7 pin connector

[Diane&Doug]

Thanks to everyone who replied back on this. We will definitely need to spend some time figuring this out. Very thankful for the insight. Stay well!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

In our Ford Explorer Sport back up tow vehicle I made a removable mount for the controller. This is a no screw, friction application and mounts the controller horizontal so the sensors inside can apply the brakes properly. It also leaves the under dash as designed to protect your legs in a crash.

Nice. I did something similar in our Sienna, mounting the controller on a pop-out cupholder in the middle of the dash. When not in use, the controller stays plugged in and stowed in a bin below the cupholder.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

I don't know about the new Highlanders, but my elderly 2012 Toyota 4Runner came factory-equipped with a 4 pin / 7-pin combo plug...

The 4Runner shares chassis components with Toyota light trucks, and the Highlander does not, which is why they are differently equipped.

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

You might be well-served to look into possible wired options that would just jump your existing 4-pin lines over to a new 7-pin connector, then run the new charging and brake wires. Way cheaper than shelling out $600, but may have to also tie into the brake light circuit to get a signal to the controller if you have no factory 7-pin lines.

Yes, that's how it is normally done - it is what I did in our Sienna (which is similar to a Highlander is some ways).

A 7-way connector with mounting, power and ground wiring for it, and the RF controller would presumably add up the $600 quoted cost. A wired controller is less expensive, but requires additional wiring which can be expensive if you're not doing it yourself.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Yes, particularly the single axle models that get sucked over when passed by a semi, the feeling is unforgettable.

I have no issues with our single-axle travel trailer while passing trucks, and have never considered manually applying trailer brakes in any situation... although it's good to have the option.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I have no issues with our single-axle travel trailer while passing trucks, and have never considered manually applying trailer brakes in any situation... although it's good to have the option.

Passing a truck from the rear feels totally different when one passes you from the rear. There is suction that tends to pull you over when being passed, not when passing. I also remember once coming down a mountain and a cross wind moved both me and the trailer one lane over, totally surprised.
Fortunately there was no-one in the lane then.....

[jeffhaltiner]

We are also new to trailer towing. We[re pulling an E19 with a mid-sized SUV (Kia Telluride). We chose the Redarc brake controller because of the easily adjustible manual brake controller knob on the dashboard, (with the main unit placed under the dash and out of the way. ) I am finding that i need to adjust the electric trailer brakes fairly frequently in different situations: coming down a steep mountain grade, i need to increase the amount of trailer braking...going through 5 hours of stop&go LA freeway traffic, i needed less trailer braking (it gets very jerky/grabbing. I think initially, i was assuming there was a single optimum setting for the trailer brakes that was appropriate for all driving conditions. do others find that they need to be continuously adjusting the trailer brake setting under different road/traffic conditions?

[Viajante]

What you describe is how it works. You might get the brakes adjusted if it has been awhile. If the brake shoes are too far from the drum they tend to grab more. Once the brakes are set right you can probably find a middle setting that takes care of most conditions. 5 hours of stop and go and coming down steep grades are somewhat extreme cases that will always benefit from changing the setting on the fly.

[Diane&Doug]

All of these responses have been invaluable to us. Thank you for taking the time.

[wolfnjan]

So frustrating! I own a 2015 Toyota Highlander with the factory trailer package and have towed my E-19 for over 60,000 miles with it all over the country. By and large, it's a great tow vehicle with plenty of power for the job and great reliability. At 136,000 miles, it still feels like new. But I just can't figure why Toyota hasn't corrected this obvious error over the years. How can you have a 5000 pound tow rating and only put a four pin connector on the towing package? Almost all other vehicles in this class have a proper 7-pin connector. I had to have a shop install a 7-pin connector (mostly a matter of running a hot cable from the battery to the connector). But the add-on connectors hangs off the bumper in a clumsy manner and has been knocked off twice because it hangs so low. I use the Takonshe Prodigy controller, but that also has a real problem syncing with the Highlander. It really limits the utility of an otherwise excellent vehicle.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Passing a truck from the rear feels totally different when one passes you from the rear. There is suction that tends to pull you over when being passed, not when passing. I also remember once coming down a mountain and a cross wind moved both me and the trailer one lane over, totally surprised.
Fortunately there was no-one in the lane then.....

