Another brake controller question

[Shadowace]

2019 ranger lariat. I have done a lot of reading but just want to confirm , I have the tow package on my truck , and want to put a simple resse controller in to tow a camper. I've installed them in other vehicles before and looking on line the wiring should be there on my truck. I do not care about disarming the safety crap . Is there any reason why I can't do this ? Tks in advance.

Sponsored

 

[Grumpaw]

2019 ranger lariat. I have done a lot of reading but just want to confirm , I have the tow package on my truck , and want to put a simple resse controller in to tow a camper. I've installed them in other vehicles before and looking on line the wiring should be there on my truck. I do not care about disarming the safety crap . Is there any reason why I can't do this ? Tks in advance.

Go for it.
There are 4 wires attached to the wireing bundle under the dash to the left of the brake pedal. The 4 wires match up to the 4 wire hook up on a Reese, Tekonsha, or any other brake controller (the controllers all use the same wire coloring...its an industry standard).
However, the 4 wires under the dash, their colors, do not coincide with the standard controller colors....but, there are numerous posts as to color to color wiring.
I have a Tekonsha Prodigy P2 my self, and it works perfectly. You do not have to lock out any of the safety features, but of course the emergency braking will not be available.
Everything else works as it should,

 

[RangerBill]

If you choose not to use the Ford brake controller kit, your trailer brakes won't activate during an Automatic Emergency Braking event. That seems like an important safety feature to me.

I would use the Ford brake controller to keep this type of accident from occurring.

 

[Grumpaw]

If you choose not to use the Ford brake controller kit, your trailer brakes won't activate during an Automatic Emergency Braking event. That seems like an important safety feature to me.

I would use the Ford brake controller to keep this type of accident from occurring.

Yes, you do lose that feature, but that is all. And remember, it has only been a few years since that feature was installed on vehicles, and prior to that we all just drove defensively, as I still do to this day. Having never had that feature before, it dosen't bother me that it's locked out by my use of the Tekonsha.
It's getting to the point where people depend too much on all the electronic "safety doo-dads" instead of just concentrating on their driving and what is going on around them....called defensive driving !!!
It comes down to owners preference.

 

[RangerBill]

Yes, you do lose that feature, but that is all. And remember, it has only been a few years since that feature was installed on vehicles, and prior to that we all just drove defensively, as I still do to this day. Having never had that feature before, it dosen't bother me that it's locked out by my use of the Tekonsha.
It comes down to owners preference.

Unfortunately, AEB is not locked out automatically by the use of a non-Ford controller, so the truck could be braking hard (AEB event) without the trailer brakes being applied.

 

[Davidjc]

2019 ranger lariat. I have done a lot of reading but just want to confirm , I have the tow package on my truck , and want to put a simple resse controller in to tow a camper. I've installed them in other vehicles before and looking on line the wiring should be there on my truck. I do not care about disarming the safety crap . Is there any reason why I can't do this ? Tks in advance.

I put the redarc liberty on my 21 lariat. The only hard part was finding the 4 wires way up under the dash.

 

[Jedadiah]

I had a Tekonsha P2 on a previous vehicle, but couldn't figure out a good place to mount it in my Ranger without it hitting my leg or being hard to reach. I think that's why a lot of people use the Redarcs, Ford included.

 

[Grumpaw]

Anyway, back to the OP's question.....yes, any current 4 wire brake controller will work !!!!

 

[Frenchy]

If you wish to use the Resse Trailer Brake Controller then go right ahead. That said I would recommend going through Ford to get the RedArc Trailer Brake Controller. Besides the fact that it is made to work with the Factory Active Emergency Brakes, it is also a quality piece made in Australia.

Your call as it's your truck.

 

[Shadowace]

Anyway, back to the OP's question.....yes, any current 4 wire brake controller will work !!!!

Awesome tks.for the info.

 

[Grumpaw]

Awesome tks.for the info.

Have mine mounted here......

 

[Shadowace]

Nothing wrong with the look of that install . I will do the same I drove for 30 years towing a trailer without all the safety gadgets you just need to adjust for the extra weight stopping distance etc. Even when I put my little trailer with no electric brakes it disengages cross traffic alerts.

 

[Jimmy07]

P2 works great from this location. Only problem is that the tech who ran the wires said the fuse blows whenever he try’s to disconnect the brake controller. Could not figure out why. So I wind up carrying a few spare fuses.

 

[Grumpaw]

P2 works great from this location. Only problem is that the tech who ran the wires said the fuse blows whenever he try’s to disconnect the brake controller. Could not figure out why. So I wind up carrying a few spare fuses.

That weird....running my P2 for over 2 years now and have never had a fuse go. But, then again, I've never had to disconnect my controller for any reason.
Which fuse on your blows, and are you sure the tech correctly wired the controller up right ?
When you say disconnect the controller, are you referring to just unplugging the wire plug at the back of the controller ?
Also, mine is mounted to the left and up from yours...it dosen't block access to the hood pull latch.

 

[Jimmy07]

Yes, talking about unplugging the wire plug at back of controller. My 2019 was one of the vehicles that did not come with the 4-loose wire from the factory. Ford actually agree to pay for the wiring and I just paid for the controller installation.

So the tech was in touch with the factory to run the wires. I called Tekonsha, but they didn’t have any idea. I works great, however.

Sponsored