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Today we are going to talk about the two main kinds of brake controllers, the proportional and the time delay. The two we have here are the Journey HD and the Draw-Tite Activator II. These are what you call the time delay brake controllers. Basically what happens is that when you hit the brakes, they come on at a certain speed that you set on the brake controller. Like on this one here, we have a sync switch here that controls how fast it comes on and then this knob here controls how much power it takes to stop the trailer. Basically you hit your foot brake and it comes on at the rate you determine and at how much power youve set aside for it, and then it stays there until you completely let off the brake. more
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Posted: 11/12/2008 6:30:05 PM
Today we are going to show you part number 20188 from Tekonsha. This is the Tekonsha Primus electronic brake controller. What this is, it is a proportional brake controller, which means basically it senses how hard you are hitting the brakes on your truck via a little sensor inside of here. Basically, the farther sensor moves forward the more current goes out to your trailer, matching how hard you are pushing on the brakes on your vehicle. What you get in the box is, obviously, the brake controller itself, two different styles of brackets this one is a quick release, so if you want you can actually trade this brake controller between two different vehicles. This also has a permanent mount bracket here, so if you are going leave it one vehicle it will stay there, so this will be perfect plus it takes up a little bit less room underneath the dash. more
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Posted: 9/26/2008 11:30:43 AM
Today we are gong to show you part number 5100 from Draw-Tite. This is their Activator electronic brake controller. The 5100 is a solid state brake controller, which means it has no moving parts in it whatsoever. So you can actually mount this controller in any orientation that you would like: upside down, rightside up, sideways - it does not matter, because it has a time delay device, which makes it really easy to use, also. There are only three simple controls on this unit. Again, that makes it easy to use. First off, you have got the manual override right here, and that controls the trailer brakes just by themselves. And then you have got the output here. This output button - a slide switch, actually - it basically goes from no power up to full power. Depending on the trailer load you have, it can be anywhere in between these two settings right here. And then lastly there is a synch switch on the side here, farther away. The faster the brake controller reacts and closer to you, the slower the brake controller will react. more
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Posted: 9/22/2008 10:22:23 AM
Today we are going to show you part number 32810. This is the Odyssey II brake controller. This is manufactured by Valley. This is a total electronic brake controller. It is proportional so it is a really easy-to-use unit. We will go over some of the features here and then show you how it works. First off, we will cover some of the functions on the brake controller. It is a little bit different from most. You may be used to the slide lever being on the side, to activate the manual override. Well, this one has a pressure-sensitive switch on this corner here. And you push it down, and the harder you press, the more current goes out. What is different about this brake controller is that is has all push buttons on it. You may be used to brake controllers that have the lever on the side or underneath, but on this one it is all push buttons. And for your manual override, you use this button right here. It is a pressure-sensitive switch, basically the harder you press the more current goes out. more
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Posted: 9/2/2008 1:13:03 PM
Today we are going to show you Part Number 90195 from Tekonsha. This is their P3 trailer brake controller. This is pretty much their top-of-the-line brake controller that is out on the market right now. What you need is, obviously, the brake controller itself, plus the mounting bracket, which is pretty unique. It actually grabs it from the top of the brake controller and snaps into place. And this little bracket here actually gets bolted on to the top here, and then this gets bolted onto your dash. And you can angle the brake controller in whatever direction you need. It also comes with a quick disconnect harness, which plugs into the back of the brake controller, and if you want to take it off when you are not using it, you just disconnect from the harness and tuck this away. And then you do not have it on your dash when you are not needing it. more
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Posted: 9/2/2008 9:15:22 AM
Today we are going to cover a frequently asked question. It really turns up a lot. And actually it is easier than you think. Basically, if you have a pickup and you got a tow package with it and you got one of these wire harnesses that plug underneath the dash and plugs into your brake controller, you might have five or sometimes even more wires coming off of it. And you notice that your brake controller only uses four. We have got one over here, we will show you, that has just the four wires and what do you do with the extra wires? The short answer is do not worry about it, because the brake controller has all that it needs from these four wires. more
