Elecbrakes Brake Controller Indepth Installation Guide

Have you ever found yourself asking – “do I need an electric brake controller?”. For many trailer users, the answer is yes. If you’re towing between 751kg and 2,000kg of loaded weight you’ll need braking on both wheels on at least one axle. From 2,001kg up to 4,500 kg of loaded weight you’ll need braking on all wheels.

If you’re towing these sorts of weights the likelihood is that you’re already using a trailer with electric brakes. Can you pull a trailer with electric brakes without a controller? No. Without a brake controller your trailer’s electric brakes will remain inactive, you’ll be in breach of road rules and most importantly you wouldn’t be towing safely.

The good news is that installing an electric brake controller no longer has to mean cutting into your tow vehicle’s dashboard, paying hundreds of dollars to an auto electrician and losing time and money while your car is off the road getting the controller installed. Thanks to Elecbrakes’ innovative trailer mounted technology you can now be up and running with the best proportional electric brake controller in Australia in as little as 10 minutes.

• Wiring diagram and guide for trailer-wired installation

Here’s how easy it is to install an electric brake controller with Elecbrakes

1. Mount the electric brake controller onto the trailer draw bar.
2. Plug the electric brake controller into the trailer cable and the tow car socket.
3. Connect the electric brake controller using the free Elecbrakes smartphone app.

1. Mount the device onto the trailer draw bar

Elecbrakes makes it easy to install an electric brake controller. All you need is your electric brake controller kit, an electric drill, a 2-3mm drill bit, a No. 2 phillips head driver, marker pen and lubricant.

The Elecbrakes device can be mounted in various locations on the trailer. To ensure correct operation the unit MUST have one of its sides/edges parallel to the ground, and cannot be on an incline, regardless of where it is placed on the trailer. We recommend mounting the device on either the inside or outside of the trailer draw bar. Place the device close enough to the trailer plug for it to be connected to both the trailer and the tow vehicle.

• Step 1) Hold the device in the desired position and mark the drill holes for mounting on the draw bar.
• Step 2) Pre-drill the holes using a 2-3mm drill bit.
• Step 3) Lubricate screws before tightening.
• Step 4) Place unit in position and mount with your drill using self-tapping screws and a No. 2 phillips head driver bit.

2. Plug the loom into the trailer connection

The plug and play version of the Elecbrakes device has identical functionality to the hardwired version. The difference is that it comes with waterproof connectors and the adaptors are pre-wired. This takes away any requirement for the user to splice Elecbrakes into the trailer’s existing circuits.

To connect your device simply plug the trailer lead into the pre-wired adaptor and then plug the adaptor into the tow-vehicle’s trailer port.

There is also a trailer-wired option available, which allows the user to wire the device directly into the trailer’s loom. In that case the device would be configured as per the following electric brake controller wiring diagrams.

For more information on how electric brake controller option using our hard-wired option, see our handy installation guide.

3. Connect Device using smartphone app

After mounting your Elecbrakes device to your trailer draw bar, all you have to do is connect to the controller with the smartphone app and you’re good to go.

• Step 1) Turn on your car headlights (to supply power to the elecbrakes device) and launch the app.
• Step 2) The app will open the search screen and display ‘…LOOKING FOR DEVICE.’
• Step 3) When the connection is complete the circle on the screen will change to a blue tick icon.
• Step 4) To test the connection simply press down on the tow vehicle’s brake pedal and the circle on screen will change to a bright red. This indicates that the brake controller is working and the trailer brakes are being activated.
• Step 5) Release your foot off the brake pedal and the circle on screen returns to a blue tick icon.

For the ultimate in on-the-go brake response adjustment, our customers love the Elecbrakes in-car remote control. Once you have connected your device simply power up your remote and it will automatically connect to your brake controller. It will display a tick on screen when connected.

Elecbrakes is towing made easy

When faced with a number of choices on the market, it’s understandable that many trailer users find themselves asking ‘which electric brake controller is best?’. We believe that the easy 10 minute Elecbrakes installation is just one more reason to join the towing revolution and get brake smart Elecbrakes — the ultimate in proportional brake control.

Whether you’re towing with a Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Nissan Patrol our wireless, trailer mounted solution will leave your vehicle untouched and provide the ultimate in flexibility, performance and control. If you’re still not convinced you can read another 9 reasons why Elecbrakes is the smart choice in this article: 10 reasons Elecbrakes is the best electric brake controller in Australia.

While you do have to install an electric brake controller to operate the electric brakes on your trailer, this doesn’t have to be a hassle. Elecbrakes makes electric brake controller installation fast and easy and it gives you the freedom to use any compatible tow vehicle with your trailer.

Read more about electric brake controllers for caravans.

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