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Most brake controllers stick out and take up knee room, but this one mounts the main unit completely out of sight behind the dash. All you see is a small knob on the console, just 1-7/8" long and 9/16" wide. It blends right in, looking like it came from the factory instead of an add-on box under your steering wheel. That same knob handles everything—adjusting brake power, hitting manual override, and giving color-coded alerts that show what your trailer brakes are doing.
Nothing ruins a tow like jerky braking. The Redarc Tow-Pro Liberty uses a built-in 3-axis accelerometer to sense how hard you’re braking and sends matching power to your trailer brakes. If you ease onto the pedal, it eases too; stomp on it, and the trailer digs in just as firmly. It works with trailers up to 2 axles (4 brake assemblies) and supports both electric and electric-over-hydraulic systems. With proportional braking from 9V to 16V and an 18-amp continuous output rating, you get smooth stops that protect your tires and brake pads.
Wiring a controller doesn’t have to be a headache. The custom plug-in harness makes this one nearly foolproof—just connect the harness between the controller and your vehicle’s factory plug. The control box can mount almost anywhere within reach of the 3' cable linking it to the knob. You can secure it with screws, double-sided tape, or zip ties (not included). Once connected, calibration happens automatically as you drive, with LED lights signaling progress until the display glows solid blue.
Sometimes you need to slow your trailer without touching your vehicle’s brakes—like when you feel sway or want to control downhill speed. Just press the control knob to engage manual override. It instantly activates both your trailer’s brakes and brake lights so you can steady things while staying in control.
This controller meets UNECE R21 and FMVSS 201 safety standards for durability inside the cabin. With its compact housing (4" L × 3-3/8" W × 1-1/8" T), automatic calibration, and solid build quality, it’s designed for years of dependable braking performance wherever you tow.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey, everybody. Ryan here at etrailer. Today, we're gonna be checking out the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty trailer brake controller. If your trailer has brakes, you're gonna need a way to apply them. That way, you can slow everything down safely. And that's where a trailer brake controller like this REDARC here is gonna come into play.
What this is gonna do whenever you hit the brakes, it's going to apply the brakes on the trailer, bringing you to a complete stop. One of the things that really sets the REDARC apart from some of the other brake controllers is the size. You know, it looks a lot different. The only thing you're gonna be able to see is the adjustment knob here. And the rest of the main body of the brake controller, I guess you'd call it, sits up behind the dash.
So, you're not gonna have this big box that's always in the way and an eyesore bolted up to your dash. And with this one, I think it turned out really good. We actually had some factory switches and whatnot here already. We had a blank one, so we we're able to mount this up in there. And so, it looks almost factory and a really clean appearance, and still really easy to get to.
One of the things with a brake controller like this as well is the fact that it's what's called proportional. So, what that means, more or less, however hard you apply the brakes, the trailer brakes are gonna match that. So, it just makes it a lot smoother and a lot better braking experience. So, to kind of give you an example of that, let's say, if you're going down the road and approaching a stop sign, and you're halfway on the brake, trailer brakes are going to do the same thing. On the other hand, let's say, if you're going down the highway, maybe an accident up ahead or something along those lines and you gotta really stand on the brake to slow things down, trailer's gonna do the same thing.
