Anyone using a Curt Echo brake controller?

Campfire Time wrote:

Mike134 wrote:
I have trouble with my bluetooth radio staying connected on some days.

that's just my 2 cents

This is my concern. I don't lose my BT connection to my truck too often but it does happen. BT uses 2.4 ghz, which a lot of other things do as well. Too many things can interfere with a wireless signal and trailer brakes are too critical for me to ever be comfortable with BT.

I have an ECHO, and it works fine with my Iphone, BUT, I can leave my Iphone at home, and still tow my trailer, and it works fine, with NO blue tooth at all! Losing the BT connection would be a total non-event.

$280. yikes. for a jerk-n-go controller? No. Are you the worlds laziest, or the worlds less mechanical driver?

Is this for a small trailer that if you lost the brakes it won't matter?

For $220 at etrailer you can get a really really nice proportional wired brake controller that you absolutely will never feel. It brakes as hard or as soft as the truck does. AND it is wired in.

How hard is it going to be to wire your vehicle for brakes? How much does the local Uhaul guy charge to do the labor? How often do you buy/sell tow vehicles?

Im not here to advise you on this product, but to advise you to get a proportional controller instead.

Campfire Time wrote:

Mike134 wrote:
I have trouble with my bluetooth radio staying connected on some days.

that's just my 2 cents

This is my concern. I don't lose my BT connection to my truck too often but it does happen. BT uses 2.4 ghz, which a lot of other things do as well. Too many things can interfere with a wireless signal and trailer brakes are too critical for me to ever be comfortable with BT.

Agree. And a Prodigy, or P3 is plug, and play. Takes about 5 min to install

Mike134 wrote:
I have trouble with my bluetooth radio staying connected on some days.

that's just my 2 cents

This is my concern. I don't lose my BT connection to my truck too often but it does happen. BT uses 2.4 ghz, which a lot of other things do as well. Too many things can interfere with a wireless signal and trailer brakes are too critical for me to ever be comfortable with BT.

Lynnmor wrote:

noteven wrote:


Anyways I forgot to ask is the Curt Echo is nice and proportional or is it jerky like $50 plug in controllers.

Since it is just another controller that uses an accelerometer, it is in the JerkaMatic class.

My Prodigy had a accelerometer. It was VERY smooth. In fact you couldn't even feel it come on, or go off. But it did. And worked great. If you set it correcty. the truck, and trailer stopped as one. Maybe you just never had a good one.

The only reason I'm not still using it. My newer truck has a factory controler.

Mike134 wrote:

noteven wrote:




Since having a trailer brake failure on a miles long western downgrade towing an 18,000lb 3 axle with a 2006 won ton I’ve pretty much quit towing with setups where my tow mobile cannot brake the whole rig for miles on a 6 to 8% grade.

What are you using for a tow vehicle one of those Kenworth tractor conversions?

On the big trailer - yes a 33k GVWR 80k GCWR KW.

The Curt would be used on an older Tundra that tows 3 or 4 different trailers…. it has factory prewire for a dash control so I might go to DirecLink.

noteven wrote:




Since having a trailer brake failure on a miles long western downgrade towing an 18,000lb 3 axle with a 2006 won ton I’ve pretty much quit towing with setups where my tow mobile cannot brake the whole rig for miles on a 6 to 8% grade.

What are you using for a tow vehicle one of those Kenworth tractor conversions?

noteven wrote:


Anyways I forgot to ask is the Curt Echo is nice and proportional or is it jerky like $50 plug in controllers.

Since it is just another controller that uses an accelerometer, it is in the JerkaMatic class.

I think this would do the job for me. I’ve basically only ever used fully proportional brake controllers:

Real air brakes
Trailer tongue hydraulic disc
Hayes hydraulic over 12v
Hayes air over 12v
Maxbrake
DirecLink
Ford factory in F350

I once tried a Tekonsha sumthin when the Maxbrake failed that was promptly dubbed the “JerkaMatic”. It got us home but not my cup of tea.

Anyways I forgot to ask is the Curt Echo is nice and proportional or is it jerky like $50 plug in controllers.

Since having a trailer brake failure on a miles long western downgrade towing an 18,000lb 3 axle with a 2006 won ton I’ve pretty much quit towing with setups where my tow mobile cannot brake the whole rig for miles on a 6 to 8% grade.

Terryallan wrote:
Product Expert Kathleen M
Is this right for you? Product Expert Kathleen M says:

Yes, if you:
Alternate towing vehicles or trailers - plug-and-play design makes this very versatile
Are unable or unwilling to make changes to your tow vehicle's wiring/interior
Have a BMW, Land Rover, Volvo, or other vehicle with multiplex wiring
No, if you:
Are towing a trailer with an RV or similar vehicle - your phone must be less than 50' from the controller or they won't connect
Would get annoyed using a mobile app to operate the controller, especially if you use your phone for maps or music while towing
Haul a trailer with more than 2 axles

Found this. could help

The Echo does not require you to have a phone connected in order to operate properly. Turn your phone off, or use it for other things and the Echo works fine. You can use the phone to program sensitivity and brake strength, but after that it is not necessary. I leave my phone on to the Echo app so I can monitor brake activity, but don't have to.