What Trailer Brake Controllers do you have fitted.

[RED T UTE Member Find all posts View Profile Close RED T UTE]

What Trailer Brake Controllers do you have fitted?

I just bought a Tekonsha P3 trailer brake controller has anyone fitted on of these to a Prado 150?
Any hints on how to fit it (e.g wire colours under the dash)and wear you have fitted yours.

Also I wanted a Redarc remote head trailer brake controller but they are not on the list of approved controllers for elec over hydraulic trailer brakes.

[cbm8880 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cbm8880]

Hi,
I fitted a P2 using a wiring harness from ABR Sidewinder. The instructions were clear enough to work it out. As for the wires, just remember that the blue (vehicle brake sensing) wire has to be connected to the brake light. The reason escapes me right now but oh can do a search on here for more info.
There was an issue with the P3 earlier models, so just check you got a recently built one. P3 users comment?
Cheers.

[sapradogxl Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close sapradogxl]

I had the P3 installed in my 120, and have since removed, and in the process of installing on the 150. I am going to install by my left knee, just to the right and just above the air-bags. Wiring loom has been run, but just need to run the blue wire to the brake wire in the rear.

Also remember you need a permanent power source to pin2

[pradokit Find all posts View Profile Close pradokit]

I have fitted the red arc remote head unit in behind the central screen on my GXL 150. It requires the removal of some of the central dash pieces but you can get help from other sections of pradopoint about doing that. I have fitted the remote head (switch and LED) into the blank next to the 2nd. start button (above the park assist on/off button). See pictures attached. This keeps the control unit out of the way of my knees and air bags in case of an accident.

I don't know about the the "list of approved controllers for elec over hydraulic trailer brakes". What is that and where is it? What are "elec over hydraulic brakes"? I have only electrically operated brakes on my Jayco caravan.

Also note that it is advised to connect the brake actuation wire to the left hand brake light, so this means 2 wires, the blue one and this one (I think from memory it is red) need to be fed down under the door sills to the back of the car. A friend burnt out two sets of brake actuators and bearings because the wheel fitting place ,who put Landcruiser size wheels on his camper trailer connected the brake actuation wire near to the foot brake. I presume this wire was probed by the car computer every few seconds for diagnostic/testing purposes. Whatever happened cost the wheel fitting company a couple of sets of bearings/brakes etc. until they sorted it out. Interested to hear others experiences about this sort of wiring.

Red Arc remote unit strapped to wiring harness behind centre screen.


Remote rotary switch and LED mounted into a switch blank.

[MUMSRIG Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MUMSRIG]

Also note that it is advised to connect the brake actuation wire to the left hand brake light, so this means 2 wires, the blue one and this one (I think from memory it is red) need to be fed down under the door sills to the back of the car. A friend burnt out two sets of brake actuators and bearings because the wheel fitting place ,who put Landcruiser size wheels on his camper trailer connected the brake actuation wire near to the foot brake. I presume this wire was probed by the car computer every few seconds for diagnostic/testing purposes. Whatever happened cost the wheel fitting company a couple of sets of bearings/brakes etc. until they sorted it out. Interested to hear others experiences about this sort of wiring.

This is interesting.. What vehicle was this on? I've also wired the brake wire to the brake light switch at the pedal. Mine is a 120 series so as far as I am aware there will be no diagnostic checks made by the ECU... so I can't see there being an issue? At the end of the day the switch is on or off, it's not variable or variable resisted type switch so it should be fine?

I also fitted the REDARC remote unit and mounted it in a switch blank.

[pradokit Find all posts View Profile Close pradokit]

The vehicle that had the burnt out brakes problem was a 120. The cause I mentioned was speculation and not proven. Sometimes information gets twisted in the passing on, maybe it was connected some other brake related wire - not sure what this could be. However he certainly had the problem, to the extent that the brakes/bearings were replaced once in Melbourne (don't know who it was) soon after installation and again, under authorization of the firm, they were replaced in Mildura at the start of his 3 month trip away. He did the rest of the trip without brakes!