So, you're not gonna feel the trailer dragging or wanting to push you around. You're actually gonna be stopping as one hole unit. This particular brake controller is gonna be good for trailers that have either one or two axles. And there are some adjustments so you can change your brake force. So, you have the knob here. That's 10. That's zero. So at zero, you'd have no braking force. And so, you can kind of fine tune it. So, let's say, a good place to start is probably five or below. Let's say maybe you got a light trailer and nothing in it, you're gonna pick something up, you might only need a one or two, something like that. But then you load it up and realize it's not braking quite as hard as you'd like it to, you can always dial that up a couple clicks. So, you can really fine tune it for your particular load and what you're gonna be doing, and your particular driving style. It's also gonna have a manual override button and all you do is you just push down on this. And so, I'm actually hooked up to a test box, which simulates a trailer. That's why we're getting these lights going and everything. But you can see when you push down on this, that light's gonna glow red and that means you're gonna be just applying the trailer brakes. So, let's say, if the trailer starts to get swirly, kind of gets away from you a little bit, you can hit that, slow the trailer down, straighten it back out, and continue on. As far as installation goes, ours was not bad at all and I think that'll be the case for most people as long as your truck has a factory tow package. Essentially, all you gotta do is find the connector, plug it in, mount up the the box, and then mount up your knobs. So, it's more tedious than anything, but as long as you take your time, you should be in good shape. I do wanna mention, for those of you, if your truck does not have that factory tow package, so if you don't have the factory seven-way connector back there, you are gonna have to get a couple of other things, which is just probably gonna be rare for most of these vehicles. But we'll need a four-way flat trailer connector, etrailer.com universal brake controller install kit, and the REDARC universal adapter plug to make everything work. But like I said, chances are really good this info will get you going in the right directions. And that'll finish up our look at of the REDARC Tow-Pro Liberty trailer brake controller..
Customer Satisfaction Score:
91% were satisfied with this product
9% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
Works perfectly. Fits in very small space. Mounted on left side and just below instrument display panel in my Honda Ridgeline. Easily visible from normal driver position. Video describing installation was extremely helpful, even though I picked a different installation position.
SUPER EASY to install in a 2021 Frontier. The controller box can be easily screwed/ziptied to the under dash structure in a couple places, and the adjustment control fit nicely in a blank plug in that was in the dash. The unit plugs right in to the Nissan brake controller.
It works well with a 5000 lb trailer I pull. I use a load distribution hitch and didn't realize at first that the '5' setting was using too much trailer brake. For my setup, 3.5 to 4 is perfect. It works well, and there's not a clunky controller box to bang your knees on. You'll like it!
After much research I opted for this Redarc brake controller, the ability to tuck away the main box for cleaner appearance and incorporate the contoller switch to a factory lnstall look. The longest process of install was simply deciding where best to mount box and control switch to personal liking.
After a couple short trips to allow the unit to calibrate per our trailer, we were on the road for the season of camping. A year later and hooking up for a first outing, we notice the unit does a quick recalibration, wasn’t expected, so for this reason only I give four star. Aside from that it works beautifully and responsively to braking controls to our RV unit.
Brake controller is working great. Looks like a factory install & it didn't take me long at all to put into my 2017 Honda Ridgeline!
This brake controller is the best I’ve used so far. It’s compact, comes with the correct vehicle wire harness splice and has been 100% reliable. Thank you!
I’ve found other brake controllers are either unreliable or too bulky. Job well done Redarc!! The safety trailer loads is of utmost importance.
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland (5.7 Hemi w/Tow pkg)
This review includes the following items: Item #RED69FR - Wiring Harness, 30A Breaker kit and Item # ETBC7 Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller - 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat and Item #RED24FR Controller. I wanted to be sure I had everything. A local place Custom Coach on Pulaski Hwy, Baltimore did a fantastic job on the install, Sorry I can't remember the techs name. I have a 2018 Kia Sorento SX V6, AWD with 4 pin Tow Pkg. car rated for 5k/500# load. Trailer is a 2022 Palomino Real Lite RL-186. I've logged 2 trips so far 1 to NYS mostly highway and to Cass, West Virginia area. The controller adapted quickly, I went to a '5' to a '4' setting even in the mountains it was smooth no jerking. The one picture shows installation ubder the dash totally out of the way. It works great!
I was surprised how nice this brake controller is - clean install with the unit up under the dash. I installed the knob in one of the 'blanks' in the dash for a really clean look. No banging knees on older-style controllers under the dash. Thanks!
The hardest part was getting the zip ties tightened around the module without completely removing the trim under the steering wheel. I chose near the shifter for my location so it’s easy to reach but still out of the way.
Working well through one season. Hoping for many more.
The controller and dash knob are solid and nicely crafted. Both are made to be easy to install. The dash knob works great and is simple and easy to use. The manual is well written, and has detailed and very useful information. Be sure to get the REDARC Tow-Pro Harness (TPH-025), too, which is needed to complete the hookup of the controller.
