailer breaks... My set up was a tent trailer with brakes, so not as necessary but nice to have on steep hills and blind corners. I would not use this in any set-up where you NEED a break controller because of the risk of losing it part-way through your trip. Overall, do not buy.
Did you have the included strap properly installed to secure the echo to the vehicles 7-way plug? Some people don’t use them and then complain about how they fall out and they lost their money down the road. Others have used Velcro strap to secure it as well over the included rubber one with an Apple Watch clasp.
excellent video, really appreciate this.
Welcome and good job!
Struggle to trust wireless systems as poorly as some Bluetooth devices perform. The current aftermarket TPMS systems come to mind. They are a great idea, but I old fashioned wired solution will continue to be the most reliable.
Eco brake controller awesome thanks man
The Curt echo would be better if Curt would make a dedicated control unit similar to the prodigy RF. No drilling on anything and no phone calls interrupting your brake control screen. I would buy that brake controller.
FIRST! Thanks for being an awesome channel guys.
definitely want to see video about surge brakes
We've been running the prodigy Bluetooth brake controller since 2016. Although it took three trips to the dealership for them to figure out how to install it and get it functioning properly, it has worked flawlessly ever since
I installed my Drawtite brake controller in my truck in 10 minutes, couple screws, couple butt connectors and plugged right into the connector in the driver's side kick panel...that wireless crap is just that, its crap. You bought a tow vehicle and a trailer, you can afford a real brake controller. Do it right or don't tow at all, way too many things that can go wrong with that wireless stuff and you don't want to find out when you are trying to avoid running into something or someone. Enough distractions in vehicles today without adding yet another one having to use a remote or a phone, tablet, etc. to activate a brake system that may not even work....I'll keep my hardwired brake controller that works 100% of the time.
lol
@@wildbill23c you are right...but for trailer rental bizz they are a great solution.
For the CURT, seems like a dedicated device like was said "older smart phone", maybe a tablet or even an android head unit.
I could see it for a rental trailer as he said. But touchscreens don't give me the confidence in a high stakes situation.
@@matthewrobertson156 They offer a separate button for the Curt Echo now.
My bluetooth devices have never held a constant connection. Speakers keyboards and mice all have cut out on me from time to time. If music skips that's one thing what happens to your breaks if you lose bluetooth connection? Also does it give you a warning if this happens?
Thanks for the great reviews keep up the great work!
This was actually pretty interesting
Hey looks like Alex is starting to fit right in.
The review was very thorough and I like the fact that relying on your Bluetooth with the Curt product is not the best solution due to fact your phone may not be ready when it is most needed. Also the phone being right there in your face, sort of, leaves that ever tempting chance that someone will text and drive. Texting and driving is passing drinking and driving for being the number one killer on highways. No person on earth can safely text and drive, no one! Don’t do it. I have lost a family member and friend to texting and driving.
One little thing with the prodigy. You can buy multiple mounts and wiring harnesses and move the controller itself from one vehicle to another, if you chose. Just opt it out of the case it sits in and unplug it. My brother-in-law does that because he and his son both have trucks that they tow their travel or car hauler with and then they only needed to pay for one controller. It is way cheaper to buy the mount and wiring harness than a full second controller. Understandably this doesn’t work for everyone.
Also, you can mount the prodigy style brake controllers in other spots other than just the knee panel in your truck. With a little more effort, it isn’t that hard mind you, you can set it into a space in your dash as well, I have a 2007 Chevy Colorado and there is a small space you can put things. I did a little trimming at the back of the opening and mounted the controller with double sided sticky tape and it has sat there for the last 7 years without issue. This is definitely a permanent installation, mind you. It is much handier to get to in this case as well.
I like this new guy.
What happens when I start down the very long 6-8% grade East bound on the 70 and of course there is no cell service for most of that distance. Other than that small (major?) issue I really like the Curt unit. Great new addition to your channel.
Bluetooth is different than cellular service and irrelevant to the functionality.
Thank you, a couple of friends have already hit me up side of the head on this one. I’m embarrassed to say why I thought it wouldn’t work, I’m going to blame it on age. That was my dad’s first line of defense about age 70 up.
Smart and safety conscience young man.
That prodigy unit seems like a surge brake. Since the box has an accelerometer built in. Would like to see a review of surge brakes
Never install a brake controller in the knee bolster area. This is a designed crash protection area. Some vehicles have airbags in this area. Brake controller should be in easy reach in case of emergency.
