This compact brake controller fits nicely in your cab. You can mount it anywhere you like and it's only 1" thick. The LED display is large and bright so it's easy to see, while the large manual override is easy to reach in a pinch.
Features:
Specs:
Gain is the maximum amount of power that will be applied to your trailer's brakes. How much braking output you need is determined by the weight of your trailer; a heavier trailer will need more power to bring it to a stop. You want to go as high as you can without the trailer brakes locking up. Use the orange rocker switch to adjust the gain on a scale of 0.5 to 9.9 in increments of 0.5.
Once you have the gain set, you can fine-tune your braking by adjusting the load control on a scale of 1 to 9 using the black rocker switch. This controls the aggressiveness of your trailer's braking, meaning how quickly the brakes reach the maximum braking level. If your vehicle takes too long to come to a stop, increase the setting. If it stops too abruptly, decrease the setting.
The LED display on the Discovery is large and easy to read at a glance. You can adjust the brightness or trigger night mode so it won't glare obnoxiously on your dash. It also will give you clear error messages you can use to troubleshoot.
Because inertia plays no role in the functioning of this controller, your mounting options are limitless, so long as you can still easily access the manual override. The included bracket is designed to mount the brake controller flush to the dash so it takes up almost no space at all.
The included custom-fit adapter plugs into the port on your vehicle's built-in brake control wiring harness, which you'll find behind your vehicle's dashboard. To reach the connector, first locate the notch in the access panel in the center of the dash, near the driver's side. Using a trim panel puller, carefully pry the panel out and undo the locking tabs to remove the panel. You will find the mating connector behind this portion of your dashboard. Once you're plugged into your factory port, just plug the other end of the adapter into the Discovery. Because there are no wires to connect, installation is not permanent. You can unplug and remove the controller at any time to transfer it to another vehicle or securely stow it away.
Note: If you don't already have a 7-way plug at the back of your vehicle, take a look at our exclusive 7- and 4-way brake control installation kit (ETBC7 - sold separately).
Time-delayed braking means that when you apply the brakes in your vehicle, the controller activates the trailer brakes at a pre-set intensity and rate. Both the amount of braking power (gain) and rate of application (load) can be adjusted to suit your preference, the road conditions, the type of trailer, and the weight of your load. To determine which levels are best for your application, test your towing setup and choose what feels right.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi, everyone, Aidan here with etrailer. Today, we're gonna be taking a look at the Curt Discovery NEXT Brake Controller. This is gonna be a time-delayed brake controller. Let's check it out. When it comes to brake controllers, there's gonna be two options you're probably looking at, time-delayed and proportional. Proportional is gonna be the nicer of the two where if you lightly press your brakes, the brakes in your trailer are also going to be lightly applied.
If you slam on the brakes, the brakes in your trailer are also going to match that proportionally. With a time-delayed brake controller, it's gonna be applied at the same rate every time, so you don't get that fine adjustment. You can still adjust the settings, but it's gonna be the same every time. So if we're rolling up to a stop sign, coming to a very slow and predictable stop, and our gain and sensitivity are set kinda high, it's gonna be applying the brakes pretty hard. Same for if we have those set kind of low and we slam on our brakes on the highway, because someone in front of us stopped, the brakes aren't gonna be applied in a similar fashion.
There is the manual override you can always pinch to apply, but that's just something to know with a time-delayed system like this. Let's talk about those controls. The manual override is a pinch style where I'm pressing the button with my thumb. It's pretty easy to reach from the driver's seat where I've got it all set up. So whenever I'm driving, I feel like if I needed to suddenly reach down and get it, I can find that pretty easily every time, and index my thumb well enough to get a good press.
So good to know for emergency situations where you might need that. Now, there's gonna be two sets of controls here for the gain and the load. The orange buttons are going to adjust our gain or our brake power. You can go anywhere from 0.5 up to 9.9, and this is going to signify the different power levels. So 0.5 is the weakest, and as I go up, it's going to get more and more powerful.
