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Trailer brake controller

98K views 71 replies 31 participants last post by  AZTUNDRA25 
#1 ·
Im looking into getting a trailer brake controller for my Tundra. Just wondering which one you guys highly recommend. I dont tow a camper but do tow a landscape trailer on occasion. I dont want to mount it under the dash by my legs so maybe something small that I can mount somewhere in the console. Thanks for the input.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I have a Tekonsha Prodigy on my Tacoma and a Tekonsha P-3 on the Tundra. I bought them both from e-trailer.com. I also purchased the wiring adaptor from them so I didn't have to splice wires. They had the best pricing and quick shipping. I mounted mine on the lower dash. With the crewmax, I'm not even close to hitting my knees on it.
 
#3 ·
Plus one for etrailer
 
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#4 ·
Tekonsha Prodigy, I mounted mine in the hole in front of the cup holders.
 
#5 ·
Im looking into the Prodigy because Id like to mount it in the same spot. Were you able to fit the mount inside the cubby hole as well or just the controller? It comes with two different mounts from etrailer, im wondering if the mount that lets you remove the controller easily will fit in the cubby hole to be specfic.
 
#6 ·
I got the P3. Works great.

 
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#7 ·
Man thats looks factory did you have to do any cutting to make that fit in that cubby hole. Besides drilling the back out to run the wires through?
Anyone know what the difference between the Prodigy and Prodigy P2. Are they the exact same size just different features. Etrailer is a little unclear on the size of the two.
 
#10 ·
Man thats looks factory did you have to do any cutting to make that fit in that cubby hole. Besides drilling the back out to run the wires through?
Nope. Made my own wire using the harness that came with the truck and the harness that came with the controller. That was plenty long to reach there. Cut a hole in the back for the wiring and used "industrial strength" velcro (from Walmart) to stick it in place. It's not coming out of there anytime soon.
 
#8 ·
Don't know the difference. Pretty much the same features I think, except the color of the digits. The P-3 has electric or hydraulic capability. I know some larger boats have hydraulic brake systems. The prices are so close anymore.
 
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#9 ·
squeezed mine in front of the shifter (i have the P2) works great for manual downshifting and braking the trailer at the same time.
 
#13 ·
Ordered my prodigy p3 off of Etrailer. Gona mount it in the cubby hole in front of the cup holders and hopefully it will turn out as nice as Toxarch. Bought the $15 harness because customer support said that it may be required for it to work properly with the external ground. IDK would of had to buy the wire from somewhere anyway
 
#14 ·
I just found a bolt to ground it to under the dash. If the wiring harness isn't long enough, you can splice some wire into it and give it some extra length. Atleast it'll be color coded. I think there's a how to for the in-dash install if you search the forums.
 
#15 ·
Others have said the $15 harness isn't long enough to reach all the way to the cup holder cubby hole.
 
#18 ·
Do a search on this forum for Prodidgy controllers. I bought one in 2008 for $90 on Ebay and fit it into the cubby directly in front of the console shifter. Just pry out the silver face plate with a old credit card...then you can remove the plastic cubby leaving a hole which fits the Prodigy perfectly. Plug & play with the Toyota furnished wiring harness after connecting the four wires together. Total time...probably 30 minutes. Moved it to my 2010 and moved it again to my new Ecoboost which had the same sort of cubby in front of the shifter.

Initeria controllers are the only way to go...espicially when hauling a trailer on snow covered roads. I went for years with hydraulic or cheap electrical controllers and I'm lucky I did not have an accident. Hydraulic brakes need force to activate (don't try this on glare ice) and simple on-off controllers can lock trailer brakes if not properly adjusted for road conditions.
 
#19 ·
Got my Prodigy P3 in the mail last week. Bought the wiring harness for the Tundra and it ended up being 10'' short so I needed to splice the harness that came with the Prodigy together not a big deal. Drilled a hole in the back of the cubby hole by the cupholders and had plenty of room to spare with a little double sided tape. Went on a four wheelin trip this weekend towing a landscape trailer and 3 fourwheelers and it worked great, no complaints great product.
 
#20 ·
Prodigy II here, awesome brake controller for about $115 bucks. I tow a 4700 travel trailer, the brake controller works like wonders in the mountains. Best investment made yet on the old ride. I had originally mounted mine like Tox, the decided to move it so I could enjoy more storage area.

 
#22 ·
Buy the extra harness its only $15 and if you put it down by your leg it is long enough. If you put it in the cubby hole you soder the little harness that comes with the controller together with the $15 harness and that makes it long enough. They are also color coded the same so there is no confusion which may happen if you use the Toyota harness.
 
#23 ·
Why buy the $15 harness and then splice it? The controller comes with half the harness and the Tundra comes with the other half. Just go ahead and splice those two together.
 
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#25 ·
Installed mine in the same spot. No reason to get the $15 cable, you just butt connector the 4-5 cables together and its got more than enough length.

 
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#27 ·
Ok so i don't know if anyone has thought of this but i appear to have the same interior dash as you do....minus the DVD player and the James bond missiles behind the fog lights which are obviously fired by the two red covered switches
:)
but if I were to take out the two button covers and cut the cross bar between them could i wire the controller and still retain its function if i put it in there?
 

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#28 ·
Don't forget, you need to have access to the lever on the bottom. I did the same as Tricon and put it here. Easy to get to & out of the way.

 
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#31 ·
I am towing a small pop-up camper with my truck but do not have a brake controller (but there are brakes on the camper). Do you guys think it's necessary to have a controller with such a small load? Truck is 2010 SR5 4x4.
 
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