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Posted: 8/29/2008 12:54:26 PM
Today we are going to do our install on a 2005 Dodge Durango with the tow package from the factory, and we are going to install Part Number 90185, the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller. And we are also going to install the accompanying brake control harness for the Dodge tow package, and that is Part Number 3020P. To begin our install, we will start with the bracketry to hold our brake controller. And that is actually pretty easy. There is already an existing screw underneath the dash, and we are going to use that. We use a torx bit and we are going to go ahead and take that down. Then we run our bracket right back through it, and we are going to overlap so it will sandwich the plastic back up there like it was originally. more
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Posted: 8/28/2008 9:47:01 PM
Today we are going to cover a few notes on testing an electronic brake controller. What we are going to cover here is going to apply to virtually all brake controllers. Basically, if you run into a problem where you think your brake controller is not working, well, it could be a the brake controller or b it could be something in the truck itself, in the connector or c it actually could be problems in the trailer. What we are going to show you today is how to look for problems that will either rule out the brake controller or make sure that it is the brake controllers fault. Just like any electronic devices, they seem to have a limited lifespan some will work for years and some will not. But this way you can also verify that it is working good. more
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Posted: 8/29/2008 7:37:24 AM
Today were going to install the Prodigy brake controller from Tekonsha, Part Number 90185, on a 1999 Ford F250, the light-duty version. This will also apply to the same year Ford F150. Were going to start off with this one vehicle that only has a factory 4-pole package on it and does not have the 7-pole in the back. So were going to have to upgrade the 4-pole to make it a 7-pole and then we can install the brake controller up front. The first thing we do is install one of two brackets on the hitch itself so we have a place to mount our electrical connector, and basically were going to be using Part Number 18140 from Tow-Ready. And basically this is one that clamps in place right here. Basically its just a hose clamp that goes around the hitch and back through itself. And then you just tighten it down with a clamp set. You might want to hold the bracket in position while you tighten it down, too. Next were going to install a bracket by a hole in the connector right here. And this comes with the Part Number 37185, and thats a 4-pole to 7- and 4-pole adapter. more
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Posted: 8/29/2008 6:05:40 AM
Today we are going to be installing a brake controller on this 2008 GMC Sierra. The part number is 5520, along with the 7-way replacement socket for the GM products, part number 20047. We are going to start in the rear, installing the 7-Pole replacement socket. We are back behind the bumper here and if you can see this unit here is actually the 7-pole factory socket that we are going to be plugging into. So we want to go ahead and disconnect this off of the knockout that goes into the bumper. We are back on the outside of the bumper here and this knockout here is actually going to be removed. This is where the 20047 is going to be put in place of. Now that the knockout is removed, we want to go ahead and put the replacement socket in there. It just slides in and you want to line up the notches and just rotate it and it locks right into place. I am going to take the socket that we removed from the backside of the knockout earlier and plug it into the back of the 7-way here. more
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Posted: 9/2/2008 3:30:05 PM
Today we are going to show you part number 90185 from Tekonsha. This is their Prodigy controller right here. This is actually Tekonshas most popular brake controller, the Prodigy. And this is what you get in the box. Obviously you get the brake controller itself. Then you get the pocket that holds the brake controller especially if you have to transport it between 2 different vehicles. You also get the permanent mounting bracket which is actually nice and takes up less room. You also get the hardware to install the brake controller to the dash and to the bracket. A few butt connectors are in there to use for any wire connections. Speaking of wiring, it comes with a universal wiring harness that will plug into the back of the brake controller then you run your lines to the various circuits in the vehicle. Also to help you out it comes with a little informational DVD. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 4:11:35 PM
