To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.
Most brake controllers stick out and take up knee room, but this one tucks the main unit behind the dash. All you see is a small knob on the console—just 1-7/8" long and 9/16" wide. It looks like a factory switch, not an aftermarket add-on. The knob handles everything: adjusting brake power, hitting manual override, and showing color-coded alerts, keeping your cab clean and uncluttered.
Sand, mud, or steep descents can make towing unpredictable. With off-road mode, you set the trailer brake force where you want it instead of relying only on your tow vehicle. Keep it light in soft terrain so the trailer doesn’t dig in, or turn it up on steep grades so it doesn’t push you downhill. A quick double tap on the knob activates the mode, and the LED glows green when it’s engaged.
That jerky push-pull feeling disappears with proportional braking. A built-in 3-axis accelerometer senses how hard you’re braking and matches the trailer brakes to your input. Ease onto the pedal and the trailer eases in; hit the brakes hard and it digs in just as firmly. It works with 1 to 3 axles, supports electric and electric-over-hydraulic brakes, and runs on 12V or 24V systems for steady, uniform braking every time.
Wiring a brake controller can be intimidating, but this setup keeps it simple. A custom plug-and-play harness connects directly between the main unit and your vehicle without splicing. The compact control box—only 4" long x 3-3/8" wide x 1-1/8" tall—can mount behind trim panels or under the console using screws, tape, or zip ties. Once connected, calibration happens automatically as you drive.
Every component is engineered for reliability and compliance. It meets or exceeds UNECE R21 and FMVSS 201 safety regulations and carries a 2-year warranty. With an output range of 9V–32V and a continuous current rating of 25 amps, it’s designed to deliver consistent braking power trip after trip.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
99% were satisfied with this product
1% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
I'm going to skip the reviews for Item #3066-P Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers and for Item #331-TPH-017 Redarc Tow-Pro Wiring Adapter for Tekonsha Brake Controller Harness. They just work to get the signals from A to B.
Installing this in my Merc ML-250 Bluetec was straight forward, but I thought quite a bit about the knob placement. Finally ended up mounting this next to the ashtray, opposite of the cigarette lighter. This location won't work for those with heated/cooled cupholders as this is the location used for that controller. This location works well for mounting as there is clearance below and the knob is low-profile enough that the sliding door can still cover the area. Just need to be careful with wire routing. Route towards the back of the car, then reverse course up to the front, such that the slider can retract into this space. The main body of the unit is mounted under the dashboard above the brake pedal, completely hidden from view and out of the way of feet and knees.
I could not believe how easy and quick it was to install.
Not supplying the comparable connector to connect to my towing package on the Cayenne is a major issue. The install was not as simple as you advertise. Very disappointed.
This thing is absolutely fantastic. It’s very discreet. I install this in a 2015 Porsche Cayenne diesel. It was installed The discrete hole we drilled in the face of the dash. It’s easy to use, requires very little adjustment while driving. Has a convenient lighting system that changes color when voltage is applied to the trailer brakes. My only complaint is that the unit resets its memory every time I disconnect and reconnect the trailer. It’s a minor irritation but that first 15 or 20 minutes of driving after connecting the trailer again, it does have to go through the initial calibration process to figure out what direction the controller is installed. I believe that this problem is specifically related to the Volkswagen and Porsche vehicles - they “shut off” power to the controller when there is no electrical draw sensed from trailer. I’m sure there is some kind of transistor that I could install that would eliminate this problem. I recommend this unit as far superior to the old school tekonsha and others. The only difference that I will point out is that on the old-school controllers there is a kind of emergency brake slider which you can use to ramp up additional braking power if you need it in a pinch. This device does have that functionality but it is a simple on off. In other words if you find yourself in need of rapid additional braking power you push the control button in. There is no ability to “ramp up” that emergency extra power to the brakes. It adds less extra power than the traditional ones but it is proportional to the # of braking power you have on the dial. I have learned to live with it. For a European car this is sleek, discrete, way sexier than the ugly traditional unit bolted to your dash
Was looking for a trailer break for a 2021 Honda Passport. My vehicle didn't have a hitch so I installed an etrailer hitch and later, a 7-way plug (also from etrailer) just in case I bought a camper. Now I'm purchasing a camper so needed a break. My experience with emailing and then "live chat" came up dry as far as a plug and play option for my Honda. I checked my vehicle and it did have a 4-pin under the dash so I thought this strange. I decided to call and ended up speaking with Fred who took the time to think through how to make it work. As disappointed as I was in my interaction with emailing and Live Chat, I was thrilled with Fred's support. The parts came quickly (as usual with etrailer) and the install was a breeze. Thank you Fred!