So if I have a heavier trailer that needs more stopping power, I'd set it higher. The next one is going to be our load. This is basically how quickly the brakes are applied, so that can go from 1 to 9. At 1, it's going to be the lowest, and at 9, it's going to be the fastest or the quickest application. So basically, ramping from zero to fully applied where we have that gain set. So for demonstration, I'm just going to put the gain all the way up to max, and I'm gonna hit the brakes. And you'll see, slowly, it'll climb up to where we set it. And if I turn that load down all the way to 1, it's going to climb much slower to that designated power level. So you can fine tune this to your own trailer application, and depending on how heavy of a trailer you have and how good the brakes are, that will determine what you want those set at. But generally, that gain is going to be for the weight of the the trailer, and you can kinda determine the load from there. Now, to give a visual indicator of that gain, we've got our vehicle hooked up to a trailer simulator box. I've got the gain set to the absolute lowest it goes, so that's gonna be the lowest brake power, and you can see where the voltage is reading right now. If I turn the gain up to 5, that's gonna be right in the middle, you'll see that voltage will climb up higher. And then if I turn it up to the max, 9.9, you'll see that climb up even higher. So this is just to give you some visual indication of that different power level of the braking. This is designed to work with trailers up to four axles and will work with PWM, ABS, cruise controller, and electric-over-hydraulic brakes. So keep that in mind as you're picking this out if it's gonna work with your trailer. Up to four axles, I'd say for the most part, you're gonna be totally fine. If you don't need one that can go up to four axles and you like this style, Curt does make a similar version that's up to three axles. So that's something to keep in mind too if you don't need this much. Now, the big advantage to something like this, and something you probably noticed if you're familiar with brake controllers already, is going to be the size. It's a lot smaller and a lot more shallow than the brake controller we pulled out of this 4Runner today. And that's great, because even though it's mounted externally, it's not going to be in the way of your knees as you're getting in and out of the vehicle. And as I'm in a normal driving position, I've got plenty of distance between it and my leg. I don't feel like I'm gonna be hitting it all the time, 'cause it doesn't stick out very far. That's thanks to the very low profile bracket. We've got it mounted up with the included double-sided adhesive, but you can also use the included self-tapping screws. Just know that they're pretty long, and you're gonna have to have clearance behind there. But this will just click into place over that bracket. (bracket clicking) You can hear that snap in, and that's what holds it in. One thing to note is that because it's not inertia based, you can mount this really wherever it fits best, so it doesn't necessarily need to be level or facing any certain direction. Now, the installation can vary depending on your vehicle. I'd say check for what your vehicle has in terms of pigtail adapters. That's what we we're able to do with this option from Curt. We offer this pigtail adapter on our site here at etrailer, and that allows us to just plug directly into the vehicle's prep package for this. So just check to see if your vehicle can do that, because that's definitely going to be the easiest option as far as installation goes, 'cause it just plugs right in and all you have to worry about is mounting up that bracket, and then tucking up that wire loom from the adapter. Something else to note is that that LED readout does have a number of different functions. You can adjust the brightness, there's a day and night mode, but it's also gonna give us readouts for different errors. So if something's maybe not fully connected or something, it will tell us here. Your instructions give you a full list of all the different errors that can occur and short descriptions of what they are. But because its screen gives full text readouts, it's pretty easy to tell what's going on based on what it's showing. Like for example, when we first hooked this up to our simulator box, we didn't have the 7-way plugged in all the way, and it told us it wasn't connected. So we went back there, pushed the plug in the rest of the way, and then it worked properly. So that's going to help with just troubleshooting anything that may be occurring in your setup. For me, I think this is a nice middle ground between having the controls, easy to access, and having that LED readout, so you can see those errors and the power, and just have a little bit more control over it while still staying out of the way and being flushed to the dash. But that was just our look at the Curt Discovery NEXT Brake Controller. Thanks for watching.
