What is best brake contoller

[alan H]

I just purchased and just found our that the scamp i purchased has brakes( pleasant surprise)
I have a 2015 tacoma v6 with tow pkg...... What would be the best brake controller and where to buy
Also is this an installation that i can handle (i'mpretty handy)


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[Glenn Baglo]

Prodigy P2. You can get it and find instructions and videos at etrailer.com

[frank_a]

We have had both the Prodigy P2 and P3. Get the P3, they are great! You might find wiring your Tacoma for a brake controller is real easy. Check out etrailer and see if there isn't a plug & play one for your vehicle. If not, they are not difficult to wire in, just takes time.

Frank

[gordon2]

Since you asked for the best.. thats the Prodigy P2, but of course the P3 is better.

I like the bells and whistles on my P3 but if you want to save a few dollars, the P2 is fine.

Echo the suggestion to go to etrailer and look up your tow vehicle to see what you need to install it. If you don't see the answers then contact them, they will get you set up with what you need.

[tractors1]

Tekonsha makes a plug-in harness for the brake controller socket that is part of the towing package harness on the Tacoma; that's the easy part. Fun part is trying to figure out where to mount it. Ours wound on the bottom of the dash just above the floor console towards the drivers side. Easy to reach the manual control lever there.

[Dennis mn]

When I bought my controller for my 2003 Tacoma, Tekonsha made only the Prodigy. At the time, it was the best! I suspect that the P2 or P3 could only be better.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by tractors1

... Fun part is trying to figure out where to mount it. Ours wound on the bottom of the dash just above the floor console towards the drivers side. Easy to reach the manual control lever there.

I think the instructions remind you to keep clear of the air bags when you mount it so don't overlook that requirement or they could be doing a controller-ectimy (removal of controller from body tissue) at the hospital.

[Harvey]

My TV is a 2008 Tacoma 4dr 4X4, 4.0L V-6, auto. I tow a 2001 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe, an '84 Scamp 13, & a 10' 2006 homebuilt teardrop trailer. The Casita & the Scamp are both equipped with electric brakes. After extensive shopping I bought & installed a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 controller. Also ordered the 'plug'n play' pigtail for my Tacoma from Takonsha. The wiring harness & plug/receptacle was located just above the left 'kick panel' under the dash of my truck. After you decide on a location & install the controller, just plug in the pigtail & follow the set-up instructions. I did have to hook up a ground wire for the pigtail. There are numerous places under the dash suitable for a ground; I elected to go thru the firewall & hook-up my ground near the battery. I'm not a big guy (5' 9", 165#) so it was easy to find a location in my truck to mount the P3. Some larger folks have apparently had problems finding a suitable location. I never use the little 'swing out pocket' on left side of my dash so I mounted the P3 below that. It's within easy reach for the manual control, easily visible, & most important not in my way. The P3 is a very compact unit. If you're my size or not much bigger, a similar location should work for your 2015 Tacoma...

Here's mine, please excuse the mess -

[alan H]

Thanks for all the quick responses
Sounds like a prodigy p 2 or 3 is the way to go.... And it definitely sounds like a project i should be able to handle


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[gordon2]

Good post Harvey.. and good work on the ground. I believe the instructions do recommend running the ground (and hot if needed) straight to the battery with proper fuse / circuit breaker. I assume that is because trying to ground it anywhere else increases the chances of a bad connection or insufficient current and then trailer brake failure follows.
Good to see you did it right instead of taking shortcuts like some installers might do.

[rbryan]

Tekonsha. Both the P2 and the P3 work very well. We were fortunate that Ford offered an integrated brake controller on our F150. It's been called the best brake controller ever, and it's also a Tekonsha design.


