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Kibbis's avatar
Kibbis
Explorer
Aug 23, 2018

Brake controller installations

Hello! The wife and I are looking at getting a launch 16rb and would like to get a brake controller. I installed the lighting harness for my pop up and am just wondering how much more difficult, if at all, it is to install a brake.booster?

28 Replies

  • It's only wired with the 4 wire plug for lights. Not 7 cable. I didn't mean brake booster, I meant controller and it's a 2011 escape v6
  • Direct answer to the OP's question: it depends on the tow vehicle and how it is already wired. Some are ready to go, all you gotta do is plug it in. Some have nothing, and you have to do all the wiring. Some car makers offer harnesses that are plug 'n' play, some do not. Without knowing anything about the specific vehicle, nobody here can hazard a guess.
  • Don't know the vehicle but if it didn't come prepped with the harness you have some work ahead. If it already has the factory 7 pin connector at the rear you can probably just get the vehicle specific wiring harness that plugs between the new controller and a socket under the dash.
    If you don't have the factory 7 pin connector at the rear you will, of course, need to install one. You will need to run a #12 or #10 wire to from the brake controller to the 7 pin connector. You will need to tap a suitable source of 12 volts with another #10 wire and use that to power the brake controller. You will need to ground it and you will need to tap into your brake light switch with a fourth wire to trigger it.
    While you're running wires around I would add another #10 to the rear for the 12 volt charge line to keep your trailer battery charged from the tow vehicle.
  • Kibbis wrote:
    The wife and I are looking at getting a launch 16rb and would like to get a brake controller. I installed the lighting harness for my pop up and am just wondering how much more difficult, if at all, it is to install a brake.booster?


    A brake controller doesn't "boost" anything, it merely applies a varying voltage to the trailer brakes depending on how hard you apply the TV's brakes. Since you're wanting to install a BC in your vehicle would it not make sense to tell us just which vehicle you have? :W
  • Most modern brake controllers have available a wiring harness. On all my vehicles I bought the one for the vehicle and it was a simple plug and play
  • Kibbis wrote:
    Hello! The wife and I are looking at getting a launch 16rb and would like to get a brake controller. I installed the lighting harness for my pop up and am just wondering how much more difficult, if at all, it is to install a brake.booster?


    Do you know if you have the wiring already in place for a controller? Some vehicles come prepped for a controller and it is as simple as getting the right wiring harness to make the connection. That was the case for our Explorer when we first started camping, so in that case it was quite simple.

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