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Old 09-06-2019, 11:45 PM   #101
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I’m dreaming about purchasing an Escape 17B, to be towed with my Toyota Highlander XLE (with towing package and tow wiring installed). But this thread has got me a little bit terrified... I’m a newbie to this... how do I prep my Highlander with an electric brake controller, before I pick up the trailer for my drive from Chilliwack B.C. to Toronto? (I’ll be living in the Toronto area next year.) Can ETI do the brake controller installation? Can someone in the Toronto area do a reliable installation of this? An RV dealership? A mechanic? A Toyota dealership? How can I be sure it’ll work properly when I pick up the trailer in B.C.? Yikes.
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Old 09-07-2019, 07:04 AM   #102
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There is a hitch shop about 1/2 mile from Escape that does their hitch work, Trademasters is their name https://www.vehiclesolutions.ca call them,,,
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Old 09-07-2019, 09:19 AM   #103
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Hi Roger
We have a 2018 Highlander. When I bought it new the dealership in Iowa City they provided, installed and wired the brake controller, charge wire and 7 pin at the receiver. We have a Teshonka P3 controller. I will say they had quite a time rigging it all up because the tech and service guy knew that they wanted to run the wiring through the vehicle and not just tied up underneath. We have #10 wire on the charge wire and two circuit breakers wired in near the battery as well as a maxi fuse. I was so impressed with their work I tipped the tech and that’s saying something for me.

The only anomaly which I did not have them address is this. I have a long driveway. I hook up the trailer. I start up the driveway and reach down to the controller mounted by my right knee and use then manual actuator. The truck and trailer stop quickly on the ability of the trailer brakes. Since I did not touch the Highlander brakes and there was no obstacle ahead of me, the Highlander puts up a code on the dash that says there’s something amiss with the crash avoidance System. I shut the Highlander off and restart it. Code goes away and all is well and brakes work fine on both rigs. I read that a diode can be installed that prevents this “code” action but since I only see it when the manual actuator is used I don’t worry about it.

On the road at 60’MPH I have the controller set at 4.0. At that setting the controller will let the trailer do its braking job. At slower speeds on gravel roads especially in campgrounds I set it lower so I’m not skidding the tires on gravel when I brake or humping the trailer backing in or backing up. I hate lookin like a rookie.

I know this post is long however I hope it’s what you needed. Once the controller is lit up and someone with a tester checks out the seven pin for appropriate voltage I think you’re good to go. You may get varying opinions and experiences but this has been ours for 17 months and 42,000 miles. Probably 15,000 towing the 21 from coast to coast, in the mountains and across the plains. Not a nickels worth of problems.
Hoping you have the same fine experience
I am
Iowa Dave
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Old 09-07-2019, 12:45 PM   #104
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Hi Roger
We have a 2018 Highlander. When I bought it new the dealership in Iowa City they provided, installed and wired the brake controller, charge wire and 7 pin at the receiver. We have a Teshonka P3 controller. I will say they had quite a time rigging it all up because the tech and service guy knew that they wanted to run the wiring through the vehicle and not just tied up underneath. We have #10 wire on the charge wire and two circuit breakers wired in near the battery as well as a maxi fuse. I was so impressed with their work I tipped the tech and that’s saying something for me.

The only anomaly which I did not have them address is this. I have a long driveway. I hook up the trailer. I start up the driveway and reach down to the controller mounted by my right knee and use then manual actuator. The truck and trailer stop quickly on the ability of the trailer brakes. Since I did not touch the Highlander brakes and there was no obstacle ahead of me, the Highlander puts up a code on the dash that says there’s something amiss with the crash avoidance System. I shut the Highlander off and restart it. Code goes away and all is well and brakes work fine on both rigs. I read that a diode can be installed that prevents this “code” action but since I only see it when the manual actuator is used I don’t worry about it.

On the road at 60’MPH I have the controller set at 4.0. At that setting the controller will let the trailer do its braking job. At slower speeds on gravel roads especially in campgrounds I set it lower so I’m not skidding the tires on gravel when I brake or humping the trailer backing in or backing up. I hate lookin like a rookie.

