Where in your interior did you mount your brake controller?

[Jaxmax]

One thing to keep in mind with brake controllers is the manual lever or push button. I assume the RedArc push in to activate the brakes. You will want to do this when you are pushing the limits, hitting the electric brakes first then hitting your vehicle brakes. I had an incident with a Tahoe hauling a 4500 Boston Whaler down a four lane freeway , we were camping for week had firewood and a lot in back of Tahoe , trailer had surge brakes. Everything was fine until a several mile downhill as speed reached 65 the tahoe starting swaying viloently taking up both lanes of highway and forcing a truck onto the shoulder. I knew the surge brakes would work and push against hitch possibly when it was sideways resulting in a high speed jack knife, it was all I could do to hang onto steering wheel and ride it out. Rest of trip was uneventful but I kept my speed down. I later installed electric pump hydraulic brakes on trailer controlled by a brake controller , and last three vehicles that I have towed the Whaler with also have the controller. The important thing is that day even with the electric brakes I am not sure I could have left go of the wheel to reach for it, my whole family mounts our controllers either in the dash or somewhere between driver and passenger so they can reach brake lever or button to slow the vehicle down and which stops sway instantly and allows brakes to be pressed. The truck I ran onto the shoulder followed me down swaying between the lanes with his flashers on preventing other cars from passing him him, I hit speeds of over 75. We pulled over and trucker talked to us and said we did the right thing, if I would have been out of line with the trailer when hitting vehicle brakes we would have jackknifed! I was soaked with sweat from the ride down that hill.

Put the brake controller where you can easily hit the lever or have it where passenger can reach it, it happens fast and you might not be able to leave go of the steering wheel. Plus don’t overload and go downhills fast, scrub your speed off and stay in control. Sorry for long post, but if just one of you listens, and gets through an event thats great!.....Jack

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[eaglerugby04]

One thing to keep in mind with brake controllers is the manual lever or push button. I assume the RedArc push in to activate the brakes. You will want to do this when you are pushing the limits, hitting the electric brakes first then hitting your vehicle brakes. I had an incident with a Tahoe hauling a 4500 Boston Whaler down a four lane freeway , we were camping for week had firewood and a lot in back of Tahoe , trailer had surge brakes. Everything was fine until a several mile downhill as speed reached 65 the tahoe starting swaying viloently taking up both lanes of highway and forcing a truck onto the shoulder. I knew the surge brakes would work and push against hitch possibly when it was sideways resulting in a high speed jack knife, it was all I could do to hang onto steering wheel and ride it out. Rest of trip was uneventful but I kept my speed down. I later installed electric pump hydraulic brakes on trailer controlled by a brake controller , and last three vehicles that I have towed the Whaler with also have the controller. The important thing is that day even with the electric brakes I am not sure I could have left go of the wheel to reach for it, my whole family mounts our controllers either in the dash or somewhere between driver and passenger so they can reach brake lever or button to slow the vehicle down and which stops sway instantly and allows brakes to be pressed. The truck I ran onto the shoulder followed me down swaying between the lanes with his flashers on preventing other cars from passing him him, I hit speeds of over 75. We pulled over and trucker talked to us and said we did the right thing, if I would have been out of line with the trailer when hitting vehicle brakes we would have jackknifed! I was soaked with sweat from the ride down that hill.

Put the brake controller where you can easily hit the lever or have it where passenger can reach it, it happens fast and you might not be able to leave go of the steering wheel. Plus don’t overload and go downhills fast, scrub your speed off and stay in control. Sorry for long post, but if just one of you listens, and gets through an event thats great!.....Jack

+ to this. Just learned this yesterday that I should have mounted it on the left side and not my right. I tend to hold my wheel with my right. When I felt slightly off where the trailer was pushing me down a hill I tapped the trailer brake. Easy to find, but not the most comfortable now holding with my left hand.

 

[Vicegrips]

Curt Spectrum here. Control knob mounted just left of steering column, like Odds showed in pix. My controller box is mounted drivers footwell left wall, zip tied to metal strut under there. Very sturdy, out of the way. Factory wiring harness adapter connects up there too, above the ODB2 connector.
So, no cut, no drill, looks nice, works great.

 

[maxds]

Curt Spectrum as well. To the left of the steering wheel. No holes. Pretty straightforward install.

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