I meant "passing", as in going by one another... in opposite directions, going faster than the truck in the same direction, or going slower than the truck in the same direction.

The severity of the problem certainly depends on cross-winds.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by jeffhaltiner

do others find that they need to be continuously adjusting the trailer brake setting under different road/traffic conditions?

No. I do use Tekonsha's "boost" feature on the highway and not in stop-and-go situations... but that's not a gain adjustment, it's an extra pulse of braking when the pedal is first applied.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by jeffhaltiner

I am finding that i need to adjust the electric trailer brakes fairly frequently in different situations: coming down a steep mountain grade, i need to increase the amount of trailer braking...

I hope you're not continually applying the brakes to keep speed to a target during an extended descent - that will overheat brakes (of the tow vehicle and the trailer). Engine braking is the way to handle this, with the brakes used only to slow down.

[cpaharley2008]

As the commercial says "set it and forget about it".......

[jeffhaltiner]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I hope you're not continually applying the brakes to keep speed to a target during an extended descent - that will overheat brakes (of the tow vehicle and the trailer). Engine braking is the way to handle this, with the brakes used only to slow down.

thanks for the input Brian B-P and CPA Harley. i do use the engine to brake on long downhills. where i'm finding it tricky is in stop and go traffic (ie, speeding up then immediately slowing down, and doing so without the trailer brakes grabbing/jerking to a stop. So i've backed off on the Redarc so that both vehicles stop smoothly. but i can't tell at that point if the trailer brakes are engaging at all, or if i'm just using my TV brakes. Our E19 is brand new so i assume the trailer brakes were adjusted at the factory correctly. But i will go through the process of manually adjusting them at some point (i was assuming after about a year of use). I do appreciate all the input!

[cpaharley2008]

I thought there was a way to activate only the trailer brakes by manually activating the switch? I do that to determine the amount off drag/....

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I thought there was a way to activate only the trailer brakes by manually activating the switch? I do that to determine the amount off drag/....

Yes, but that doesn't tell you what the trailer brakes are doing in a normal stop, because the manual activation (probably, depending on brand) isn't affected by the controller's settings (such as gain).

[cpaharley2008]

So you are telling me the my manual brake test is not what really happens when I apply both brakes?

[Centex]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

So you are telling me the my manual brake test is not what really happens when I apply both brakes?

IMO activation of the trailer brakes using the manual control on the TBC is useful only as a 'test' of the following:

1. It demonstrates that there is in fact a connection between the TBC and the trailer brakes
2. If applied 'till the wheels 'lock / skid' it demonstrates that the TBC is capable of that extreme degree of trailer brake actuation (may be dependent of road surface, tire condition, etc); note it is never desirable for the trailer wheels to lock / skid in actual braking situations.
3. If when conducting test 2 you observe that the wheels do not lock / skid near simultaneously, that may be an indicator of unequal brake adjustment, brake contamination, or a poor wire connection to one wheel or another (again, may be dependent of road surface, tire condition, weight transfer if multi-axle, etc); IOW troubleshooting may be indicated.

But none of that gives any indication of the 'rate or intensity' at which the trailer brakes will be actuated when braking solely using the vehicle's brake pedal (allowing the TBC to function 'normally'); that will be a function of the TBC's various settings (and sensed rate of deceleration for many TBCs).

IMO both 'manual' and 'normal' TBC brake tests have a useful role in ensuring your trailer brake system is configured and operating optimally.

IME folks often forget to re-visit their 'normal' brake test (and resultant TBC settings) when they transition from a dry-pavement situation to a loose-surface or wet-pavement situation (and vice versa, with resultant less-than-optimal TBC setup and braking for those different conditions).

Never forget to check your surroundings when conducting 'brake tests'

Just for your consideration, Happy Trailering!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

So you are telling me the my manual brake test is not what really happens when I apply both brakes?

You may not be, depending on brand. At best, if the manual application depends on the gain setting, you're testing what the trailer brakes do when the rig decelerates at whatever the brake control manufacturer considers to be maximum braking; that tells you little if anything about what gain setting you should be using.

[Viajante]

I tested my controller with a volt meter. The manual slider is independent of the gain setting. The farther I slide it the higher the voltage. All the way over is the full 12v. My normal gain setting is 3-4 volts.