I know this post is long however I hope it’s what you needed. Once the controller is lit up and someone with a tester checks out the seven pin for appropriate voltage I think you’re good to go. You may get varying opinions and experiences but this has been ours for 17 months and 42,000 miles. Probably 15,000 towing the 21 from coast to coast, in the mountains and across the plains. Not a nickels worth of problems.
Hoping you have the same fine experience
I am
Iowa Dave
Hi Dave,
Thanks for all the helpful information. I have an extra slight complication, that I plan to import my US-purchased Highlander to Canada next year, and any ‘modifications’ to the car could compromise the import process. So I will get the brake controller installed somewhere in the Toronto area, next year, hopefully without much headache.
Roger
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Old 09-07-2019, 01:46 PM   #105
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You’re welcome. I tried to provide the concepts I experienced to assure you that it can be done and that there are people everywhere that can figure it out, you just have to find them. Best of luck in your journey.
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:08 PM   #106
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Roger, you plan to move to Toronto to live? How will you get the Escape there without a controller, which I doubt would even be on the radar at the border? All the more reason to have it done at Tademasters in Canada.
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:17 PM   #107
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I don't see anything wrong with running wires under the car as long as you do it right.

I had to run a power wire to the back of my Tacoma for camper shell lighting, and I ran it under the car along the frame rail. I used marine/auto grade wiring, I put the wires in a cable loom, which I tiewrapped every foot or so using black tie-wraps (they last longer), this wire survived a number of off road adventures.
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:22 PM   #108
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Roger, you plan to move to Toronto to live? How will you get the Escape there without a controller, which I doubt would even be on the radar at the border? All the more reason to have it done at Tademasters in Canada.
It looks like Roger's plan is to move to Toronto, then buy the Escape. As the challenge with importation is at an inspection at a licensed agency - not just what is noticed at the border - that's a good thing.

Trademasters can certainly do the installation, but I don't understand leaving a brake controller installation to be another complication at pick-up time, instead of doing it in advance, with no rush, at any of the dozens of suitable shops in Toronto. There's nothing specific to Escape about a brake controller installation.
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:25 PM   #109
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I didn’t spec through the body or underneath the car which is how they were on our 2012. They just thought it was the way to go and did a beautiful job. I appreciated the clean job they did and it works great, that’s what counts for us. Ice, snow, brine and road salt can’t get at the wiring. That’s good for us.
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:31 PM   #110
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Originally Posted by Roger3146 View Post
I’m dreaming about purchasing an Escape 17B, to be towed with my Toyota Highlander XLE (with towing package and tow wiring installed). But this thread has got me a little bit terrified... I’m a newbie to this... how do I prep my Highlander with an electric brake controller, before I pick up the trailer for my drive from Chilliwack B.C. to Toronto? (I’ll be living in the Toronto area next year.) Can ETI do the brake controller installation? Can someone in the Toronto area do a reliable installation of this? An RV dealership? A mechanic? A Toyota dealership? How can I be sure it’ll work properly when I pick up the trailer in B.C.? Yikes.
does that XLE Tow Package come witha 4-pin or a 7 pin RV outlet? if its got the 7-blade (like my Tacoma did from the factory), then installing a brake controller is as simple as plugging it into the harness under the dash, Tekonsha even makes a Toyota specific pre-wired adapter for this.

If it only has a 4-pin (thats trailer exterior lighting only), then you need to run a couple new wires, and a relay.

1) trailer charging power, a heavy gauge red wire from your battery (or positive terminal in the main fuse/relay box under the hood), run this through a 12V relay thats switched on by ignition, this goes to pin 4 on the 7-blade

2) trailer brake: a medium-heavy gauge blue wire that runs from the brake controller under your dash to pin 2 of the 7-blade.

3) chassis ground (white) to the brake controller

4) battery power via a 20A autoreset breaker to the brake controller

5) tap the brake pedal switch, and wire this to the brake controller.

6) the existing 4 pin connector has ground(white), taillights(brown), left trun+brake(yellow), right turn+brake(green), these wire straight across to the 7-blade, with white to pin 1, brown to pin 3, yellow to pin 5, and green to pin 6.



if you also plan to tow very light trailers such as rowboats, that have 4-pin wiring, you can get a 7-blade + 4 pin connector to put on the back bumper in place of the existing 4-pin. or you can get a 7-to-4 adapter that plugs into the 7 and has the 4 on the back...
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:50 PM   #111
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
I don't see anything wrong with running wires under the car as long as you do it right.