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 Customer Reviews)
This compact brake controller fits nicely in your cab. You can mount it anywhere you like and it's only 1" thick. The LED display is large and bright so it's easy to see, while the large manual override is easy to reach in a pinch.Every thing was just great. Easy to hook up l had trailer brakes in just a few min. And the wire harness was perfect thank you
wrong wire harness
I bought this connector for my new Toyota Tacoma after moving the Brake Controller from my traded in Jeep. I had hardwired the Jeep, but this was a direct connector and was much, much easier to install. The Curt brake controller and this cable make an excellent combination to control the brakes on my Casita. The only flaw is that Toyota hides the factory end under the upper left side floor-well cover and was hard to find. Not etrailer's fault. Also, I have bought several items from etrailer and the customer service is always superb, as are all of the item descriptions and videos on the products they carry. Great place to get what you need for your vehicle.
Took about 10 minutes to install. Have not made all the adjustments yet, but is easy to understand.
Tested . Work fine and advertised
I picked this Curt brake controller As it is specifically wired for my 2017 Toyota Tacoma which already has the tow package. When I finally found where to hook it up in my truck I realized I needed C51455 part which is the female end .. they gave me another 15 inches of extra wiring so I can mount the controller by my right leg as I drove.. and the great thing about this experience I called on a Sunday afternoon got a hold of A person ( Shawn B) Who was very helpful and knew exactly which part I needed .
I highly recommend using e trailer
VERY easy install. As mentioned in other reviews the hardest part is finding the factory plug in for a 2017 Tacoma. Toyota tucked it way in the back behind a wire bundle. Picture attached for reference.
excellent service and delivery.
I purchased an adapter to go between my brake controller and the factory wiring in my 2015 Tundra (C51455), I have not installed it yet. I will review it when it is installed.
The hardest part of the job was finding the pre-installed connector on the Tacoma. It is tucked in behind a wire bundle so you have to know where to look. Once found, simple plug and play.
Plug and play made install simple
As alway, etrailer had exactly what I needed to do the job simply, effectively, and as the best price. What more can you ask for?
I grabbed this cable to connect my Curt Spectrum brake controller to my 2017 Toyota Tundra tow package cable. Worked great. The Tundra cable was located immediately behind the panel to the right of the steering wheel with the auto LSD button and Tow/Haul button (if equipped). My truck had a blank instead of tow/haul button.
I like this controller mainly for its sleek design and it blends into the dash of my Tacoma. It works right out of the box and I’ve rarely had to adjust the setting manually. It sometimes lights up weird when not in use but works fine. I’d purchase again.
Like its compact size and simple operat ion.
Very helpful, knowledgeable and friendl y!
arrived before I expected. Finding the prewired brake plug on my 2015 tundra was a pain. This wiring adapter made it possible to complete the job.
Ordered my brake controller for my tundra and it worked great. I had already been to a local store that kept providing me the wrong part so I took the time to research and this was exactly what I needed.
Great service very good experience highly recommend this company
Was very easy to install with the vehicle specific wiring harness, took it for a short test drive with my 19 ft Scamp Camper and it works as it should
Same review as the controller. Just plug and go. EXTREMELY easy. I had my 7 year old daughter with me and she could have basically hooked it up. She is as anxious to go camping as I am!
Easy install & a clean factory look in my ‘15 Tundra. Looking forward to getting a trailer hooked up to get it dialed in.
Product arrived on time. There was a hiccup on the item I initially ordered. They sent me a notice that it was unavailable, but I called them back and found me these comparable items for my 2015 Tundra. Items worked great and plugged right in, as well as wounted well. Overall great experience.
Sherry was extremely friendly and very helpful when I had questions about the correct fit for my truck. She got me the information I needed and took my order and the parts shipped the same day. I was amazed at how fast I got my order.
Plug and play. Has worked flawlessly for the last year thank you guys
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