Today we are going to show you part number 52801 from Valley. This is their Odyssey electronic brake controller. This is a proportional brake controller which means it works with the enuresis within your vehicle. For instance when you hit your brakes there is something in the brake controller that moves forward. As it moves forward it sends out how much current is needed to apply to the trailer brakes. When you left off the brake it lets off the brake at the same time. So your braking will be the same between your truck and trailer. What you get with the kit is obviously the brake controller itself, a mounting bracket, and an adhesive square to attach the brake controller to the dash or the bracket. Also it comes with assembly screws and even directions on how to install the brake controller. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 6:10:31 AM
Before we begin our install we need to take down this access panel here to get to the port thats located behind the panel towards the center. Well point that out to you. Inside this cavity here you can see all the wire harnesses and what not, behind this harness is a gray port. Thats the port for the tow package we need to use. Well run it from the inside here out behind this steel here and come back around to the outside. Since this is tight quarters you can take a screw driver and force this up a bit so its facing towards you and its easier to install. Next were going to mount our bracket, were going to use a standard one like so. This vehicle had a brake controller before, so we use the existing holes. The hardware that came with this is a little small so were going to replace it with some number nine screws to take up the holes in the dash already. more
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Posted: 7/14/2008 8:41:46 AM
The parts we are going to be using on our van today are the prodigy brake controller and the standard harness that comes with it. We will be adding a harness that will plug into the port in the van. This is one of those tow part packages we are going to fill in a blank with. Right now we are going to put our harness with our other harness here that came with the brake controller. It is a pretty simple procedure. We are going to match color for color. If you were using a factory brake controller harness, chances are there would be different colors and you just match the labels to the brake control wires. more
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Posted: 7/18/2008 1:05:38 AM
Today we are going to show you part # 5500 from Draw-Tite. This is an Activator II brake controller. This is a time delayed brake controller. Basically what it means is that power is set at a predetermined rate that you control. And then you control also through a slide lever how soon the power comes on. You can set it for a half second or a whole second before the power in the brakes kick in and activate. This brake controller can handle up to 4 brake axles. It does have digital output indicator. It will also tell you if you have an overload situation or a short in your wires somewhere in your brake line. This unit is 100 percent solid state with no moving parts, so you can mount it anyway you like it, upside down, sideways it does not matter. It is really great in smaller vehicles with very limited space to sit in. Next we will cover how it works. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 4:14:42 PM
Today we are going to show you part # 5520 from Draw-Tite. What we have here is a 1 to 4 Electronic Brake Controller by Draw-Tite and is also manufactured by Reese. We will start off with some of the key features of this brake controller. Again it can work for 1-4 brake axles. It has a digital output meter on a scale of 1-10 on how much power you need. It also has an easy to use thumb wheel output adjustment. It will also tell you if there is an overload commission, like a short in your blue wire. It does come with a limited lifetime warranty. The unit is 100 percent solid state. Which means you can mount it upside down, sideways, whatever is most convenient for you when installing it to the dash of your vehicle. It is totally electronic, although no hydraulic connections are needed. We will go ahead and show you some features and show you how it works more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 11:14:16 AM
Today we are going to show you part number 39518 from Hidden Hitch. This is the Pilot 1 to 3 axle electronic brake controller. This is the time delay version. What is really nice about this brake controller is that it offers you 2 different options on mounting it to your vehicle. You can mount it with the traditional bracket or the ballmount where you can mount it at an angle and put it in any position you want. It does have a LED numeric display that shows the voltage output, which is nice. There is even a way that, if you want to mount it upside down, the numbers on the display will stay right side up. Another nice feature is that it has diagnostic that tells you if a wire has a short or not. more
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Posted: 7/18/2008 11:34:29 AM
Today we are going to show you part number V52740 the Valley Journey HD 2-8 Electric Brake Controller. This here is designed for 1 to 4 brake axles. It also has an easy to read digital display. It has a simple to use thumb wheel that controls output and sync. Basically output is how much power needs to be given to the trailer. Sync is how fast or slow the brakes come on. It also has a built in diagnostics system to check for shorts in the wires. This brake controller is also a solid state unit. Which means no moving parts so you can mount it anyway you want. Upside down, right side up or even sideways it does not matter. One of the other features is the easy to use disconnect socket. We will go ahead and show you how it works. more
