OK, so the title says it all. Where would you trust to get a brake control installed? Somewhere like U-haul (I know they do hitch installs, so I assume they do control installs as well), a stereo shop or the local corner shop?
Seems a simple question I know, but I've seen and heard of too many shoddy electrical installs (stereo, alarms, auto starters, brake hitch wiring) to not want a E36 M3ty job. If anyone has recommendations I'm talking the Detroit metro area, specifically OAkland County.
Yes I could / should do it myself, but I haven't and I don't have time now. A year ago I spent a day and a half at work planning on installing the hitch, hitch wiring and interface and the brake controller, truth is the day and a half only got the first two jobs done. I should have taken care of it over the last year, but I haven't and now I'm out of time.
TIA
What kind of vehicle is it going in?
My impression is that pretty much any truck newer than 15-20 years old, a brake controller install is "buy the right adapter cable and screw the bracket to the dash".
I used to work for U-Haul as a hitch guy, don't go there. It will be someone making near minimum wage that is pressured to crank out multiple installs per hour and is using those crappy splice connectors. I don't know who would be a better choice but definitely don't let anyone from U-Haul touch your vehicle.
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:
What kind of vehicle is it going in?
My impression is that pretty much any truck newer than 15-20 years old, a brake controller install is "buy the right adapter cable and screw the bracket to the dash".
Also this, if your vehicle is newer, there shouldn't be any wiring required with an adapter harness.
I'd call a trailer dealer
In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :
Not a) towing a race car on a weekly basis, b) working for an NGO in a third world country, or c) being married to my sister, I am unqualified to own a pick-em-up truck (*). This is for a 2015.5 Volvo V6 wagon. Tow capacity 3,300 lb's. I have one, but running out of time. I didn't do it last year for the same reason and it's sort of sat on the shelf since. Yes I've towed over 4K miles with the camper since. Our (pop up) camper is only 2,000lb dry, but we're about to head to Colorado/Utah again five up with everything we need to two weeks on the road.
(*) Note, sarcasm is heavily implied in this first sentence. I'm just not a truck person and somewhat resent that I need such a big vehicle as the wagon to start with.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
I'd call a trailer dealer
That's an outstanding idea
pointofdeparture said:
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:
What kind of vehicle is it going in?
My impression is that pretty much any truck newer than 15-20 years old, a brake controller install is "buy the right adapter cable and screw the bracket to the dash".
Also this, if your vehicle is newer, there shouldn't be any wiring required with an adapter harness.
I got the wiring adaptor harness from eTrailer, but they don't list a brake cotrol harness for it.
nocones
UberDork
6/15/21 11:21 a.m.
Camper place should do what you want also.
It's probably going to be really hard to get good work done though. I've never seen an aftermarket Electronics install that is not plug n play that isn't a disaster area. It's just hard to do an because it's covered by panels the corners can be cut and covered up. Also fundamentally you are generally breaking the protective barrier on a well engineered protected system to add more stuff to it.
I would probably recommend a place like General RV, Camping World, or similar (rather than a hitch shop). They normally install all the aux braking systems in the Toad cars and can certainly handle a brake controller.
The volvo was probably never intended to have a brake controller; the plug and play harnesses wont exist as the factory wiring is not there to mate to. Brake controllers need a big (10 gauge?) wire from the battery, through the brake controller, back to the rear of the car. To do it right it will need a competent shop to get it safely from front to back and through the firewall.
Kendall_Jones said:
I would probably recommend a place like General RV, Camping World, or similar (rather than a hitch shop). They normally install all the aux braking systems in the Toad cars and can certainly handle a brake controller.
The volvo was probably never intended to have a brake controller; the plug and play harnesses wont exist as the factory wiring is not there to mate to. Brake controllers need a big (10 gauge?) wire from the battery, through the brake controller, back to the rear of the car. To do it right it will need a competent shop to get it safely from front to back and through the firewall.
Yup. RV place. Not a guarantee you'll get good work, but much better odds than U-haul.
Mr_Asa
UberDork
6/15/21 12:59 p.m.
nocones said:
I've never seen an aftermarket Electronics install that is not plug n play that isn't a disaster area. It's just hard to do an because it's covered by panels the corners can be cut and covered up. Also fundamentally you are generally breaking the protective barrier on a well engineered protected system to add more stuff to it.
This.
I'd find a place that specializes in electronics repair. The place that takes all the electronic gremlins that the normal shops don't want to deal with
pirate
HalfDork
6/15/21 1:06 p.m.
