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What is a brake controller and why do I need it?

Yawnie'sPapa

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Your post literally says that there aren't brakes on anything less than two axles
Yes, you are right - blanket statements aren't good. There are at times, single axle trailers with brakes do exist. . Not required, but single axle trailers with brakes do exist.
Since it's not required if the gross weight is under 3,000 pounds so don't require brakes.
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GATORB8

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How did you imagine the trailer worked without something to trigger brakes?
Just wondering.
I’d venture there is probably a significant amount of people out there pulling a trailer with brakes, hooked to a 7 pin “tow package” that have no idea that they aren’t using the trailer brakes with no controller. Scary when you think about it.

Heck, there’s probably a few of them that got an RV from OPs salesman.
 

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I’m curious… if you go with the Echo, the manual brake override doesn’t seem like an easy or quick thing to access/use. My question is who uses the manual override on their brake controllers and why? Seems like a tap can reduce/stop trailer sway, but how many people actually do this? Or is there another reason for the override that I’m missing?
 

GATORB8

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I’m curious… if you go with the Echo, the manual brake override doesn’t seem like an easy or quick thing to access/use. My question is who uses the manual override on their brake controllers and why? Seems like a tap can reduce/stop trailer sway, but how many people actually do this? Or is there another reason for the override that I’m missing?
I remember it being used to test the controller setting on my older tekonsha. Basically you drive 25 and trigger the override and it should stop you without locking the trailer up.
 

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Your post literally says that there aren't brakes on anything less than two axles, then you literally say you wouldn't install a brake controller on the a Jeep. Those things in your post imply that at best the braking is a nanny feature they are being over charged for. The 4-door Jeeps can tow 3500lbs which is plenty enough to want and even need a brake controller, and the OP stated that his trailer's dry weight was around 2900lbs so he figures it would be close to 3500lbs loaded.

That's where my statement comes in - everything the OP mentioned in their first post says they need a brake controller. Yes, you are correct that if they have a surge brake, then they don't, but boats and u-haul rental trailers are about the only thing that comes with surge brakes anymore because they are so much more expensive than electric brakes.
Yes and I literally said, “Times might have changed” but you keep skipping past that even when I pontificated it.

Yes, I literally said I wouldn’t tow anything with a Jeep that requires supplemental braking. Hell, I said that twice.

Screw it, I’ll say it three times - I have no desire to tow anything with my Jeep that requires supplemental brakes. Let me throw in I won’t use a drag chute to tension my winch cable either.

Now that we’ve got that dead horse beat to a pulp, where did I recommend OP do something dangerous as you accuse?

I didn’t and you know I didn’t so behave yo’self and quit trolling for an argument.

Go find a trail, it’s far more enjoyable than trying to get a rise out of me and you’ll feel more accomplished if you pitch more than 35 degrees….
 

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How did you imagine the trailer worked without something to trigger brakes?
Just wondering.
Via a signal from the 7 pin connector at the back of the jeep in which the RV plugs into. Isn't that basically what happens when a brake controller is installed?

One of the 7 pins actually is there to send a signal to brake a trailer.

Since I have a tow package, I figured this connection from the Jeep hitch to the trailer would send a signal to brake the trailer when the the Jeep brakes are engaged.

It seems if a vehicle has a tow package should have a brake controller included. Because braking the trailer is an important part of towing a trailer. I guarantee I am not the only one who thought I was all set with a tow package.


There are electric brakes, or surge brakes. IF electric, you must have a controller. Surge brakes work by the trailer pushing on your truck and the hydraulics of the trailer apply the trailer brakes.
My trailer has electric brakes as mentioned in the OP and later again in this post.
 
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driventoadventure

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Yes, you are right - blanket statements aren't good. There are at times, single axle trailers with brakes do exist. . Not required, but single axle trailers with brakes do exist.
Since it's not required if the gross weight is under 3,000 pounds so don't require brakes.
I think it may help to clarify that gross weight and dry weight are not the same. Per the mfgr site (https://goriversiderv.com/xplorer-165x/), the trailer has a dry weight of 2600lbs and a ccc of 1200lbs for a total gross weight of 3800lbs. In trailers, the gross weight is the max weight the trailer is normally capable of weighing when fully loaded (including all tanks full) without damage.
 

