Brake controller harness for 4th gen Tacoma?

[PerpetualTraveler]

You have a Curt Echo. This is a brake controller, correct? Your truck is equipped to tow 6400 lbs. you have equipped this truck to tow. I don’t see your point.

Here are my points:
Toyota sells a truck with a 6400# tow capacity but doesn’t recommend using a 3rd party controller nor will Toyota install an OEM one aftermarket. False advertising.
I have a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 that’s worked beautifully in 2 other vehicles but I can’t install it on this truck.
Toyota needs to clarify its manuals and advertising and make it clear that just because a vehicle has a tow package one can’t use a brake controller on it so buy a boat or a trailer with surge brakes.

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[bitflogger]

I think it was @PerpetualTraveler who said ready for a lawsuit, but I find a lot of being upset over the matter inappropriate for how clear it was to me that I needed the right combo of model/version, package or individual options.

It was more than the matter of brake controller, but I did not feel I was taxing or stressing anything more than my reading and note taking skills at around middle school with this. It was clear that for my needs it had to be OR for locker, getting this OEM brake controller and a long bed model.

I'm sorry some of you are upset but it seems a rather "SMH" scenario to do a new vehicle spend without what I thought was about everyone does it homework.

 

[PerpetualTraveler]

What about a dealer helping with this info. I did my homework, btw and I find your snarky comments demeaning. Can you name even one source that stated that I shouldn’t tow a 19ft camper with a dry weight of 2900lbs with the SR? I’m not talking about exceeding what the truck is capable of.

 

[wire4money]

What about a dealer helping with this info. I did my homework, btw and I find your snarky comments demeaning. Can you name even one source that stated that I shouldn’t tow a 19ft camper with a dry weight of 2900lbs with the SR? I’m not talking about exceeding what the truck is capable of.

Dry weight means nothing. Travel trailers are notorious for understating dry weight. If the trailer is under the tow rating (3500 for an SR with the detuned engine), and you are not exceeding the payload capacity, you are good to go.

 

[PerpetualTraveler]

I’ve been towing cameras for 20 years. The dry weight may be off by a bit but my tow capacity is 6400#, not 3500#. “Detuned”, engine as you refer it it, has nothing to do with it. Toyota advertises many of these trims capable of towing 6400# and NO WHERE have I found that a stipulation that they recommend a trim model that comes with their factory brake controller.

 

[bitflogger]

What about a dealer helping with this info. I did my homework, btw and I find your snarky comments demeaning. Can you name even one source that stated that I shouldn’t tow a 19ft camper with a dry weight of 2900lbs with the SR? I’m not talking about exceeding what the truck is capable of.

It was my decision to want a trailer brake controller regardless, and it was hard to miss what was needed. Dealer quality and staffing knowledge varies and buying a vehicle in most states is a contract.

I know - am senior citizen - generations of towing that was not ideal has been done but I won't do that. I also dislike it when people are quick to consider legal actions over matters of personal responsibility or not working things out without lawyers.

I'm sorry that you made a mistake. Good luck with making something up with after market parts if possible or a trade.

 

[wire4money]

I’ve been towing cameras for 20 years. The dry weight may be off by a bit but my tow capacity is 6400#, not 3500#. “Detuned”, engine as you refer it it, has nothing to do with it. Toyota advertises many of these trims capable of towing 6400# and NO WHERE have I found that a stipulation that they recommend a trim model that comes with their factory brake controller.

Sorry, I thought the detuned engine had a lower tow rating. Sounds like all is good, then.

 

[Camperbunga]

What about a dealer helping with this info. I did my homework, btw and I find your snarky comments demeaning. Can you name even one source that stated that I shouldn’t tow a 19ft camper with a dry weight of 2900lbs with the SR? I’m not talking about exceeding what the truck is capable of.

Just ignore him. There are people in the world who project their own feelings of inferiority by trying to demean you. There was absolutely no need for him to do that. There are MULTIPLE posters on here who were mislead by a Toyota dealer. I did my homework also. I made sure it had the towing capacity it needed to tow my camper. I showed my dealer my brake controller and harness and asked if there was a plug in the Toyota harness for it. He said yes. I asked him twice, in fact, he said yes twice. So even with doing homework, if the actual source of information, Toyota, misleads you, that's on them, not you.

 

[PerpetualTraveler]

Thank you for the support!

 

[Lando]

Fan boi’s need to stop making excuses for Toyota. I knew what models came with a trailer brake controller. I also knew it was only attainable with a $4000 upgrade here. No option to just add the controller. Dealer also told me get one aftermarket.
Why you ask? Because in the entire pick up truck world it is known an aftermarket controller is an expected add on possibility. It’s a pick up truck. That brags about tow rating.
I guess the people pretending they knew an aftermarket one couldn’t be easily added are new to pick ups.

 

[Camperbunga]

Fan boi’s need to stop making excuses for Toyota. I knew what models came with a trailer brake controller. I also knew it was only attainable with a $4000 upgrade here. No option to just add the controller. Dealer also told me get one aftermarket.
Why you ask? Because in the entire pick up truck world it is known an aftermarket controller is an expected add on possibility. It’s a pick up truck. That brags about tow rating.
I guess the people pretending they knew an aftermarket one couldn’t be easily added are new to pick ups.

That's not the point. Many of us had aftermarket controllers that plug into a harness. Many of us were told there was a plug for it. Many of us were lied to. Of course most people know that you can buy an aftermarket brake controller. I had to buy a new one that didn't require a harness. Maybe I should just send TOyota the bill for the new one since I couldn't use my old one as I was told I could TWICE by the dealer. So is it our fault or should the Toyota salesman either be better trained or just stop dishing out BS to make a sale?

 

[wire4money]

That's not the point. Many of us had aftermarket controllers that plug into a harness. Many of us were told there was a plug for it. Many of us were lied to. Of course most people know that you can buy an aftermarket brake controller. I had to buy a new one that didn't require a harness. Maybe I should just send TOyota the bill for the new one since I couldn't use my old one as I was told I could TWICE by the dealer. So is it our fault or should the Toyota salesman either be better trained or just stop dishing out BS to make a sale?

You don’t need a pre wired brake control. The Prodigy P3 comes with a generic harness. I think it’s BS the Tacoma isn’t prewired, but you could have used it by running some wire.

 

[Camperbunga]

You don’t need a pre wired brake control. The Prodigy P3 comes with a generic harness. I think it’s BS the Tacoma isn’t prewired, but you could have used it by running some wire.

The 4th generation Tacomas do not have the plug in the harness for a brake controller. I do not know how to wire a brake system in; I can do a lot but not electrical. If you follow the thread on here from beginning, wiring is no easy feat. I bought a Prodigy bluetooth. I already had a Prodigy with the harness and also a Curt which I didn't like because you have to use your I phone and you can't have any other apps running while using the brake controller. I installed the Prodigy bluetooth which is not phone dependent, it only communicates with the box screwed to hitch and has a controller. It works fine.

 

[wire4money]

The 4th generation Tacomas do not have the plug in the harness for a brake controller. I do not know how to wire a brake system in; I can do a lot but not electrical. If you follow the thread on here from beginning, wiring is no easy feat. I bought a Prodigy bluetooth. I already had a Prodigy with the harness and also a Curt which I didn't like because you have to use your I phone and you can't have any other apps running while using the brake controller. I installed the Prodigy bluetooth which is not phone dependent, it only communicates with the box screwed to hitch and has a controller. It works fine.

Any competent trailer shop should be able to accomplish this. There was a time when pnp brake controls were not a thing. With the new Bluetooth controllers, you don’t even need to do that.

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