Brake Controller

[LukeDagny]

My 2023 Jayco Greyhawk has a 7 pin connector for towing, but I don't see a brake controller. My 2011 F350 has a 7 pin connector and a brake controller built into the dashboard.

What brake controllers are easy to install? Is Tekonsha still the go to brand?

[Markb5900]

Originally Posted by LukeDagny

My 2023 Jayco Greyhawk has a 7 pin connector for towing, but I don't see a brake controller. My 2011 F350 has a 7 pin connector and a brake controller built into the dashboard.

What brake controllers are easy to install? Is Tekonsha still the go to brand?

You will use the brake controller built into your truck. When you plug your trailer in, it will come to life so to speak.
The factory ones are best IMHO.

[LukeDagny]

You will use the brake controller built into your truck. When you plug your trailer in, it will come to life so to speak.
The factory ones are best IMHO.

I use the one built into my F series truck, but I don't see one built into the cab of my E series Greyhawk.

On my truck, there's a panel to adjust the amount of braking and a manual override. There's no panel on my van.

[Markb5900]

Ok
Sorry misunderstood.

[RPR]

Buy one. The wiring harness is behind the dash. Found some hanging down. Some behind coin holder. Some you have to put your hand up behind the dash and fish for it.

[LukeDagny]

I bought a Tekonsha brake controller and cable. The cable is #3034-P, and makes it plug and play, no splicing, or so I thought.

I installed the cable and plugged it into the brake controller and nothing. No lights on the controller. It doesn't matter if the ignition is off or on, and the engine running.

I didn't have my voltmeter with me to verify power from Ford's plug, but I did check fuses and all were good.

One thing I did notice is there are 4 wires in the plug, but only two wires are in position to match up with Tekonsha's plug. The two outer wires will connect with the wires on Ford's plug, but the inner two wires are in the wrong position. I don't know if Ford or Tekonsha made the mistake.

Tomorrow, I take my voltmeter over to my camper and will figure it out.

Upon further investigation, it seems Ford's plug does not have the wires installed in the correct positions. Tekonsha's installation paperwork shows how their plug should be wired, and matches what I received. It's the Ford plug that doesn't match Tekonshas plug.

[LukeDagny]

I now have a functional brake controller. The first thing I did today was test the Tekonska unit to make sure t was working. I plugged the generic pigtail into the Tekonsha unit and touched the black and white wires to my camper's + and - battery terminals.

Next was testing the Tekonsha 3034-P cable. I had continuity on all four circuits.

The last test was the grey Ford plug, found behind my coin holder. The red wire had constant power, and the blue wire had power when the brake pedal was depressed. The problem was the two middle wires. They were reversed, and the ground wire (black with purple stripe) was not only reversed, but in the wrong row.

I cut the two middle wires from the Tekonsha plug and jumpered them around to the correct wire on the grey Ford plug.

I used these type of connector to jumper the wires.
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/el...g-wire-taps-8/