Should I Use a Brake Controller for a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser Towing a 2700 Pound Pop-Up Camper

Question:

My wife and I just bought a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Vehicle has a 4.0 liter V6 engine, 4WD, automatic trans, front and rear disc brakes, towing capacity of 5000 lbs. Our pop-up camping trailer weighs approximately 2700lbs empty. The camper does have electric brakes, but the dealer we bought it from told us they werent really necessary so we didnt get a controller. Should we have a controller with this vehicle-trailer combination? If so, what type would you recommend? We do spend much of our time in the mountains. Also- since we just bought the FJ Cruiser a few days ago, we havent gotten around to getting it wired for towing. Our camper requires a 7 point blade connector. How difficult would this be for me to install this myself? Not trying to be cheap, or anything, but the RV dealer installed the hitch and wiring on our last vehicle and charged more than we probably needed to pay.

asked by: Dave

Expert Reply:

I would recommend you go with the brake controller, especially since you plan on traveling in the mountains. Having operable brakes on your trailer will save wear on the vehicle by providing some of the braking force. I would recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P2, part # 90885. Its ease of set-up and use help make it our most popular brake controller.

If you are fairly handy and have a passing familiarity with basic wiring, you should be able to accomplish the installation yourself. We have an online help page that describes how the installation is done that I have linked below. We also have a two part video of a brake controller being installed on an FJ Cruiser as well as a 7-Way, using kit part # ETBC7. I have added links to the parts and videos below.

expert reply by: Mike