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Posted: 7/23/2008 9:09:31 AM
Today we are going to show you part number 39523 from Tekonsha. This is their powertrac electric brake controller. This brake controller is good for up to 2 axles. We will cover a few quick notes about this. When you hook up the trailer, it does come with a power on LED that lets you know you have a positive connection between the truck and the trailer. And also, that green indicator that lets you know that you are connected, changes to orange and then to red as the power to your trailer brakes increase. It has an easy to use thumb wheel adjustment on the side. It is also a solid state so you can mount this in any direction that you want. You can put it vertical, you can put it sideways, whatever way is most comfortable for you. Now we will go ahead and demonstrate it and show you how it works. more
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Posted: 7/22/2008 3:55:43 AM
Today we will show you part number ETBC7 brake controller installation kit. What this kit does is it fills in the blanks between your 4 pole connector and the brake controller. Basically on the instructions of your brake controller, it will show you a link between the foot brake and stop light switch, a battery, and then a line going out to the connector out back. This kit here fills in those missing pieces. We will cover each individual part. First we will start from the rear of the vehicle and work our way forward. This part here is 7 and 4 pole to 4 pole adapter. This will plug into your existing 4 pole that you have on your vehicle. It just plugs in like normal while this white wire gets grounded to the body of the vehicle. You will have a couple extra wires. The black wire will be ran to the battery. This blue wire here gets run to the blue wire on the brake controller. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 4:19:11 PM
Today we are going to show you part number V52650 from Valley. This is the Valley Journey Electric brake controller. This is good for 1 to 2 axles. We will cover a few features of this brake controller for one it is a nice and small device. It can fit anywhere in a compact vehicle. It has a simple to use LED indicator light. There is also a little thumb wheel on the side to adjust the power as needed. It also comes with a slide adjustment for the ramp time. Basically it is how slow or how soon the brakes come on. It also has a little built in diagnostic system that constantly check for shorts in the blue wire system. This brake controller is solid state. Which means it does not have any moving parts and you can mount it virtually anywhere in the truck. Just as long as it is comfortable for you and easy to reach. more
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Posted: 7/23/2008 4:07:37 AM
The first step is to figure out where we are going to mount the brake controller. Usually, typically, it is on the right hand side, on the driver side, right about here. And we will go ahead and mark it and then put it up there, mark it, and drill it out to mount it. And next what we will do is mount the brake controller into the bracket and then locate where we are going to run our wires underneath. more
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Posted: 7/18/2008 10:20:39 AM
The first thing were going to do is mount the wiring harness to the van. Well have to make a few connections. Well run this to the stoplight switch, the red wire, the white will get run to the battery ground, and the black will be ran to the positive ground. The blue wire will get run all the way to the back to the seven pole connector. Well do the brake pedal switch wire first, this gets connected to the cold side of the brake switch. Which means when you hit the brake, the wire comes on. Next well run our last three wires, which well have to go out the firewall. Theres a nice handy grommet here, well put a slice in it, poke our wires through and make our connections to the outside. Be sure to leave enough on the inside to be able to reach your brake controller. To mount our bracket for the brake controller we have this nice flat spot right here across this gap. more
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Posted: 7/23/2008 12:22:23 PM
Just to give you a reference point, this is the top, right here of the gas pedal, so basically its across up on this pillar here. While were here well plug in our brake controller adapter and that will be part # 3035-P. Now we can plug the other end of this into our brake controller after we install the mounting bracket. Next well mark our bracket for positioning, well just hold it up here on this bottom edge where its nice and flat. In this corner right here, well just make a small dot for reference and then well put our first screw there. Afterwards well put our brake controller inside and eyeball it to make sure we get it straight. When we have positioned the way we want it, we ll make our secondary screw install here. Okay at this point we can simply install our adapter cable in then well just mount right here. We have the brake controller installed now, the last thing we do is take the wires and zip tie them into a safe position and all we have to do is test. more
