Can someone explain to me the need for a Braking Controller?

[WOADKIL]

i personally believe towing a trailer should be an endorsement on your licence. Put some responsibility onto the driver.

My friend in Ireland says you have to test for your BE license in order to tow trailers there.

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[WOADKIL]

Although I understand your thinking on this, I do have to disagree. The tow package does tow 7500lbs as-is, but not for all types of trailers, so I see your point of view. However, I still don't believe Ford needs to install a warning sticker.
Towing is something that requires education, just as driving does. If that Lady wants to hook up a 7000lb trailer with no towing education, I don't believe Ford needs to be responsible for her stupidity. If she has educated herself on towing, she will then know what type of brakes are on her trailer and whether she needs a controller or not. People have to be responsible for their own education/actions and not look for someone else to blame.

An example is; I had been towing (my boat) for many years and had a new trailer built. The wheels on the new trailer now stuck out more (on each side) than my old trailer and was now slightly wider than my 88 Ford Ranger. First trip I took with it, I clipped the rear bumper of a car in a parking lot because I forgot the trailer was wider.
Who should be at fault here?
1) Me for not educating myself on the characteristics of the new trailer?
2) The trailer manufacturer for not educating me, or putting a warning sticker on the trailer?
3) Ford for not putting a warning sticker about the hazards of towing a wide trailer?

I chose #1. Although I had just scrapped the paint on the bumper and the car was a beater, I tracked down the owner of the car to let her know what I did. She didn't care, and didn't want any compensation. Regardless, I went to a nearby restaurant and bought her gift card, because she was nice about it and I was in the wrong.

A wider trailer is self intuitive by mere observation. An absent electronic brake controller is not obvious by observation, so it is possible that a "common man" might not know that a controller is not installed.

I stressed about adding a brake controller because I still wanted the ACC to function, but this would only be able by installed a Ford approved system (REDARC).

On my '05 F-150 you just plugged in the EBC under the dash, but not the Ranger 5G. Part of the REDARC install actually requires removing the headliner to connect to the third brake light (go figure!).

When I inquired about installing a factory EBC on my 2021, the dealer had not done this before. This is in OC, CA. Most in the service department wasn't sure what and why an EBC is needed. And install is not cheap, entails a lot of labor removing all sorts of panels and wire splicing.

So for a truck where almost the first thing they say in marketing is "FIRST IN CLASS FOR TOWING", Ford failed us trailer travelers when not providing an EBC.

By the way, very little said about any EBC in the manual. Actually says on page 220: "your vehicle's electric system MAY NOT include the wiring connector needed to use the electric trailer brakes".

So, a handy sticker at the 7 pin connector would be more info than the info in the manual.

 

[egilbe]

I'm glad I learned all I needed to know about towing from my time in the Army. My uncle had deep pockets and I didn't have any equipment to pay for if I smashed something up. Every different type of vehicle required a different license to operate it and a trailer required additional training. I only had one scary moment at a light change where the trailer pushed the dump truck sideways a bit, but I was able to stop after sliding a few feet on the wet asphalt. Those tires were not made for anything other than cross country travel.

 

[DHH]

A wider trailer is self intuitive by mere observation. An absent electronic brake controller is not obvious by observation, so it is possible that a "common man" might not know that a controller is not installed.

This is what I am getting at. If someone doesn't know if there is a brake controller or not, then they are not educated enough to tow. It's pretty obvious if a truck comes with one or not. You only have to look at the dash.

 

[RangerDangerStranger]

This is what I am getting at. If someone doesn't know if there is a brake controller or not, then they are not educated enough to tow. It's pretty obvious if a truck comes with one or not. You only have to look at the dash.

oh yeah? How many military wives have to load up a truck and cross country towing a trailer? Hey look, the big connector fits right in! You think the HS Kid at uhaul is gonna know That ford cheaped out, or at least provide a warning sticker. When they pull people out of the wreckage, i hope someone is left to sue.

 

[aeroshots]

oh yeah? How many military wives gave to load up actruck and cross country tow a trailer? Hey look, the big connector fits right in! you think the HS Kid at uhaul is gonna know That ford cheaped out, or at leastprovide a warning sticker. when they pull people out of the wreckage, i hope someone is left to sue.
[/QUOTE
You make a good point.

 

[aeroshots]

You make a good point.

 

[RangerDangerStranger]

Yeah, it's not a nice Point. But if your gonna sell a Tow package, put the hitch and a 7 pin conn back there, at least warn people that the Brake wires are connected to Air.
7 years down the road, Truck is on it's 3rd owner, manual long gone. I think it's irresponsible.