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It seems if a vehicle has a tow package should have a brake controller included. Because braking the trailer is an important part of towing a trailer. I guarantee I am not the only one who thought I was all set with a tow package.
You would be surprised at how many vehicles with tow packages treat it as an optional accessory. There are plenty of 1500/150 pickups out there with tow packages but no trailer brake controller. It's the "we can sell more accessories" attitude of the industry that screws it up. Coupled with the reality for most vehicles anyway that towing generally consists of a U-Haul trailer (which all braked trailers have surge controllers) or a bike or storage rack... I will try to see if I can find data but I would venture a guess there are also more boats than RV trailers and they generally use surge controllers due to water intrusion concerns.
 
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I think it may help to clarify that gross weight and dry weight are not the same. Per the mfgr site (https://goriversiderv.com/xplorer-165x/), the trailer has a dry weight of 2600lbs and a ccc of 1200lbs for a total gross weight of 3800lbs. In trailers, the gross weight is the max weight the trailer is normally capable of weighing when fully loaded (including all tanks full) without damage.
Correct. I would not tow it with any clear, gray, or black water which if all maxed out would be 700lbs. So with smart packing I should be able to keep it safely under 3500 lbs. I decided on this RV because it is light weight for its size.

I am a bit disappointed I did not get a pickup instead of a Jeep. Before this wrangler I had a little Jeep Cherokee with a 5000 lb tow rating.




I’m curious… if you go with the Echo, the manual brake override doesn’t seem like an easy or quick thing to access/use. My question is who uses the manual override on their brake controllers and why? Seems like a tap can reduce/stop trailer sway, but how many people actually do this? Or is there another reason for the override that I’m missing?
Someone in the facebook group said the use an Echo bluetooth controller. That was my question,how easy to access any brake control functions on a phone while driving (if that is a thing.)
 

GATORB8

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Correct. I would not tow it with any clear, gray, or black water which if all maxed out would be 700lbs. So with smart packing I should be able to keep it safely under 3500 lbs. I decided on this RV because it is light weight for its size.

I am a bit disappointed I did not get a pickup instead of a Jeep. Before this wrangler I had a little Jeep Cherokee with a 5000 lb tow rating.





Someone in the facebook group said the use an Echo bluetooth controller. That was my question,how easy to access any brake control functions on a phone while driving (if that is a thing.)
Sensitivity is basically set it once and forget it. Only other thing is manual override, since you’ve towed a boat that doesn’t have that option, not having it available would be similar to towing the boat.
 

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Tncdrew

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My question is who uses the manual override on their brake controllers and why?
When you experience a severe trailer sway event, you do NOT want to apply the tow vehicle brakes, you DO want to reach down and manually apply the trailer brakes with the controller to correct the swaying trailer.
 

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If you are worried about having manual override with the echo: https://www.curtmfg.com/part/51189
Yeah, saw this during my search, but says it has to be connected through the phone. So all three pieces have to be connected if I understand correctly… streaming BT music is flaky enough, just didn’t want an emergency feature left up to a 3way wireless connection.
 

WK2JT

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When you experience a severe trailer sway event, you do NOT want to apply the tow vehicle brakes, you DO want to reach down and manually apply the trailer brakes with the controller to correct the swaying trailer.
Does the JL platform have sway control built into the traction control? I know some vehicles have it and slightly apply a brake here and there when they detect sway.

Edit: I know the Gladiator has it, so assumed the JL did too, but haven’t found anything on it yet.
 

Tncdrew

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Does the JL platform have sway control built into the traction control? I know some vehicles have it and slightly apply a brake here and there when they detect sway.

Edit: I know the Gladiator has it, so assumed the JL did too, but haven’t found anything on it yet.
Yes, they do. It's listed on the window sticker for my '22.
I was just sharing one of main reasons brake controllers have a manual trailer brake potentiometer. A severe trailer sway event may or may not be able to be mitigated by the sway control built into the TV's traction control.
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