Mounting the brake controller up and out of the way under the dash of my 2023 Tacoma required some thought. I chose to fabricate a bracket from a piece of 3/4" aluminum angle (bolted to the underside of the dash) and anchored the brake controller to it with zip-ties.
I love the separate controller and knob. The knob fit into a factory blank and the end result is factor clear. We picked up of 7x16 cargo trailer yesterday and the controller worked perfectly.
With the vehicle specific harness the install was very straight forward.
Highly recommended
The connector works. We had a connector for our Ford Explorer and there was a plug for the brake controller that came when we bought an GMC Acadia. Thinking the four wires would be the same for both, I connected according to colors. This caused the cruise control to not work in the Acadia. Determined that the brake controller was the problem, we ordered this new connector. Looking at the colors, three of the four wires went to a different color connection. It would be nice if there had been a diagram showing the wire colors for each vehicle and we would not have needed to buy another connector.
i have ordered 2 of these in the last 2 years and both times the kit was missing parts, last one i ordered the knob was missing and this last order the nut to hold the dial in place was not in the box. the product is good, but replacement pieces are not easy to find, fortunetly i had to order a complete dial kit for the one i ordered last year and i saved the rest of the parts.....
Expedited shipping was super fast with no problems. I installed the unit myself and it was fairly simple. I recommend getting the exact fitting wire harness (huge time saver) and I’d recommend getting and exact fit knock out to install the dial in. (Another big time saver). I drilled a hole in my own blank or knock out thingy and I’m pleased with it but it took a little time. I’ve got a 2010 Honda Pilot. Funny thing, after rushing to install the brake controller, our trailer had to go in for repairs before we even completed the transaction. It will be another month before I actually use the brake controller.
Etrailer is great. Service is outstanding even the return policy. My go to for trailer needs
On the Promaster when you take the BCM cover and upper dash cubby hole piece out there is a spot right above the BCM. Since the Redarc can be mounted any direction I simply added two 4mm Rivnuts to the bracket and bolted the controller in with stainless hardware (Bolt, washer, lock washer). The rest of the dash is kind of hard to find a spot, as I wanted it reachable with my right hand as I drive with my left typically. The lower instrument panel knee bolster comes down with a few screws and the inner dash piece has a hole from the factory that is perfect for the switch wiring. I used a unibit drill and a small square file to make the hole for the switch. The 90 degree cat cable is nice as it sticks through the inner hole and holds itself in place so it doesn't fall out into the bakc of the dash during assembly of the switch and there is enough room in the rear to not impede anything factory. I used a tap from O'Reillys's to tap into the brake wire suggested by the Mopar trailer wiring install guide. Typically I'd solder it, but it looks way better than a typical scotchlock connector, which I would not use under any circumstances. Ill chck its tightness in a few months and see how it holds. Used the factory wiring harness runs to run to the battery box under the floor. Used proper friction tape and braided wiring loom (O'Reilly's find) for a factory look. Seems to work ok, but need a trailer with brakes now.
This controller works amazingly well, considering the ease of installation, especially with the vehicle-specific wiring harness. I made several trips between Missouri and Colorado last year, loaded and unloaded, and a small twist of the dial compensated for the weight differences and braking requirements.
I didn't realize when I bought a new Frontier truck that I could no longer use traditional underdash brake controllers like I had for past 40 years. This meant that this Redarc was one of only a few brake controllers that I could use.
Mounting it was a bit tricky and the supplied instructions weren't good. Fortunately others before me had figured it out and posted better step by step instructions with pictures.
The brake controller itself works very well and provides the best and smoothest braking control I've ever experienced with my twin axle camper on multiple trips this last summer including one trip of over 1,000 miles around the UP of MI and northern WI.
