Trailer Brake

Ok.....I should know this but I simply don't, I've always had something light enough that I never needed a trailer brake! So I need to be able to pull my boat, roughly 3,500lbs with the trailer, etc. so no issues with weight on the 4R. I see there is a "brake harness" from the dealership in the glove box. Has anyone done a "self install" on one of these? As I understand it, there is a controller plug in location under the drivers side panel around the fuse box somewhere. You simply plug this in and then buy a separate controller to wire it into to operate it? I see nothing on the Toyota site for a OEM one that would go where there is a "blank" button or anything. Am I doing this correctly?

I always assumed it was just part of that 4 or 7 pin plug in and when you hit the brakes the trailer brakes worked too....but I seem to be wrong on that.

 

Yes, there is an OEM trailer brake controller connector right above the parking brake. The is what I ended up using ONLY because it integrates nicely into a very tight area:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402400217990

It IS expensive and was somewhat of a hassle to hook up but when all is said & done it looks like factory OEM



Sorry it's such a messy picture - right in the middle of a road trip to NC - but you get the idea..

 

I just got a teardrop trailer that weighs about 1800 pounds. I'm looking at this for a brake controller.
Tekonsha P3 Prodigy 90195 Electric Trailer Brake Control Module Controller Box
About $170 with all parts shown.
I have the electric brakes on the axle and the Bargman wire harness on the trailer and the connector is up behind the back bumper. I need to figure out how to wire this to the 4Runner.

 

The bigger issue was locating the controller where I didn't bang my shins/knees on it and still have access to its controls.

After a couple trial and errors, spent the money on this and called it done. The actual controller is mounted inside the plastic transmission tunnel cover so it's completely out of sight as well as out of the way, with the sensitivity control mounted in a switch blank that looks factory. Controller has a proportional setting that increases the trailer braking in response to harder vehicle braking.

https://redarcelectronics.com/produ...oTEgD2-6_sPIQXx-21KdgvZ8d-xAVRkRoCCzEQAvD_BwE

The center insert fits 5th gen 4Runner switch blanks (TPSI-002)

https://redarcelectronics.com/collections/tow-pro-switch-inserts

Not the cheapest route. but clean install, works well and no constant banging shins/knees.