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[Jack L]

I made a very quick decision when I bought my brake controller, a Primus IQ. I had no idea I would ever be a trailer owner until the day I bought the trailer and I bought the controller about 2 hours after I bought the trailer. I had no experience with fiberglass trailers or electric brakes until that day. I made the decision to get the IQ model based on the information on the package. If I had it to do all over again. I would most likely spend the extra few dollars and get the P2 but the IQ unit works just fine and does everything I need. The install on the Tacoma was easy. I had the harness from Toyota that plugged into the under dash plug and spliced in the harness provided by Tekonsha. It would have been easier to buy the harness from Tekonsha that plugged directly into both ends but splicing was not all that hard to do. Both Toyota and Tenonsha had very clear instructions on color coding of their wires. I believe the P2 offers more mounting options which could be helpful.

[Fallon]

I have a P3 in my 2009 Tacoma. I removed the change dish to the right of the steering wheel & was barely able to get the whole bracket in there. Had to modify a couple things, but it fits in that cubby perfectly. Excelent spot for monitoring, adjustment or emergency brake actuation. After a few years the buttons on the P3 catch a bit when you push them, but still work fine.

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[Fallon]

Found a photo.

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[Carl V]

I bought my Primus IQ used for $40 from a guy who replaced his tow vehicle with one with an integrated brake controller. Works perfectly.
In Canada you can get it at Costco for just over $100.

The Primus, P2 and P3 basically share the same internal design. The P2 and P3 have more detailed displays and diagnostic modes than the Primus but they all offer the same braking performance.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Fallon

Found a photo.

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Maybe the photo is deceptive but it looks like the unit is not level from side to side as required.. see page four of the install instructions.

[Fallon]

Its mostly an optical illusion from the way I was holding the camera. It is a couple degrees off level, but perfectly straight to the direction of travel. However it works perfectly, so i've never worried about it.

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[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Fallon

Its mostly an optical illusion from the way I was holding the camera...

I rather suspected that was the case but wanted to mention the mounting requirements for the new folks since the photo is misleading. Some of these vehicles can present a challenge when mounting brake controllers (or GPS units, etc.) what with all the air bags and all.

[Fun Sized]

I use a Tekonsha Primus IQ with the vehicle specific wiring harness on a Frontier. Took me 5 minutes to install and two weeks to find the best location for it (under the dash above the center console). It is a proportional braking system, which was the feature I most desired. The Tekonsha Primus IQ may not be "the best", but it meets my requirements.

Here is a comparison of the major differences between a P2 and IQ to see if you need to pay up for "the best" or whether you can save some money with an IQ.

1) The displays are different. The IQ tells me its connected, the boost level, and the braking level in a bright red color. I'm satisfied with the IQ display.

2) P2 features a rotary lever for the manual braking feature, while the IQ uses an older style slide lever. Call me old fashioned, but I've always used slide levers.

3) The P2 has a 360 degree mounting range the IQ can only be mounted in a range 70 degrees up from level. I mounted my IQ nearly level, so 70 degrees was more than adequate. If you need to go past 70 degrees, then you will need to pay up for the best.

4) P2 brake controllers can be used with electric over hydraulic trailer brake systems, but a IQ cannot. I've never needed to use electric over hydraulic and my Casita definitely does not require this feature. If you need this feature, you must pay more for a P2.

5) The P2 also features a more advanced self-diagnosing system than the IQ that checks continuously for problems. Here again, the only interaction I have with the unit is the display, which tells me its connected and functioning.

7) A P2 controller will work with trailers that have brakes on 1 to 4 axles, but an IQ will only work with brakes on 1 to 3 axles. My Casita has only 1 axle. If you need four axles, you must pay more for a P2.

So if you need to mount the controller past a 70 degree angle, need electric over hydraulic brakes or need four axle braking, you must pay the additional cost for "the best" over an IQ. The IQ is more than adequate for my needs, is plug and play, and uses the same proportional braking system as the others. So I saved a few bucks and bought an IQ which works perfectly with my Casita.

[redbarron55]

Originally Posted by Fallon

Found a photo.

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The only restriction on the mounting of the controller is that it must be level from side to side.
While this fits in the hole, it does not look like it is level from side to side.
It should also be aligned with the fore/aft axis of the TV.