What to Know Before Installing a Trailer Brake Controller
If your trailer has electric brakes, your tow vehicle needs a brake controller. Without one, your trailer brakes do nothing, and your truck brakes do all the work. On a loaded trailer, that means longer stopping distances and overheated brakes, and on a mountain grade it can mean brake failure. Here is what to know before the install.
What a brake controller does
A brake controller sits in your tow vehicle, usually under the dash, and sends power to your trailer brakes when you press your truck brakes. It also has a manual override lever, so you can apply the trailer brakes on their own if the trailer starts to sway.
Two types, one choice to make
- Proportional controllers sense how hard you are braking and match the trailer brakes to it. They are smoother and the better choice for most drivers.
- Time-delayed controllers apply the trailer brakes at a set rate after a short delay. They cost less and work fine on lighter trailers, but they can feel grabby.
We will help you pick based on your trailer weight and how often you tow.
What the install includes
A brake controller install is wiring work, not a plug-and-play job on most vehicles. Our installs include the controller mounted within easy reach of the driver, wiring run to the 7-way plug at the rear, a fused power feed, and a full test of the trailer brakes before the vehicle leaves. We also set the gain, the braking force, for your trailer, and show you how to adjust it when you load the trailer differently.
Do you need one?
In Colorado, trailers over 3,000 pounds loaded are required to have their own braking system, which means a brake controller in the tow vehicle. Even below that weight, a controller makes towing safer and easier on your truck brakes. If your trailer has electric brakes and your truck has no controller, you need one before you tow.
What to bring
Bring your tow vehicle and, if you can, the trailer, so we can test the full setup together. If your truck already has a factory brake controller, we can check that it is set up right for your trailer instead.
Book an appointment at Hitch Corner in Littleton, 10677 W Centennial Rd, Suite 103. Call 303-904-1558. Installations are by appointment, so call first. Same-day appointments are usually available. We are open Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, and closed Saturday and Sunday in winter. Hitches we install carry a lifetime warranty. Family owned since 1990, with the Kiefer family in towing since 1970..