I had to run a power wire to the back of my Tacoma for camper shell lighting, and I ran it under the car along the frame rail. I used marine/auto grade wiring, I put the wires in a cable loom, which I tiewrapped every foot or so using black tie-wraps (they last longer), this wire survived a number of off road adventures.
I agree!. I have 3 air compressors attached to the frame under the bed of my truck, 2 for the air tank and 1 for the air bags. The wiring and air hoses are all attached to the frame and no problems in 6 years.
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Old 09-07-2019, 02:56 PM   #112
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It looks like Roger's plan is to move to Toronto, then buy the Escape. As the challenge with importation is at an inspection at a licensed agency - not just what is noticed at the border - that's a good thing.

Trademasters can certainly do the installation, but I don't understand leaving a brake controller installation to be another complication at pick-up time, instead of doing it in advance, with no rush, at any of the dozens of suitable shops in Toronto. There's nothing specific to Escape about a brake controller installation.
Yes, we’re dual US/Canada citizens, currently living in PA and planning to move to Toronto, Canada next year. So I want to ‘import’ my 2016 Toyota Highlander to Canada when I move next year, and then drive to Chilliwack after that to pick up my new Escape (not ordered yet), and drivevit back to Toronto. I agree that I’d prefer to get the brake controller work done before I head off to Chilliwack. I’m starting to make a mental list of other stuff to be purchased or done in advance (side mirror extensions? wheel chocks? etc).

The tow package that was installed by my local Toyota dealership when I bought the car is just the hitch and 4-pin wiring. I didn’t know anything then about this and I still have a lot to learn....
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Old 09-12-2019, 05:08 PM   #113
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...
The tow package that was installed by my local Toyota dealership when I bought the car is just the hitch and 4-pin wiring. I didn’t know anything then about this and I still have a lot to learn....
Hi Roger,
To find a shop in the Toronto area to install the controller, look for places that install truck accessories, such as Action Car And Truck Accessories (I just checked them out online: search "truck accessories Toronto") An RV dealer might not do it themselves but might recommend a shop that does. Ditto for the local Toyota dealer.
I think your 2016 Highlander is of the same generation as mine, which is 2018, so your installer will probably need to add the diode to one of the wires. It's about a $5 part which they just need to crimp into one of the signal lines. It's only problematic if the shop doing the install does not know that it's needed. If they are not already familiar with the issue, they need to call Tekonsha. See my post on about page 3 of this thread for the phone number and case number. Don't call Tekonsha yourself: they are likely to be more responsive to one of their dealers.
See also my post to follow that will take up some of the points made by Iowa Dave.
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Old 09-12-2019, 05:27 PM   #114
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...
The only anomaly which I did not have them address is this. I have a long driveway. I hook up the trailer. I start up the driveway and reach down to the controller mounted by my right knee and use then manual actuator. The truck and trailer stop quickly on the ability of the trailer brakes. Since I did not touch the Highlander brakes and there was no obstacle ahead of me, the Highlander puts up a code on the dash that says there’s something amiss with the crash avoidance System. I shut the Highlander off and restart it. Code goes away and all is well and brakes work fine on both rigs. I read that a diode can be installed that prevents this “code” action but since I only see it when the manual actuator is used I don’t worry about it.

On the road at 60’MPH I have the controller set at 4.0. At that setting the controller will let the trailer do its braking job. At slower speeds on gravel roads especially in campgrounds I set it lower so I’m not skidding the tires on gravel when I brake or humping the trailer backing in or backing up. I hate lookin like a rookie.
Hi Roger,
I agree with Iowa Dave on most things, but here are a some reflections on his post quoted above:
1. I think it's worth getting the diode installed so that you don't get the false alarm from the Highlander safety system. I just think false alarms should be avoided whenever possible, and the diode is just a $5 part.
2. Although the shop installed the Tekonsha controller right next to my knee, I moved it myself to sit on the Highlander shelf that is right under the dash board (will post picture and more details tomorrow). The Highlander is highly rated for crash safety by IIHS, and I was not about to screw up the work of highly-trained automotive engineers by mounting a plastic box right next to my knee. Make sure your installer puts it in a good place so you don't have to move it later like I did.
3. The gain setting you need depends not only on the weight of your trailer but also on the performance of the trailer's brakes. I use a setting of 6.5 with my Escape 17A. Dave's Escape 21 is dual axle, and probably has different brakes, which would be why he sets it to only 4.0. Your installer can tell you how to determine the best setting. You can also find directions online. This is something you would do at Chilliwack because you need to be hooked up to the actual trailer, so the installer cannot do it for you ahead of time.
Best wishes,
--Al
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Old 09-12-2019, 05:50 PM   #115
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Brake controller