The Redarc Tow-Pro brake controller has worked flawlessly since I installed it a year ago. I tow a fairly light (2000 pound) pop-up trailer, which can be an adjustment challenge when braking on loose surfaces. I've found it very easy to slightly reduce the setting while on gravel and then return to the correct setting when returning to normal roads.
I purchased the Redarc because I could never get my previous controller to brake smoothly - it would often jerk at low speeds. I think that controller had problems because it was inserted into the 7-pin connector that was held by a metal bracket under my bumper that I suspect vibrated when braking, which confused that controller. Once I switched to the Redarc, which is firmly mounted under the dash, I had no more problems like that.
Finding a location in my Honda Pilot to mount the control module was a challenge - but well worth the effort. I mounted it to a plastic panel that I installed over an unused cavity in the console underneath the radio (see picture). The knob is easy to reach, and is out of the way of my knees.
Mounting the main control box under the dash was made easier because I didn't have to worry about its precise orientation since it will calibrate itself wherever it sits.
Fast shipping
Installed on 2025 Santa Cruz. Worked very well. Simple to install. No controller in the way and works great. Will install one on my jeep.
Love the self-calibration and hidden controller. Great space saver and works as described. I did find the knob location in your video not very good; I could not see it through the steering wheel when driving. As you can see from the picture it is now visible from the driver's seat and easy to adjust when needed. Also, in this location the only hole I had to drill was 3/16" behind the knob and not visible or damaging. I was able to use the knob bracket that came in the kit and just push it into place, very stable.
Easy to set mount, set-up and go to working. I like the simplicity of the controller. The only thing you see is the control knob.
I’m going to be up front and say I have not tested this beside driving around town. The install was very quick, maybe 20 minutes in all initially in my 2017 Nissan Titan SV. I do have some concerns though. After install I had no lights to show calibration was going on. From reading the user manual I guess that can happen. First time hooking up the trailer everything seemed fine and the light was blue as it should. Once I turned my running lights on though it began to blink red showing a fault with the cable. I tested everything to make sure it was getting voltage and the wires were correct. After about an hour I found something between my backup camera on the travel trailer and the brake was causing some sort of issue. I removed the camera, unplugged all the cables from the tow pro elite and hooked it back up. Once plugged back in it showed green and blue lights showing it was calibrating. I drove the trailer around town and our relief route. After about half an hour the light turned solid blue. The control is easy to use and looks very nice. I’m unable to get it to switch to user control mode but the proportional and manual brakes works fine. I will update my review after we take it out on a few trips. As of now it seems like a great product, very clean looking and should do a great job.
It truly amazes me that Ford touts the towing capacity of my Ranger, yet not one dealership I called could offer a solution for a trailer brake controller to be able to pull my little camper. I finally turned to etrailer since they had helped me meet my towing needs in the past with a different vehicle. etrailer's Redarc Tow-Pro Elite Trailer Brake Controller was a perfect solution! They also supplied a terrific video explaining in great detail how to install it in my truck. I preferred the in-dash location using one of the extra twelve volt ports using the optional round adapter insert and found it to be very convenient after a summer of towing. Highly recommend both Redarc Tow-Pro Elite and etrailer!
The Redark trailer brake controller installed easily. In my 2020 Toyota 4Runner. It looks like it came installed from the factory. It’s small and easy to reach when driving. It came with a plastic install panel. This is designed for installing in a hole that you drill in your dash. It will not fit in a knock out space in your dash. There is one that fits the dash perfectly that you can buy from etrailer.
etrailer automatically bundled the Redark trailer brake controller with the correct plug and play wiring harness for my vehicle. It was nice not to have to search for the wire harness. Everything installed perfectly.
I haven’t tested the function of the brake controller yet. I’ll hook up to a trailer this week.
The items arrived in less than a week and the package was in good condition. The order tracking worked great. The tech videos on the etrailer website were really helpful. I’ll purchase from hem again.
