Overall, I’m completely happy with the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty controller. The design and execution is elegant, the installation is fairly simple, and the completed appearance -in my opinion- is unmatched. I’m slightly annoyed that the REDARC product doesn’t come with some basic accessories you need, leaving you to hunt for and assemble things they know you’ll need like a fuse, fuse-holder, and the basic wiring harness to even connect to the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty. So, if you’re price shopping different brake controllers I recommend factoring in about another $50 worth of accessories into the overall cost of the product when considering the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty and comparing it to other brake controllers. The folks at eTrailer.com, of course, make that simple by suggesting the items you’ll need automatically.
There is one “feature” of the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty that is made VERY clear in the owner’s manual, that perhaps should be made clearer when advertising the product: The Brake Sense wire, which is the wire that connects to your brake lights and tells the controller you’ve activated the tow vehicle brakes, is bi-directional. In other words, in normal proportional operation it senses the 12 volts from your brake lights, but when in manual mode it also outputs 12 volts with the intention to activate your brake lights if you manually activate the REDARC controller. This matters a lot if your tow vehicle has factory automatic braking and collision avoidance or adaptive cruise control as the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty can back feed these systems and cause a lot of damage. When the Mazda is in adaptive cruise control, or if the factory collision-avoidance system activates, the Mazda also activates the brake lights. A blocking diode is the solution and the placement is critical.
I have a 2020 Mazda CX-5 with AWD and their turbo 2.5-liter engine and the factory adaptive cruise control and collision-avoidance systems. The vehicle has a 2,000-lb towing capacity. I am towing a teardrop styled camping trailer that weighs 1,200-lbs, so I’m well within the capability of the vehicle. Trailer brakes just enhances the safety. Mazda is curiously quiet on their recommendation of how to properly wire this, and the dealership really wasn’t any additional help. This set me to find schematics and figure it out on my own.
The solution included two devices. The REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty, and the Tekonsha model # 118746 Trailer wiring module; both from eTrailer.com. I installed the Tekonsha trailer light wiring system first, then installed the REDARC controller. Instead of connecting the REDARC brake sense wire to the normal brake lights, I connected it to the positive side of the wire that feeds the rear center brake light on the Mazda. This is where I installed a 50-cent Schottky diode to allow the brake light to send +12v to the REDARC controller but prevent the REDARC controller from sending +12v back to the center brake light when the brake controller is in manual mode. I’ve included a schematic in this review as one of the photos; I hope this helps others.
The result is beautiful. You get the aesthetically pleasing factory appearance of the single-knob REDARC controller in the dash, that operates perfectly in both automatic proportional mode and in manual mode, AND the Mazda’s adaptive cruise control and automatic collision avoidance system still operates perfectly and will also automatically operate the REDARC controller and your trailer brakes. The REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty can install in any orientation, which makes installation a breeze, the proportional braking is smooth and confident. I’m extremely pleased with both products: The REDARC controller and the Tekonsha wiring model # 118746 and thrilled with eTrailer.com who offered both at a reasonable price and reliable shipping/delivery. 1266820
Josh
5/4/2023
Still working as expected after a year.