Do I need an electronic brake controller with new 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

[Scoot22]

We use a Prodigy wireless controller with a handheld unit — you can put it anywhere. Sorry about the Jeep...I work for Toyota and the V6 4-Runner should easily tow a 23 — what did your dealer tell you?

[wizardglass]

Originally Posted by Scoot22

We use a Prodigy wireless controller with a handheld unit — you can put it anywhere. Sorry about the Jeep...I work for Toyota and the V6 4-Runner should easily tow a 23 — what did your dealer tell you?

Toyota's website shows 5000 lb max towing. Working for Toyota maybe you know otherwise... The gvwr on that airstream is 6000 with a 720 lb tongue weight. Bad idea...
The Jeep has a 7200 lb tow rating, plus a hundred more horsepower for those hills. Our old Grand Cherokee had the 4.7 v8, but the new one with the Hemi makes towing our 5500 lb Trade Winds effortless.
Fyi our progressive brake controller with wiring harness for our Jeep was very easy install, plugged right in under dash, took about 15 min

[jwgreen]

If your Jeep Grand Cherokee has a factory trailer brake control, use it. I'm towing a 2007 34SO (12K lbs.) with a 2011 Dodge RAM 3500 crew cab long bed dually. It was factory equipped with the ITBC, Integrated Trailer Brake Controller. I used it with my 1999 AS Excella with electric drum brakes and it was excellent. Now I use it with the 34SO with electric over hydraulic disc brakes. I replaced the OEM brake actuator on the AS with one made by CTS, formerly Carlisle. It works very good although newer TV's have a changeable option for the 2 different types of trailer brakes. Jeep is product of FCA, the same as my RAM, and the ITBC units are actually manufactured by a company who also manufactures aftermarket brake controllers. I've towed my AS in excess of 15k miles with zero problems.

[Stevelandco]

Contact Tim from Etrailer.com - they have vehicle specific wiring harnesses and brake controllers . Just installed their unit in my 2019 Tacoma. Quick & easy install after watching their installation videos.

[kjseed]

We had a 2014 27' Eddie Bauer in the past and pulled this a time or two with our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the EcoDiesel. We had a brake controller added that was installed just below the fuel door button. Worked well for us with no leg interference.

[WestieHouse]

No need to repeat the excellent and very consistent responses to your inquiry.

I have 125,000 mi on our 2014 Jeep GC EcoDiesel (identical towing specs compared with the hemi V8), over 50,000 miles of it towing our 2015 23FB FC. We use a Tekonsha Prodigy 3 and it was easy to install with the Jeep’s OE harness. Placement is the question. Though I chose to place it on the right side of the lower air bag cover (used stick on Velcro fastener which works great without drilling into the Jeep). I really like the photo of the left window-dash area placement. Reaching for manual control woukd be much easier on the dash.

Having traveled Seattle to NL and several other cross country trips through mountains, I’ve found it helpful to use the just manual control of the AS brakes when going down very steep grades while completely avoiding use of the Jeep brakes. That, coupled with using the paddle shifters to stay in lower gears makes the Jeep feel like a very secure experience.

During my recent oil change the Jeep brakes are only showing 50% remaining life on the pads. The AS brakes show similar life during my recent wheel bearing lube.

[Mollysdad]

My Tundra did not have a built in controller (2015) but it did have the wiring harness. I bought the Tekonsha Prodigy 3, and it was a 15 minute install. The hardest part was mounting the bracket. (I like the Prodigy 3 a lot!!!)
I'm not saying all cars are prewired, but you can use Tekonsha's vehicle selector and it will tell you.

UPDATE: It looks like your 2018 Jeep GC is prewired.
You need a harness 3045-P to mate the controller to the
Jeep harness.

For my Tundra, I looked at YouTube videos to find how others did it. Easy-Peasy.