Another good reason for any truck/suv that comes with a hitch should have a factory brake control dashboard mounted and easily accessible.
I install brake controllers and the right side is the most ergonomic, but it doesn't always work out. The only vehicle I've ran across so far that couldn't be installed on the right side was a Toyota Tacoma, but there is a cubby that can be modded to fit a bc. I have used a wireless set up a couple times because the vehicle didn't have a brake signal to tap into and they were only towing a 1500 lb trailer otherwise a hard wire is the best way to go. If your vehicle is prewired for a bc there's no reason to go wireless.
Curt: What keeps someone from just stealing it? Or that long piece of plastic sticking out getting bumped and breaking off the whole trailer connection or breaking the Curt?
Really neat idea. Needs different packaging for security and breakage protection.
Also looking at AutowBrake that installs on the trailer with remote used in truck only if desired else it is automatic and proportional. Installs any orientation.
Alex is 2 for2 . This controller review and the previous camera review. Good sign for future TFL Reviews....which is a nice complement to the various truck reviews.
He is? Tommy is annoying enough, but now we got Alex. Is Alex nepotism too?
I’d love to learn about surge brakes, being someone who just bought a boat and google isn’t much help. I want to know if I have them! 2007 Crownline 22ft boat.
Alex looks like a great addition to the team!
Sorry to be so off topic but does someone know a method to get back into an instagram account??
I was stupid forgot the password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.
@Clay Sutton Instablaster =)
@Timothy Ira I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process now.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Timothy Ira it worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thank you so much, you saved my ass :D
@Clay Sutton No problem =)
What do u mean “ you can tell people don’t normally tow with the Land cruiser “ 🤷🏼♂️ every grey nomad tow’s a caravan with the 200 series.. in Australia we get the 4.5 v8 twin turbo diesel 200kw and 650nm torque stock.. I have one and love it.. check out some videos on UA-cam in regards to them being tuned ;)
I've contacted Curt mfg myself and asked them this same question. I installed my 7 way plug on my vehicle myself and I only hooked up my brown taillight, green & yellow brake and turn signals and a red constant 12v. They said that this Bluetooth system would work and that I did not need the blue electric brake wire on my vehicle. Can you all assure this?
I'm assuming you figured this out since it's been a year but your blue wire is your trailer brake wire so you essentially don't have your brakes working
It’d like to see a video about surge breaks. Going to buy a Yamaha boat pretty soon that uses surge breaks for the trailer and it’d like to know if there’s any thing special you need to do with those
You need to lock it out when backing up. That's about it. They work fine but are not nice as trailer brakes controlled by the tow vehicle. Luckily the average recreational boat is not very heavy.
Geoff Moore I think most boat trailers do that automatically when you connect it to the 7 pin on the back of the truck. I’m pretty sure even uhaul trailers do that automatically because I’ve never had issues backing up the 6x12 uhaul’s lol
@@macbookpro57 Yea some do if they are equipped.
Also the Curt would be a very good option if you have a leased vehicle with occasional towing
Great review. I like the Curt connector and using another smart phone to run the app. Thanks for sharing.
You regularly interact with your brake controller while towing?
The Curt Controller is useless if you need to use your phone for something like gps navigation?
I have an old vehicle with a 4 pin conecter. Can I use adapters to conect to the echo?
So the 7n pin on the vehicle just used fire the lights & power?
Take a shot of whiskey every time he says Butt-un.
You might want to touch on solutions that convert flat to 7 pin for folks who don't have that connector.
Question on the Curt Bluetooth device. I purchased one and during constant braking the camper brakes disengage and then reengage disengage and reengage all while the foot is still on the brake pedal. Te blue bar around the red circle stays constant with the foot pedal as well. Why would the trailer brakes lose its signal to brake and then re brake every 3-5seconds even sitting still?
I like the first one
Will those any of those solutions work through a 4 to 7 pin adapter?
Ok, so I have a short on my truck side trailer controller. The blue wire I guess. I cant seem to find it. I have about 9k,,cords of firewood loaded t' high, 12" long, and 7'0 wide. It looms as though your current wiring must work in the first place. Correct?
Do I need a internet connect for the wireless bluetooth controller?
One more cautionary story:
Years ago I bought a used Chevy Suburban that had a Kelsey trailer brake controller already mounted on it.
The first time that I pulled a trailer with that truck it blew a fuse on the brake light circuit.
That caused the whole setup to have no brake lights and no trailer brakes!
