Electric brake controller

Nissan Navara Forum

Help Support Nissan Navara Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Rather than start a new thread: I have bought a controller, Redarc Towpro Elite. I would like to fit it on the weekend so I can tow our Caravan. Our pathfinder does the duty normally, but I want the Nav to be able to as well. I installed the unit in the Pathfinder and ran the cable under the door sill trim and behind the rear panels to the back. I will probably run a 5 core wire at the same time for additional reversing lights and camera power etc.

Where have you picked up power for the controller? and is running the cable along the door sill, out the back of the cab and down the chassis the best route, or back through the firewall and along the chassis from the engine bay?
 
I fitted a tow pro elite to my D23 recently, I took power straight from the battery positive via a self resetting circuit breaker through a firewall grommet and I ran the wire to the rear of the car out the same way then fed it inside the left chassis rail to the rear of the car.

My wife's D40 was harder as the grommet is on the drivers side and in a PITA spot to run stuff through, so the power came through the grommet but I ran the wire out the back by going down through one of the floor grommets then again, through the chassis rail (Right one this time) to the back of the car.
 
Re towing an unloaded trailer that weighs under 750kg - even if the ATM is over 750kg; you may want to talk to your local govt dept, the advice I received is that there is no requirement for brakes on any trailer weighing under 750kg. No matter what the ATM on the plate is (in SA).
 
As far as trailer brakes are concerned if they are fitted they must work. If a driver was pulled over for a random inspection in QLD , or had an accident, it would not matter if the trailer was loaded or empty, if the tow vehicle could not work the brakes that is where the trailer would sit until a tow unit with a brake controller came along to tow it away. It would be the same in all states.

As for controllers, another Tekonsha user here, I’ve never had an issue, even in emergency stops or down hills like the Moonbi’s or Talbingo towing a 2.5 ton van. I still have the unit sitting in my garage out of my Patrol, I’m yet to put it in the Navara, so may look at the Redarc unit before doing so.
 
What about over-ride brakes?

Yup, yet another Tekonsha user here too, in both our cars.
 
Gunmetal, I went straight from the battery using a Fuse and 6mm wire direct down the chassis rails with no joins. Pay attention to the earth too.
 
The legislation is worth checking for your state regarding brakes, it has changed a few times in recent years. Not sure about over ride brakes, didn't Noah have them on the Ark?.
 
Point taken, they're neolithic, but they're legal. And you can't operate them from the driver's seat.
 
On my Navara the brake power also comes direct from the battery through a 40A thermal breaker. Cables pass in through the firewall, back out through the firewall and down under the cabin. Typical claim by the auto electrician that did the job "4mm cable is more than enough" but I insisted on 6mm "overkill but ok we'll do it". Given the costs involved going to 8mm cable wouldn't have been much more.

Watch the grounds. They grounded mine on the installed hitch and I had to change that. Now I have 4 8mm cables running to the rear (2x positive and 2x negative). One is connected to the tub and my trailing Anderson plug and the other directly to the trailer plug (with the earth replaced). Guarantees not only a good connection but a good flow of power.

As far as legislation goes, we need to tread carefully. Slowly, all of the states are coming into line with the same legislation following the national code. It makes sense, but getting the state governments to pull their stupid heads out of their skanky butts isn't easy to do. However, they're all pretty much going to go down this path: if brakes are fitted, they must work. Insurers LOVE when they don't, because that places the onus of failure on the owner of the brakes. They get to pay out to their client (minus excess which is a payday bonus for the insurance execs) and dip into your pocket for all costs + legals + whatever else they can put their snotty fingers to.

They're actually the bigger worry. You can drive around at a couple of km/h below the speed limit, indicating properly and obeying all the rules, with a 4T caravan sitting behind a 3.5T D22 and the cops won't touch you. Why would they? Their job is to target obvious offenders. Don't worry about the cops. Worry about the idiot who careens through a give way sign into the side of your rig. Yes, you were following the obvious traffic rules, but as soon as your vehicle breaches a technical requirement, it is unroadworthy and therefore should not be on the road. If it shouldn't be on the road, then the idiot that hits you isn't actually liable - YOU are.

Messy, messed up and not even morally on the right side when that can happen, but I used to work for a law firm that worked on the insurer's side, and have seen the results when the lawyers came back in after a hearing and winning it (and 10s of thousands in costs awarded) on a technicality. Drinks all 'round.

And the poor bugger who failed to meet the technicality paid for it all.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top