The break controller works great...no problems. I've since sold the single axle trailer and purchased two more, one single axle new and one double axle used. I plan on stripping the cargo trailer and replacing the breaks and anything else that needs it for the suspension, creating a type of mini-home or tiny home on it. Thanks for reaching out. I will use your services for this new build. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Being new to towing a larger trailer requires research. After doing a lot of it, both through user reviews and manufacturer websites, we landed on the Rearc Liberty Brake Controller for our Tacoma. We have just over 1000 miles towing with this unit. It has performed extremely well. Towing for us includes city, highway, mountains, and even off-road to access our mountain home. Installation was straight forward and the ability to install the controller in virtually any position is an added bonus. I was able to install the dash knob in a blank panel giving the Tacoma a factory appearance, and controller located under drivers seat. I installed this unit on a non tow package Tacoma, so wiring was a bit intimidating at first. But using etrailer’s web site as a reference had everything operational in a couple afternoons. Great product so far and we look for years of use. Highly recommend.
I purchased the Redarc Liberty brake controller because I couldn’t find a place to mount my Tekonsha where I wouldn’t bash a knee or shin on it or cover an airbag.
So far, I’m very happy with the Redarc Liberty brake controller; although, I haven’t used it for towing yet, and I’m not sure it is operating properly. Apparently, I should have blue lights while it is learning which way the control unit is oriented but I don’t have blue lights.
Anyway, let me share information on the installation. I purchased the wiring harness for my vehicle, which I highly recommend as it was same cost as the universal harness, and a big time saver. I did not buy the blank switch panel for the switch installation as another reviewer stated he was able to modify the original switch blank. Big mistake, I highly recommend buying the appropriate switch panel for your vehicle. My Toyota blank switch panel was excessively complicated so I had to saw and melt a pile of plastic (see the picture) out of it without damaging the visible portion or the clips which hold it in.
Finding a suitable location to secure the controller up under the dash is a challenge with modern cars. After removing two pieces of plastic trim, I did manage to pull the panel below the steering column far enough out to complete the install. The unit it does look good. Very clean.
We’ll be towing the big trailer next week so I hope it works.
The Redarc Liberty was exactly what I wanted for my ‘20 Ridgeline. I ordered the custom pigtail and mounted everything behind the dash panel on the left side of the steering wheel. There was a blank switch cover available on the dash panel and I cut away the webbing on the back side of it (very soft plastic, Swiss Army knife) which allowed the control switch to fit right in, between the retaining clips of the blank. The drill bit sizes indicated in the instructions were not big enough for the control knob and plastic bezel so I just increased the bit sizes until the holes were big enough. Honda provided a pigtail with bare ends; I didn’t want to crimp any wires. Honda also said to put their provided fuse in slot 3 in the under hood aux fuse box; the fuse was the wrong type and there was already a 20a fuse in the appropriate slot. My Honda service tech advised Honda usually includes the wrong style of fuse and also usually installs the right one anyway. Go figure. I finished the install the night bf I picked up my new TT; took about 3 hours. It wasn't difficult but I’m pretty OCD. The most work involved routing the wires so as to avoid pinching or bending them too severely. I set the control on 5, tested it with the trailer hooked up in the sales lot and bumped it up to 6. I never felt the trailer on braking at all on the way home. Very smooth and I like the fact that it looks like a factory install. I couldn’t be happier with this controller. E-trailer’s video for the install was a great help, although I mounted the control box in a slightly different spot. This is my second purchase of towing accessories from E-trailer and I am pleased with the service and pricing both times.
Its simple and fits in the dash like it should be there. It controls the trailer as it should. it only lights up when the trailer is connected so you don't see any annoying light during normal driving. I would recommend, it has worked for me. installed in a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Installed it on my 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness. Ordered this without the harness so had to order that separately. I think the RED52VR is what I should have ordered to include the harness. Did not like the access and the very small wire gauge on the brake pedal the instructions said to tap into so when running the wire from the 7 pin kit ETBC7 from the back of the car I ran a 3rd wire which I tapped into the brake signal going to the factory 4 pin control box in the spare tire well. I ran the wires up underside the driver side and up through the floor by the drive door rather than into the engine bay. Found a neat location to mount the controller and ground wire. Installed the control switch after drilling and dremelling the blank as shown in the great video etrailer has. Unit calibrated and worked just as advertised. Been on short test run. Need a longer trip to experiment with the brake level setting.
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Bill
8/7/2025
It is working.