Here's one for Jeep 2014:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLrgyTTy85w

[ROBERT CROSS]

Yes...any tow vehicle needs a way to use the brakes that every Airstream is equipped with....The Jeep Dealer is full of not knowing what he is talking about.🥴

Bob
🇺🇸

[henkbaars]

Originally Posted by SilverFire

Another option is a Bluetooth brake controller, no wiring required. This product received an award for one of the best trailering innovations recently. It is controlled by a simple app on your smart phone (required). The simple 7 plug Bluetooth receptacle plugs directly into your TV 7 plug receptacle and the AS trailer plug connects to Bluetooth receptacle. Simple and straight forward. In the event your phone battery dies, don't worry, the last settings remained programmed.

Mercedes have no brake controller harness or jacks under dashboard like many US domestic vehicles. My Sprinter van has a hard-wired brake controller which was a pain to install (required removing seat and digging into wiring) and required significant diagnostic time I don't want to ever repeat. The hardwired controller is in the way entering & leaving the vehicle.

I have an additional Mercedes GLE TV and did not want to go through that issue a second time and learned about the Curt Blue-tooth device option. Now wish I have never gone the hard wire route. The Curt allows multiple trailer connections too (I have other trailers). One device, multiple trailers & TV's. This was the way to go for me.

https://www.etrailer.com/p-C51180.ht...el=GLE-Class#/

Best of luck!

Got all excited about the wireless controller thanks to this post, however on their web site my TV is not listed....
I have a porsche Cayenne 2011, anyone any sugestions?
Thanks!!
Henk.

[mikapen]

Originally Posted by SilverFire

*************
Mercedes have no brake controller harness or jacks under dashboard like many US domestic vehicles. My Sprinter van has a hard-wired brake controller which was a pain to install (required removing seat and digging into wiring) and required significant diagnostic time I don't want to ever repeat. The hardwired controller is in the way entering & leaving the vehicle.

I have an additional Mercedes GLE TV and did not want to go through that issue a second time and learned about the Curt Blue-tooth device option. Now wish I have never gone the hard wire route. The Curt allows multiple trailer connections too (I have other trailers). One device, multiple trailers & TV's. This was the way to go for me.

https://www.etrailer.com/p-C51180.ht...el=GLE-Class#/

Best of luck!

Actually M-B has a harness socket under the carpet that's pretty easy to use. You just have to spend $8 on parts to make your own harness.
But the Curt, or Prodigy RF controller, are good alternatives.

[ABHughes]

A better question might be "what do you do for thrills?" Get all the safety you can get.

[rmkrum]

IMHO, being scared to death is not thrilling. The first time I towed our Airstream without sway control could be called ‘thrilling’ by some adrenaline junkies.

I can do quite nicely without that stress, wondering when the Airstream was going to come around me and take the truck with it down the Cajon Pass.

No thanks.

If I want a thrill ride, I’ll go to Disneyland...

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

My Tundra did not have a built in controller (2015) but it did have the wiring harness. I bought the Tekonsha Prodigy 3, and it was a 15 minute install. The hardest part was mounting the bracket. (I like the Prodigy 3 a lot!!!)
I'm not saying all cars are prewired, but you can use Tekonsha's vehicle selector and it will tell you.

UPDATE: It looks like your 2018 Jeep GC is prewired.
You need a harness 3045-P to mate the controller to the
Jeep harness.

For my Tundra, I looked at YouTube videos to find how others did it. Easy-Peasy.

Here's one for Jeep 2014:

E-Trailer.com's instruction video is misleading.. They do have the Prodigy P3 controller and Jeep harness available, but the install placement in their video is totally not practical. It is so low in the foot well as to make it unreadable and very difficult to reach the activation lever.

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by henkbaars

Got all excited about the wireless controller thanks to this post, however on their web site my TV is not listed....
I have a porsche Cayenne 2011, anyone any sugestions?
Thanks!!
Henk.

I have the same vehicle and use the Prodigy RF controller from Tekonsha. It works fantastic and nothing need to be mounted in the Porsche.

https://www.amazon.ca/Tekonsha-90250.../dp/B001P0ZA86