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Hi Roger,
I agree with Iowa Dave on most things, but here are a some reflections on his post quoted above:
1. I think it's worth getting the diode installed so that you don't get the false alarm from the Highlander safety system. I just think false alarms should be avoided whenever possible, and the diode is just a $5 part.
2. Although the shop installed the Tekonsha controller right next to my knee, I moved it myself to sit on the Highlander shelf that is right under the dash board (will post picture and more details tomorrow). The Highlander is highly rated for crash safety by IIHS, and I was not about to screw up the work of highly-trained automotive engineers by mounting a plastic box right next to my knee. Make sure your installer puts it in a good place so you don't have to move it later like I did.
3. The gain setting you need depends not only on the weight of your trailer but also on the performance of the trailer's brakes. I use a setting of 6.5 with my Escape 17A. Dave's Escape 21 is dual axle, and probably has different brakes, which would be why he sets it to only 4.0. Your installer can tell you how to determine the best setting. You can also find directions online. This is something you would do at Chilliwack because you need to be hooked up to the actual trailer, so the installer cannot do it for you ahead of time.


Best wishes,
--Al
Hi Al
If you ever meet me and see how big my belly is and how short my legs are, you’ll know why I’m not worried about my knee hitting the controller in a crash. I’ll have a toyota belly button bruise a long time before I get Tekshonka knee. But, different strokes for different folks.
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Old 09-12-2019, 06:19 PM   #116
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2. Although the shop installed the Tekonsha controller right next to my knee, I moved it myself to sit on the Highlander shelf that is right under the dash board (will post picture and more details tomorrow). The Highlander is highly rated for crash safety by IIHS, and I was not about to screw up the work of highly-trained automotive engineers by mounting a plastic box right next to my knee. Make sure your installer puts it in a good place so you don't have to move it later like I did.
Yes, and "a good place" would be out of the way of any knee airbags, which some vehicles have - I don't know about the Highlander. Even if you consider knee airbags unimportant, it would be wise to disable any knee airbag which might ram the controller into the driver on inflation.

Quote:
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3. The gain setting you need depends not only on the weight of your trailer but also on the performance of the trailer's brakes. I use a setting of 6.5 with my Escape 17A. Dave's Escape 21 is dual axle, and probably has different brakes, which would be why he sets it to only 4.0.
True, proper gain setting is trailer-dependent. All Escape models have the same brakes, so a 19' with four of them needs lower voltage to the brakes for the same deceleration than a 17' with only two of them an almost as much trailer mass, or a 21' with four brakes but more mass than the 19'.
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Old 09-12-2019, 09:23 PM   #117
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The adjustment of the brake shoes to the drums is also critical. If I am tempted to turn up the setting because I sense I’m not getting the braking I need, when I get home I adjust the brake
shoes closer to the drums. Then I test them on my driveway using the manual over ride lever. Works for me and has for many years. As stated I use 4.0 on highway speed travel, could probably go higher or lower, that setting works for me.

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Old 09-13-2019, 07:03 AM   #118
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My built in controller has a setting for light trailer and heavy trailer, I put mine on heavy and adjust the gain, one day I'll need to figure out if that is correct.
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Old 09-13-2019, 11:04 AM   #119
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just FYI, I believe Tekonsha now includes the diode in the harness. When I installed my controller just over a year ago, I had the same error that Iowa Dave encountered. Called Tekonsha and they sent me a new harness that had the integral diode.
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Old 09-13-2019, 03:44 PM   #120
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Hi Al
If you ever meet me and see how big my belly is and how short my legs are, you’ll know why I’m not worried about my knee hitting the controller in a crash. I’ll have a toyota belly button bruise a long time before I get Tekshonka knee. But, different strokes for different folks.
Relaxing while the Niagara River flows by, Where God Reigns and the Son shines.
Iowa Dave
Yeah, that's quite a contrast compared to moi. I've got less padding than almost everyone that I know. Maybe see you next year at Osooyos.
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