 

[Leftcoast]

Yeah, it's not a nice Point. But if your gonna sell a Tow package, put the hitch and a 7 pin conn back there, at least warn people that the Brake wires are connected to Air.
7 years down the road, Truck is on it's 3rd owner, manual long gone. I think it's irresponsible.

The Ford bean counters and lawyers don't share your concern.

 

[Jedadiah]

Maybe off topic, but my understanding was that all XLT and Lariat models had the prewiring for the EBC under the dash, and that it wasn't part of the factory trailer option. (My truck had the prewiring but did not come with a 7way connector or a hitch.) From what I read here, XL models with the factory tow package didn't have the wiring for the EBC despite having everything else.

Just for kicks, I was looking at Ranger inventory the other day on the Ford website and noticed that some of the STX XL trucks are essentially optioned out just like my XLT (Sync 3, Auto Climate Control, etc). It doesn't affect me per se, but was curious to know for this forum and for people researching a Ranger if those trucks also had the prewiring under the dash since the other tech options are so similar.

I limited my search to XLTs, so that I would have that wiring and looked under the dash while I was out doing my test drive. Be interesting to know if the STX XLs do as well.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Okay Folks,

There have been several threads that harpoon Ford for not offering a brake controller... I agree this was not a good decision if the truck came with a 7 pin connector and corresponding reciver hitch. However the allegations that it is Ford's fault if someone tows and had a problem that it is Ford's fault...

So...since my Ranger is only a 4 pin connector and only bumper tow, I wanted to see if these allegations were warranted.

The quick start Guide warns to consult the Owner's Manual. The owner's manual outlines the need for a brake controller.

So, like so many laws on the books. It is the responsibility of the owner to read the owner's manual or at lease the quick start pamphlet which directs them to the Trailer Tow portion. To shove off responsibility onto Ford is naive. But is so systemic in this time when people cannot accept responsibility for their own actions.

Go ahead and flame me.... Take this to your dealer and shove it in their face that they failed to tell you about the controller. Get the Federal Government involves in this terrible transgression of Ford. Bet nothing changes. While you are at it...protest the deletion of the center tire downs, which are covered in the fine print..

Ignorant of the requirements (or laws) is no excuse..

 

[DHH]

oh yeah? How many military wives have to load up a truck and cross country towing a trailer? Hey look, the big connector fits right in! You think the HS Kid at uhaul is gonna know That ford cheaped out, or at least provide a warning sticker. When they pull people out of the wreckage, i hope someone is left to sue.

I stand by my comments. If you don't know if the vehicle has a brake controller or not, then you are not educated enough to tow. Only someone that is completely uneducated on towing, would not know.
IMO, there should be a required "towing" license, but unfortunately there is not, so people feel they need to rely on "stickers" to educate them.

 

[RangerDangerStranger]

Ignorant people exist. They have drivers licenses. Some are busy mothers, just trying to move. there are No Towing Licenses, or classes for the general public. It's like selling a Gun, with a Safety lever, that's not hooked up, but you they only tell you that fact on page 137, in the fine print, under Safety Operation. Legally, you may be covered, but it's just damn irresponsible.

 

[mark_anderson_us]

My thought is that i want to be as far into the safe zone as possible when doing anything potentially deadly. I got the Tow package and if it weren't for this forum, i would of assumed i had a 7500# towing capacity. Think about it this way, if your headed down a long steep grade towing 6500 lbs trailer in rain and icy conditions, would you rather have your 'Expertise', or a trailer controller? Ford is doing the idiot shady thing here, to save about 75 bucks a truck with the optional tow package. they will probably get sued, and it will cost them 10's if not 100's of millions of dollars, and basically it should. If you say it tows 7500#s in the description, then bury the necessity for an optional tow controller deep into the fine print of the manual, your risking the lives of your customers that are trusting you, and if they get hurt, Ford should be punished for it. So, unless your an 'Expert' drill rig roughneck super tower, get the controller. If you have the tow package, it's an easy install, not sure if non equipped trucks have the wiring in the foot well. Also, my take is that if you install a non Ford controller, like my Redarc, go to the menus and disable 'automatic emerg braking' It's a check box option. You'll just have to keep your eyes on the road!

Can this be disabled just when towing, or do you manually have to disable every time. Will this turn off active cruise control too?

 

[Radioman]

People have to be responsible for their own education/actions and not look for someone else to blame.

Amen, brother...

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