Look up trailer sales or trailer hitches in your area. If they can't do it they will be able to tell you where to go. I had a Brake Controller installed on a 2010 Ford Edge. There wasn't a readily available adapter/cable so the guy hard wired it. Don't remember the cost but guy steered me away from the most expensive parts insisting he would install only what I needed Had a trailer with brakes and was getting toward upper limit of Edges towing capacity (3500 lb) so decided it was a good idea.
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :
Not a) towing a race car on a weekly basis, b) working for an NGO in a third world country, or c) being married to my sister, I am unqualified to own a pick-em-up truck (*). This is for a 2015.5 Volvo V6 wagon. Tow capacity 3,300 lb's. I have one, but running out of time. I didn't do it last year for the same reason and it's sort of sat on the shelf since. Yes I've towed over 4K miles with the camper since. Our (pop up) camper is only 2,000lb dry, but we're about to head to Colorado/Utah again five up with everything we need to two weeks on the road.
(*) Note, sarcasm is heavily implied in this first sentence. I'm just not a truck person and somewhat resent that I need such a big vehicle as the wagon to start with.
My 2005 honda odyssey had an available harness to plug into. I'd be surprised if the volvo didnt, but it may not.
I'd be VERY surprised if you save any time at all farming it out. This should be a 30-60 minute job, and then you control the quality. Taking it somewhere else will easily take more than an hour all together.
Wireless brake controller?
I am going to take this opportunity to stand on my soapbox and recommend that you and anyone who doesn't do their own automotive work establish a relationship with a local independent repair shop. Take your vehicles there for everything. They may not do tires and oil changes as cheaply as the chain stores but they'll be there for you when something more expensive is broken or you want to do something like install a brake controller.
Having said, or typed all that there may be an emergency vehicle radio installer or upfitter in your area that's used to installing critical electronics in vehicles.
fasted58 said:
Wireless brake controller?
Still need a power line run for the brakes.
That's if the car already has the 4 pin connector for the lights.
No Time
SuperDork
6/15/21 3:03 p.m.
What about a trailer mounted controller?
Like this?
No Time said:
What about a trailer mounted controller?
Like this?
Wait, what? This could be exactly what I'm looking for. So it doesn't need a high current lead from the battery? I'm going to have to read up on this, it could be perfect.
If you're still looking for a place to have one installed, I'd look into a stereo shop that specializes in high end, sound quality, or SQ, installs. The people that go to these places usually have deeper pockets than the customers of the typical SPL-oriented shop, and they demand quality. It might be an option if you can't find anywhere else.
fasted58 said:
Wireless brake controller?
That's where I may be heading as I have two vans that can tow and not interested in buying and installing two wiring sets.
Curt wireless brake controller
vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) said:
Curt wireless brake controller
etrailer says:
must be connected to smartphone continually via app to work this brake controller
No. Not only no, berkeley no. That should not even be legally allowed.
I'm not sure you can imagine the aggravation of running a brake power wire front to rear in a modern car. Unless you want to zip-tie it under the car, its probably a five or six hour job, with all the seats and all the panels on one side of the car removed.
I berkeleying hate when somebody wants a brake controller installed in a modern car. Hate. Hate.
Does your 2000 pound trailer even have brakes? Check the state laws where you are travelling, you may not really need anything. Montana, however, they will confiscate your trailer and make you come back with a Ferd F-teen thousand, because Safe.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
It's debatable. But theoretically the spec says the car can tow up to 1,500 unbraked and up to 3,300 braked. Note, the identical car in Europe is good up to 3,900lb's, but they measure differently and have lower towing speeds than here.
I've towed this trailer to Florida twice as is with this car, plus up North, but heading to the mountains with five people (two smaller ones), two dogs and everything for 10 days means we're stuffing more stuff in the camper.
Yes, the trailer has brakes, but can't be sure they work TBH.
Streetwiseguy said:
I'm not sure you can imagine the aggravation of running a brake power wire front to rear in a modern car. Unless you want to zip-tie it under the car, its probably a five or six hour job, with all the seats and all the panels on one side of the car removed.
I berkeleying hate when somebody wants a brake controller installed in a modern car. Hate. Hate.
Does your 2000 pound trailer even have brakes? Check the state laws where you are travelling, you may not really need anything. Montana, however, they will confiscate your trailer and make you come back with a Ferd F-teen thousand, because Safe.
Dude, even the regular trailer wiring was a colossal PIA. Being a modern multiplex it needs a little box that plugs into the harness and they you wire that in to power, various other connextions and the plug. That along with the hitch took a day and a half using the hoist at work. That's why the trailer controller I have never got fitted, I'd planned on doing it all in one go but ran out of time.
