Location of Brake Controller Connector on Class A Motorhome on 2020 Ford F-53 Chassis

Updated 11/12/2020 | Published 11/11/2020

Question:

I have a new 2021 Thor ACE built on the 2020 Ford F-53 chassis. Thor tells me it is pre-wired for a brake controller. Can you tell me where on the vehicle I can find the brake controller connection I will plug the adapter into? Thank you.

asked by: Bill P

Expert Reply:

Good thing you have a later model F-53 chassis, as the brake controller connectors on the older ones were buried waaay up under the dash and were pretty difficult to locate! For your 2020 Ford F-53 chassis, the factory brake controller connector which is gray in color is sensibly located on the left side of the steering column support as shown in the provided photo.

If you were planning on using a Tekonsha brake controller like their excellent P3, part # 90195, you'd need the # 3035-P brake controller wiring harness. The P3 is one of my go-to's because of how easy it is to use, and because how user-friendly the display is. It also offers 5 different programmable presets, so you can preset the controller for different trailers, or have different preset settings for a full trailer versus an empty one. This will save all kinds of time, as you won't need to reset the controller if you switch trailers or drive one way with a full trailer and the other way empty.

If you plan on towing the same trailer every time whose weight won't vary much and you're already pretty familiar with how brake controllers operate, a less expensive option would be the Tekonsha Primus part # TK90160. This is still a great piece of equipment that would work great for you. The Primus would use the same # 3035-P wiring harness.

One end of the controller plugs into the gray connector mentioned above, the other end will plug into any Tekonsha brake controller of recent manufacture.

I've linked to an informational video that fully explains the features and benefits of the Tekonsha P3 brake controller.

expert reply by: Mike L