Trailer Brake Controllers for the Gladiator

[cb4017]

My plan was/is to get a Curt or Mopar brake controller. All of a sudden I needed a controller quick to pick up a newly purchased pop-up camper out of state. The dealer would not let me drive away if I didn't have a controller and they were sure willing to sell me one.

I had this Tekonsha Primus IQ sitting in the garage that I had on a Nissan Frontier years ago so I decided to use it temporarily so I could get the trailer. I bought a Tekonsha adapter cable for the Jeep JL/JT and mounted the controller under the dash. The controller worked great for the 1500 mile road trip. Surprisingly I had no problems hitting it with my knees. I hated drilling the mount holes in the panel but figured I can plug them later with a little JB Weld.

Anyway, easy and worked great. I'll make it go away eventually.

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[Chestnut]

I was ready to get a controller for when I need one and was about to jump all over the BT one. After reading this and doing a bit of searching the Echo seems like a solid choice. I don't yet have a need for trailer brakes but it may come some day.
My main question is on the button, either on phone screen or seperate button. What is the use case for having that button? If it's an emergency stop i find it unlikely that i'll have my hands free to smash it.
Thanks for the good info.

 

[eaglerugby04]

I was ready to get a controller for when I need one and was about to jump all over the BT one. After reading this and doing a bit of searching the Echo seems like a solid choice. I don't yet have a need for trailer brakes but it may come some day.
My main question is on the button, either on phone screen or seperate button. What is the use case for having that button? If it's an emergency stop i find it unlikely that i'll have my hands free to smash it.
Thanks for the good info.

Trailer sway. If the trailer starts to sway pressing the button is the easiest way to stop it from happening. Another one is on a steep down hill I sometimes feel the camper (heavier than my jeep) pushing it. I do that and it slows it down without causing sway.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Trailer sway. If the trailer starts to sway pressing the button is the easiest way to stop it from happening. Another one is on a steep down hill I sometimes feel the camper (heavier than my jeep) pushing it. I do that and it slows it down without causing sway.

^^^^^^^^^^ Yes, there's a big advantage to having "manual control" over trailer brakes. Slick conditions (like wet roads) or even turning tight turns sometimes. But pulling things straight if for some reason you feel a little "wobbly" as far as sway.
My truck is probably 4900-5,000 pounds. Hmmm, that's about what my loaded car hauler weighs.
I also use that manual button to help determine what setting I need to use for THAT load with THAT trailer. I can feel how "hard" the trailer brakes are applying by pushing the button. If I need more trailer brakes, I set to a higher number, if they grab or are too heavy handed, I set to a lower number.

 

[eaglerugby04]

^^^^^^^^^^ Yes, there's a big advantage to having "manual control" over trailer brakes. Slick conditions (like wet roads) or even turning tight turns sometimes. But pulling things straight if for some reason you feel a little "wobbly" as far as sway.
My truck is probably 4900-5,000 pounds. Hmmm, that's about what my loaded car hauler weighs.
I also use that manual button to help determine what setting I need to use for THAT load with THAT trailer. I can feel how "hard" the trailer brakes are applying by pushing the button. If I need more trailer brakes, I set to a higher number, if they grab or are too heavy handed, I set to a lower number.

Thats right, haven't used my flat bed one in a while. needing to adjust every time on that one I used to use that all the time (previous tow vehicle was a mini-van, made sure not to put any extra load on the brakes there.)

 

[Trickster]

^^^^^^^^^^
I also use that manual button to help determine what setting I need to use for THAT load with THAT trailer. I can feel how "hard" the trailer brakes are applying by pushing the button. If I need more trailer brakes, I set to a higher number, if they grab or are too heavy handed, I set to a lower number.

Exactly the way to set up your BC.

 

[Trickster]

I wish it worked that way here. We have to send purchases out for bids. Lowest bid wins. It's how we got stuck with a fleet of GM trucks that are garbage.

Amen to that.
Work for a municipality that goes by that premise of “cheaper bid gets the purchase”. Ridiculous logic, in the long run some of the crap they buy because it’s cheaper AND out of service because of it, just doesn’t make sense. Need to look “long term” and adjust your budgets accordingly.
Sorry off topic, but could apply to anything such as brake controllers.

 

[Blueberry Muffin]

I've got a 2020 Overland and use the Curt Echo. I tow a Shamrock 19 hybrid with 4,300 lbs dry weight. We had a 3,300 lbs Rockwood HW Popup camper before our hybrid and I used to tow that without a brake controller (I never knew I needed one). We had a WDH with that also and the Gladiator drove like it wasn't towing anything. The extra 1k lbs and size of the new RV impacts the way the truck drives and the Echo allows me to use the 12v outlet to plug my trailer camera monitor into so I can see what's behind the RV.

 

[tonybosco33]

My plan was/is to get a Curt or Mopar brake controller. All of a sudden I needed a controller quick to pick up a newly purchased pop-up camper out of state. The dealer would not let me drive away if I didn't have a controller and they were sure willing to sell me one.

I had this Tekonsha Primus IQ sitting in the garage that I had on a Nissan Frontier years ago so I decided to use it temporarily so I could get the trailer. I bought a Tekonsha adapter cable for the Jeep JL/JT and mounted the controller under the dash. The controller worked great for the 1500 mile road trip. Surprisingly I had no problems hitting it with my knees. I hated drilling the mount holes in the panel but figured I can plug them later with a little JB Weld.

Anyway, easy and worked great. I'll make it go away eventually.

Would you mind telling me where you got the wire harness for this. I have a Gladiator on order and I am going to using the same controller that you have. Just need the harness.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Would you mind telling me where you got the wire harness for this. I have a Gladiator on order and I am going to using the same controller that you have. Just need the harness.

From the people who make the brake controller. Tekonsha. The companies that make the controllers have harnesses unique to their own controllers. They make the harnesses to connect their controller to vehicles.
Buy a harness for a Redarc controller from Redarc, for a Tekonsha from Tekonsha and so on.

 

[Ferg]

I have been using the Echo for more than two years without a single problem. It has worked flawlessly for me. I highly recommend it.

 

[cb4017]

Would you mind telling me where you got the wire harness for this. I have a Gladiator on order and I am going to using the same controller that you have. Just need the harness.

I can't remember where I bought mine but Amazon has them listed. Tekonsha PN 3073-P. Worked great. Plugs into the harness just above the driver's side kick panel.

 

[Blueberry Muffin]

I went with the Curt Echo and have no issues. I didn’t know i needed a brake controller until the RV dealer told me I couldn’t take delivery of my Hybrid until i had one. This is non invasive and seems to work well.

 

[Elff]

I have the Curt Echo.
Works great and I mounted the additional button next to my radio so I can hit it easily if needed.

 

[BaliMawr]

Do you happen to remember the size of the hole that the 12v socket left? My redarc came with the rectangular back plate, and it can't be more than 1" but I was hoping to locate it in the dash, as you have.

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