The previous owner had wired up the trailer brake controller to the brake light circuit instead of running a hot wire from the battery to power the trailer brakes!
So while I was sitting on the side of the freeway that night, I had to replace a fuse and rewire the trailer brake controller to the battery in the dark!!!
When I bought the truck it looked like the trailer brake controller was hooked up right because without the trailer hooked up the lever would still move with the brake pedal and the light would still shine with the brake pedal.
Those were working until I plugged the trailer in and hit the road!
I noticed that the trailer brakes were not working because I had to push harder on the brake pedal than normal.
I was hauling a flatbed with a tractor on it.
In poor conditions this could have been deadly!
The moral of the story is:
If you buy something used make sure that it is wired and installed correctly or it could cost you your life!!!!!
Hello I have been trying to read back in the comments.. really if you have a vehicle that has an 7 pin connector in t should theoretically be set up with trailer breaks I assume.. me vehicle only has the standard 4 pin connector. Can this system be used with the 4 pin somehow?
Real test would be Tommy reverse parking with all trailer brake controllers. The one he didn't crash (alternatively the one that results in least damage) wins :P
Brake controller isn't going to help keep you from backing into anything, it doesn't sense what you are backing into LOL. Get where you were going with your comment though HAHA!!!
I don't see the need for the wireless one unless you have an old truck without the pre terminated wiring and just need a temporary fix. But for the last 2 decades every truck capable of towing has had the wiring you need and you just plug the controller in.
Exactly, even my 30 year old truck has a brake controller hard wired in, took about 20 minutes to install it, had to run a couple wires and splice in a couple places for light signal, etc. but any vehicle can be wired for a brake controller and is the way to go, works 100% of the time, I would never put my life or anyone else's on the line for that stupid wireless crap.
Wow great video. I am sorry i judged this book (you) by the cover (your age). Thank you for this advice.
Has this been tested in inclement weather?
Are any of these brake controllers proportional or are they all timed? For those that don't know what I'm talking about, maybe TFL could explain the difference between them.
All of mine are proportional and that's what the gain is...at least on my controllers...you adjust the gain so the trailer brakes engage slightly sooner than your tow vehicle brakes. Helps keep you in control especially downhill.
CURT 511800 is the best wireless solution over these by far and away LOL.
My big 2 haulers
Alex is a major improvement over grumpy Roman!! LOL
Great review Alex. Nice to hear someone besides the old farts. LoL!
It should be a law to build trucks with trailer controllers built-in. Just dreaming...
Or at least the owner have enough common sense to have one installed, not any of these wireless nonsense systems guaranteed to never work when you need them.
More government overreach is never the answer. Never.
The Curt Echo seems like a losing proposition to me. It would be a bit better if it were CarPlay compatible but the app store indicates that it is not. Even then you'd still have issues when a phone call comes through. Additionally, a lot of people use their phone for navigation so that's out when using this. iOS13 updates Carplay with the ability to have a multitasking split screen. So this app would be a bit better when that comes out IF they make it CarPlay compatible.
I'd like to know how one would be able to use trailer brakes if they only have a 4 pin flat connector.
I dont think that would work because on a 4 pin flat connector those wires are all for signaling lights only. The 7 pin connector has extra wires meant to run the trailer brakes etc.
None. 4 pin flat isn't a trailer connector for towing trailers that have brakes in the first place, and most likely not a tow package equipped vehicle. Upgrade to a tow package setup which in many cases is available in some form or another from a dealership or etrailer.com usually carries some sort of kit, and you'll need one which has a 6 or 7 pin plug.
We just put a Prodigy RF on our Ford Edge if you have a 4 wire then all that needs to be done is run a hot wire from the fuse box or battery to the 7 pin connector
Cool
What happens if you don’t have a 5 or 7 pin connector?
why don't they just make a hitch that activates the brakes based on how much the trailer pushes into it?
@@matthewrobertson156 oh ok I missed that
thanks
Tomi Nagy Yeah U-Haul have them on the trailer when you rent them very smart idea though but they’re only in business to make money Plus I’d rather have mechanical then technology
Some trailers have that setup, I think the ones that UHAUL rent have that, its a hydraulic brake system that is activated every time you apply the tow vehicle brakes, so as the trailer moves forward on the trailer hitch ball it pushes on a plunger that acts like you pressing on the brake pedal in your vehicle that applies the brakes on the trailer...they do work quite well when properly adjusted and maintained, and requires no trailer brake controller, not sure why this isn't more common, then again most trailer brakes that use a brake controller are actually electromagnetic and they tend to last a long time.
