Do I need a brake "box" in my car for trailer brakes?

[cajunjamie]

Was talking to my dad about campers and mentioned my recently acquired pup. Our TV is a 2001 Land Rover and the camper has electric brakes and weighs 2300 pounds.  I was planning to wire the truck to the 7 blade connector and then just tap the TV brake wire directly to the trailer brake wire.

He told me there is a "box" I mount under my dash that adjusts how much brake pressure is applied to the trailer brakes. Otherwise he says I can easily tap my brakes and lock up the trailer tires.

I have never read a thing about a TV brake box, so can someone please advise as to what I need to do to properly connect my trailer brakes to my TV?

Thanks!

[gec66]

Yes, its called a brake controller.  The trailer brakes will not work without it.

[cajunjamie]

Wow. Glad that conversation came up today. I thought I just connect the trailer wires in the rear and off I go. Thank you for letting me know. 

[cajunjamie]

Wow! When I do this project, it will be "fun".  Not.

http://www.etrailer.com/question-9547.html

[chiefd]

Not sure about your land rover but many vehicles have a plug that will allow the controller to just plug into with the wiring adapter purchased seperately.  No wiring needed just mount the contoller (2 screws) and plug the controller into it and it works.

[Baytoven]

The PUP's brakes are electric, not hydraulic like the TV (excepting for PUPs with surge brakes.) If the PUP brakes are fed full voltage by a straight connected wire, they will apply full power. You need a controller that determines how much voltage to send to the PUP brakes. Some controllers use a simple timer and increase voltage over time, arriving at full braking after several seconds of TV braking. The controllers that are often recommended here have accelerometers to sense how fast the TV is slowing and send a proportional amount of voltage to the PUP.

If your TV came with a tow package, it is probably already "plug and play" wired for a controller.

[Icanoe2fish]

the only time you dont need a brake controller is when your trailer has surge (hydraulic) brakes

[Oz and Us]

Not sure about your land rover but many vehicles have a plug that will allow the controller to just plug into with the wiring adapter purchased seperately.  No wiring needed just mount the contoller (2 screws) and plug the controller into it and it works.

Likely not, as the OP's LR is a 2002 ... Tekonsha shows Plug 'n Play only for 2005 and newer ... I'd suggest the OP call Tekonsha to confirm this.

[Burlingame728]

I have a 2011 jeep grand cherrokee Overland summit.  Had it at the dealer for oil change and asked if they could install a brake box.  They said no?  They dont have one for it?  In the glove box is the whip specially for a brake box, is this easy to install?  My popup is a 2000 coleman niagara

[cajunjamie]

I am looking for alternatives to the brake controller. Dad said maybe convert my axle to a new one that comes with the brake controller as part of the trailer.

There is no stock controller for my TV, but eTrailer lists details on how to put a few things together and hard-wire it myself.

Right now I am looking for options.

[techntrek]

Burlingame, it sounds like you'll have it easy.  Wire that harness to the brake controller and plug it in.  Dealers usually don't deal with aftermarket brake controllers.  I know GM won't allow dealer-installation of the factory brake controllers that are an option for some trucks.

cajunjamie, the only other option is a hydraulic surge system built into some trailer frames at the factory.  I highly doubt that would be something you could retrofit.  Tekonsha has excellent controllers including one that is wireless - plug it into your 12 volt outlet in the TV.  Other models only require 4 wires to be hooked up, the hardest one to track down is the one coming from the brake switch.  Fairly easy.

[cajunjamie]

cajunjamie, the only other option is a hydraulic surge system built into some trailer frames at the factory.  I highly doubt that would be something you could retrofit.  Tekonsha has excellent controllers including one that is wireless - plug it into your 12 volt outlet in the TV.  Other models only require 4 wires to be hooked up, the hardest one to track down is the one coming from the brake switch.  Fairly easy.

Thanks. The issue I have right now is that I cannot locate anything that will plug into my TV, but rather the only thing I see is a makeshift fitting.

http://www.etrailer.com/question-9547.html

[chiefd]

cajunjamie, the only other option is a hydraulic surge system built into some trailer frames at the factory.  I highly doubt that would be something you could retrofit.  Tekonsha has excellent controllers including one that is wireless - plug it into your 12 volt outlet in the TV.  Other models only require 4 wires to be hooked up, the hardest one to track down is the one coming from the brake switch.  Fairly easy.

Thanks. The issue I have right now is that I cannot locate anything that will plug into my TV, but rather the only thing I see is a makeshift fitting.

http://www.etrailer.com/question-9547.html

IT is not really make shift fitting.  IT iis the way sopme of the older vehicles had to be wired.  The direction look like you have a 4 pin connection rather than the 7 pin connnector already.  So what do you have 4 pin or 7 pin to hook to the trailer. 

If you have the 7 pin connection than all need to do is this generic wiring guide from tekonsha

[cajunjamie]

My wiring is a little non-standard. The TV has a wiring connection port behind the brake light. I tapped into this with a 4-flat conversion kit but I then cut off the 4-flat connector and wired to a 7-pin round connector.

So, technically I am running 4-flat wiring to a 7-pin connector. The trailer had a 7-pin connector. The only thing I think not wired through the 7-pin are the 12V wire and the brake wire.

[jls02]

I have a great solution  go to Uhaul and have them install it. They had a prodigy brake controller for a reasonable price and charged about $100 for install and parts. Lack of headache "priceless". I was done in a couple hours and they were the ones who got dirty. I got a burger at a Resturant.