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Posted: 7/23/2008 2:21:09 AM
If you are throwing around the idea of installing a brake controller or needed one yesterday this video will show you step by step what is required. Many trucks come with a factory provided brake control wiring harness which is usually tucked into the glove compartment. On this video we will demonstrate how to install the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller using this OEM harness. Since this truck has the tow package the only hardwiring required is between the factory harness and the controller. If you want to eliminate all hardwiring and make installation even faster you can opt to purchase the Tekonsha custom wiring harness if one is available for your vehicle. more
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Posted: 7/18/2008 12:25:05 AM
This is the second video showing the final steps required to install the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller on the 2006 Ford Ranger truck. It can sound like a lot of work but finish watching the video, you will see it really is not as hard as it may sound. You will see where the brake controller is actually mounted in the drivers area and how the connections to the battery are made more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 4:15:44 PM
We show you here how to hardwire your vehicle with an electric brake controller. We are using the popular Tekonsha Prodigy and using our Brake Controller 7 and 4 Way Installation Kit, ETBC7, to set this 2006 Ford Ranger up to tow a trailer with electric brakes. Even though the truck is not pre wired to accept a brake controller it can be done allowing you to safely tow campers, utility trailers, horse or livestock trailers and more. more
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Posted: 8/6/2008 4:12:45 PM
Today we are going to install part number 90185 from Tekonsha. We are installing a Prodigy brake controller on a 2004 GMC Envoy. The first step here on the Envoy is locating the tow package. And the tow package is actually located underneath the dashboard behind this plastic facing here. There are 2 screws, one to the left and one to the right that hold that into place, and we will go ahead and remove those and pull this down. Then we will locate the wires that will be right up over here somewhere. The panel just pulls away, like so, but make sure not to pull it too hard because there is the diagnostic and Aux port over here that we do not want to pull any wires out of. more
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Posted: 7/18/2008 5:27:28 AM
Today we are going to install part number 39510 from Tekonsha. This is their Voyager Proportional Brake Controller. I am going to give you a few quick notes here. We are installing this on a 2008 Ford F150. It does not come with a tow package. It only comes with a basic 4 pole flat. We will show you how to upgrade this vehicle to do a 7 and 4 pole and install a brake controller. To give you a point of reference this is the factory 4 pole that came standard on the 2008 F150. Now if you had a tow package you would have the seven pole already out back here and probably the hitch also. But to convert this what we need to do is plug into that with our adapter. Then you extend the wire and you will splice into it wire harness here. more
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Posted: 7/24/2008 8:30:42 AM
Today we are going to be installing a brake controller on this 2008 GMC Sierra. The part number is 5520 along with the 7-way replacement socket for the GM products part number 20047. OK, we are going to start in the rear, installing the 7-Pole replacement socket. We are back behind the bumper here and if you can see this unit here is actually the 7-pole factory socket we are going to be plugging into. So we want to go ahead and disconnect this, off of the knockout that goes into the bumper. We are back on the outside of the bumper here and this knockout here is going to actually be removed. This is where the 20047 is going to be put in place of. Now that the knockout is removed we want to go ahead and put the replacement socket in there. It just slides in, you are going to line up the notches and just rotate it. Then it will lock right into place. more
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Posted: 7/15/2008 5:02:49 AM
Today we are going to install on a 2007 Toyota Tundra and we will be installing the brake controller part number 39519 the Tekonsha Prodigy. We will also be using part number 3040-p from Tekonsha which lets you plug into the factory tow package in the vehicle. We begin our install by finding a spot to mount our bracket onto. Just go ahead and put it up there and see if you like it as a nice place to put a brake controller. It should give you a pretty good idea of how it fits. Makes sure you can access the thumb wheel on top. Seeing the LED screen is equally important. Now that you know it is in the correct position you can go ahead and mark the holes before you drill them. Now we will go ahead and drill out our holes after we have marked them. more
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Posted: 6/3/2008 3:43:25 AM
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