I would be curious about doing like to see a comparison between a built in and 3rd party brake controller. Everything I have found is that the built in is always better since it has integration with the ecu so it has much more information to work with. I know they will both work, but not sure how you would test it really though.
Hardwired brake controllers are simple to test, hookup to a trailer with brakes, drive down the road and pull on the manual activation lever it should activate the brakes on the trailer and start slowing you down, or in some cases depending on the controller it can and has the ability to completely lockup the brakes on the trailer, usually if you don't have it adjusted properly, but its one guarantee the controller is working, then you can adjust the gain from there which needs adjusted for each different trailer you tow as different trailer weights require different gain, otherwise if you just left it alone the brakes may work fine on one trailer, not enough on another, and lockup on yet another trailer LOL.
Alex looks like every high school drug dealer ever.
Joseph Whiskey Beale - do you really know what a high school drug dealer looks like? They don’t want to stand out so they dress like every other kid in school. They could be dressed in a suit and tie in an Ivy League school, school uniform in a private school, or like Alex in this video, ONLY because all the other kids dress like Alex in school. I have a very high level of knowledge in this matter and it is very inappropriate to label someone with such a harsh and inaccurate label! Period.
You also don’t do other parents any good if they are dealing , by accident or coincidence, with an actual dealer. They may think that since the kid is well dressed he can’t be a dealer because they all look like Alex. They trust this kid with their kids and, in no time, they have a kid hooked on Meth and don’t think the dealer is the “real dealer” and accidentally and incorrectly say it HAS to be the kid dressed like Alex! Meanwhile the real dealer is reeling in more kids and destroying their lives as well as the family they live with. Not cool at all, don’t label people!
So, you’re also a high school drug dealer? Kewl.
Made me laugh!
Joseph Whiskey Beale - I used to work in law enforcement and taught parents what to look for and always had to deal with people like yourself, who thought they knew it all, when they knew very little in regards to protecting their kids from the drug dealers you refer to. Just grow up and accept you made a mistake, quite serious one, and move on.
Mathis isn’t a funny, or laughing matter sir.
avlisk - hope it wasn’t Joseph that made you laugh, what if your niece or grand daughter showed up looking a little different with her new, well dressed boyfriend, your not sure why she is a little different but don’t worry because her boyfriend looks like a good kid, has lots of money, drives a nice truck and is just cool. If you think the drug dealer only looks like Alex, you just let this good looking good kid destroy your grand daughter or niece because there is no wayyyy the well dressed kid could be a drug dealer. It happens, I know, way too much from my previous career.
We are here to protect our younger family members, can’t do so when we are not aware.
Where is Mike I haven’t seen him for a while?
I like the new guy
In a 40 foot Motorhome which one will work 😊
Its like he has a hat to keep the sun out of his eyes
New definition of blue screen of death
With the echo,what will happen if phone dies or I loose it??
Once you have it installed and set up, if your phone dies or Bluetooth drops out, the Product will still work to the last saved profile parameters. So brakes will still work.
Now if you lose it, you’ll just have to buy another one. 🤣
Give the man some sun glasses! Alex’s squinting is making me squint
If only he had a hat with a visor...
This video title is misleading. My break system
Broke and I was looking for advice for flat towing safely without a break controller. This video does not discuss towing heavy without a break controller. Exact opposite actually.
Haha Kent at 6:01
I would not trust something like this to bluetooth. When they struggle keeping a decent connection 2 feet away to the car radio, but expect it to work well through all the metal of the truck, people, cargo, etc.
Just install RedArc towpro
In my experience, surge brakes suck. It's great for a trailer you hardly tow and you're not interested in hooking up a lot of equipment, but for regular towing, just get a real tow vehicle-trailer brake setup.
So, you're potentially betting your life on a bluetooth connection? Grandma calls you, blocks the use of your trailer brake app and you plunge into the ravine to your death.....No thanks....
Wait, why do you need trailer brake controller? In Europe, (and Poland) all the trailers over 3-400 kgs, have a mecanical brake pump that pumps the brake when the tow vehicle brakes ... why are the USA trailers so primitive?
I believe to sell more accessories is why LOL. Many of the trailers that rental companies have do have a similar system that you are talking about, at least all the ones I've rented do and they work quite well and don't require a brake controller, or any additional wiring or gadgets.
Give the kid a TFL shirt.
My only complaint with surge brakes is backing up other then that good idea and pretty idiot proof