[MUMSRIG Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MUMSRIG]

The vehicle that had the burnt out brakes problem was a 120. The cause I mentioned was speculation and not proven. Sometimes information gets twisted in the passing on, maybe it was connected some other brake related wire - not sure what this could be. However he certainly had the problem, to the extent that the brakes/bearings were replaced once in Melbourne (don't know who it was) soon after installation and again, under authorization of the firm, they were replaced in Mildura at the start of his 3 month trip away. He did the rest of the trip without brakes!

Did he say that the RED LED light was on all the time or did the controller still seem to work normally?

[pradokit Find all posts View Profile Close pradokit]

Lost touch with my contact on this so can't say what was showing

[Crisp Image Member Find all posts View Profile Close Crisp Image]

I have a P3 mounted on the RHS between the door and the fuel flap opener. I have wired my brake sense wire to the purple wire at the brake pedal. I have had no problems with this set up. This sense wire only picks up that you have your foot on the brake and then the main current is fed to the brake wire via the blue wire from the main positive feed (through the controller).
Hope this makes sense.
Regards
Crisp Image

[RED T UTE Member Find all posts View Profile Close RED T UTE]

[QUOTE=pradokit;359736]

I don't know about the the "list of approved controllers for elec over hydraulic trailer brakes". What is that and where is it? What are "elec over hydraulic brakes"? I have only electrically operated brakes on my Jayco caravan.

Electrical over hydraulic brakes have a electrical pump mountied on the trailer drawbar. When you apply the trailer brakes the pump start and supplies brake fluid to the disc brakes.

I just bought a Kimberly Kamper and it has hydraulic/manual override disc brakes fitted and im upgrading them to the elec over Hydrauilc type as first time out in the bush I had to reverse down a road on a bit of a hill and I got dragged down the hill backwards by the camper trailer. My wife wasnt very happy as it scared the shit out of her. She don't like the out of control feeling after we had a big crash a few years ago.
I could imagine on a big hill you would jack knife the trailer very fast and have whinch to straighten the trailer and pull you back on the road if it didn't roll the camper trailer or you car down the hill.

Thanks for the wire colors Crisp Image it will save me some time and pain.

[Kowolski Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kowolski]

Folks with a tidal brake controller, how many wires need to run to the rear of the car?

I'm installing some lighter sockets in the rear and want to run trailer brake wiring so the wirings there if I need it.

[Wazza2 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wazza2]

If you do it like a few others in this thread then it's 1 wire to the rear. The blue one that goes to the trailer plug and activates the brakes. Use something suitable for the current involved.

Mixed reports on needing to pick up the signal from the actual stop lights and ther's a few examples in this thread where this wasn't the case. I'm going to run a second wire to the rear to ensure i don't end up causing some insurance drama if the worst happened.

The mounting of the controller is what really gets me. I'm sick of having stuff around my knees so my P2 is getting mounted near the RH side speaker in the dash. Bracket made today, pics shortly

[Wazza2 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wazza2]

So hiding under the easily removed cover is this speaker in the dash. Grabbed a steel bracket from bunnings and cut it to size. A bit of dremel work later and this is the result.



Speaker screw holds it in, with cable holder slot also assisting. Not keen on a second screw as the cable holder that pokes through has the wiring for the pilar airbag going through it I think. Will see how it goes and add a second screw later if required.

A good tidy up with the file and wetndry, then a dab of non-reflective paint...



Pretty tidy whilst not in use



Just add a little velcro to hold the dash mat onto the controller and that oughta do it for the mounting



Now for the wiring.......

[Hubble80 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hubble80]

Anyone know where the blue wire connects into the harness to the towbar socket??

[brock05 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close brock05]

Anyone know where the blue wire connects into the harness to the towbar socket??

Am wondering the same anyone happen to have a picture of where they have connected into the factory towbar harness?

Cheer
Brad