Shipping was all messed up customer never got installed
I saw the great online reviews of this controller and took the plunge. I bought my 2002 Chevy Silverado K1500 extended cab short bed truck new in 2001. It came with the HD Towing package which include a factory plug in trailer brake wiring loom. I took my time over a 2 day period to carefully install and triple check my install. The Chevy and Redarc wiring wiring descriptions made it easy to join the two harnesses. I used HD crimped plug in connectors further protected with shrank tubing. All wiring was bundled with zip ties after encasing in HD harness protective cover. Zip ties held in place behind the removable panel beneath the steering wheel. The control button is installed on the right side of the steering column within easy reach. Nice install. I read that the light would not go on until a trailer was hooking up. I was elated when we picked up our new cargo trailer and the controller knob light lit up upon hitching up. the first mile of travel allowed easy testing of the system and fine tuning came a few miles further down the road. GREAT PRODUCT!
Works great. Very easy installation. Just got back from our first camping trip and not have the bulky trailer controller in the way is a nice feature. Highly recommend
Easy installation and great on road performance. Clean in cabin appearance with a single control knob as the only visible component. This makes old school brake controllers obsolete.
really like the product and how I was able to mount it into factory spot on my Toyota with a separately sold adapter. Added the factory harness adapter so everything was truly plug and play. first haul of travel trailer went really well.
The RedArc trailer brake came with a pigtail and in my 4Runner glove box was the other side pigtail the connects to the unused plug that is factory wired. I would have to splice the factory pigtail to the RedArc pigtail, where wire colors didn’t match. This eliminated the splicing completely and made it plug and play and super clean.
I have been pleased with the Redarc controller. I like that it's hidden away from sight except for the knob. It works as advertised with no issues whatsoever. I tow a dump trailer rated for 16,000 lbs with an 06 ram diesel and the brake controller makes it so much easier on the vehicle brakes. I highly recommend.
VERY happy with the ease of installation. I had an insert made on a 3D printer to mount the control where the factory brake would have mounted.
Matthew
1/17/2026
Still works great! No problems and I would definitely recommend it.
Installation was as described in the Colorado video. My 2015 4x4 dash required a different location than where the knob is located in the video( where the 4x4 knob is ). The dial knob just fits inside the upper clips for the credit card slot. I used the left side for better visibility. I drilled a pilot hole and then slowly enlarged it, dragging it as needed to keep it centered under the dash clip. You will understand when you remove the card slot. Remove the lower dash to get to a hidden screw, then the card holder pops straight out.
Great product. Easy to install, especially if you already have a brake controller. The control unit is easy to mount almost anywhere since it automatically detects its orientation. The calibration process is automatic, you just drive and make a few stops (and calibration happens even when the trailer is not connected). Then it is a matter of dialing in the maximum braking force. The progressive action is smooth and stopping is jerk-free. Be sure to get the vehicle-specific mounting panel if one is available. Otherwise a generic panel is included. Attached is a photo of installation in a Toyota FJ Cruiser -- not much to see, as the control box is invisible under the dash.
Amazing Brake Controller- I pull a 6000lbs Rockwood trailer behind my 2015 Grand Cherokee and this controller has saved my tail a few times. Not only has the emergency feature pulled my trailer straight in a few clincher moments with wind, but the proportioning is truly amazing. Multiple times over the 4 years I have used it, and it has worked flawlessly in emergency situations. During my 12,000 plus miles I have never felt the trailer pushing me during braking, it actually feels like i have nothing behind me. Loaded it weighs in at 6800lbs. Thank you for designing an awesome product.
I installed on my 2019 durango without factory tow package, instructions were straight forward, managed to place in center consol, wires to battery. Seen videos sending wires to engine compartment. Worked out with the wires I had and able to place fuse as well. The brake light cable, had a little challenge, since car uses same light for turn signal, it gave intermittent signal, so I wired it to the center rear/3rd brake light. In all it worked amd made it easier to slow down, especially when I was towing nearly 6k. I didn't feel the push of the trailer. Don't have pics of the install, just the final location of my control.
Do you have a question about this Trailer Brake Controller?
Info for this part was:
At etrailer we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Victoria H.
1/21/2025
That's super neat and looks sleek too, Matthew! What are you hauling?