Anyone used a Curt Echo bluetooth trailer brake controller?

[Ken226]

One of these.

I've been towing all my life, mostly, and both my truck and the wife's SUV have OEM trailer brake controllers, but they'll be staying home this trip.

I'm renting a 26' Uhaul moving truck later this year. The uHaul rep said that towing my own trailer is fine, but the trucks don't come with a brake controller and they won't install one. He recommended one of these:



Kinda pricey and my trailer is only half the trucks rated capacity, but there will be more than a few mountain passes on this trip, so i'd like to stay legal and alive.


Do these things work well? Anyone have experience with one?

 

[MADDOG]

Yes, I had one that I used on my 2021 Jeep Gladiator.

It worked well and was easy to use. The app is also very helpful.

 

[Ken226]

Yes, I had one that I used on my 2021 Jeep Gladiator.

It worked well and was easy to use. The app is also very helpful.

Thanks.

That's what I was wanting to hear. There are a lot of mountain passes and steep grades between WA State and Eastern AR.

 

[Ken226]

The used one I ordered from eBay arrived. I've been testing it out over the last few days.

As you said, it works very well and is easy to use. This seems to be an excellent solution for when someone needs a plug-n-play controller that can be used without modifying the tow vehicle.

 

[PolarisCobra]

I have one. Have used it with two different travel trailers with no problems. Got a new truck this year, just moved it to the new one, good to go.

 

[Ken226]

I have one. Have used it with two different travel trailers with no problems. Got a new truck this year, just moved it to the new one, good to go.

I finished working on the trailer and have been towing it around, testing everything over the last few days. It tows great and the bluetooth brake controller seems pretty trouble free.


It sucks to spend a bunch of money on a brand new trailer, then immediately start cutting up and welding the frame, but it had to happen.

I'll be moving my lathe, knee mill and CNC mill. They put a lot of weight on a small footprint, so even though it's a well built trailer, I doubled the number of floor cross members.

It started with 2x2 x 10 ga square tube cross members every 24" on center. Now it has an additional 2x2 x 3/16" cross member between the factory ones, for a total of 17 cross members, 12" on center. Then 3/4" plywood on top of the cross members.

The ramp door is rated for 2500 lbs, so I shouldn't need to mess with it. The machines will be disassembled such that the heaviest part will be 1800lbs on a 2'x3' (6sq ft) footprint.


Got my e-track installed too.

 

[turkeybird56]

I finished working on the trailer and have been towing it around, testing everything over the last few days. It tows great and the bluetooth brake controller seems pretty trouble free.


It sucks to spend a bunch of money on a brand new trailer, then immediately start cutting up and welding the frame, but it had to happen.

I'll be moving my lathe, knee mill and CNC mill. They put a lot of weight on a small footprint, so even though it's a well built trailer, I doubled the number of floor cross members.

It started with 2x2 x 10 ga square tube cross members every 24" on center. Now it has an additional 2x2 x 3/16" cross member between the factory ones, for a total of 17 cross members, 12" on center. Then 3/4" plywood on top of the cross members.

The ramp door is rated for 2500 lbs, so I shouldn't need to mess with it. The machines will be disassembled such that the heaviest part will be 1800lbs on a 2'x3' (6sq ft) footprint.


Got my e-track installed too.

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Best pic is the GSD. You moving outta Washington??? lol..

 

[Ken226]

Best pic is the GSD. You moving outta Washington??? lol..

He likes trucks. He gets pretty butthurt if he doesn't get to go, so he tries to help his chances by staying really close any time the truck is involved.

Retirement is coming soon, so I've been slowly moving stuff. Multiple 5000 mile round trips are easier when spread out over a couple years. The boat, tow-behind smoker, motorcycles, and lots of other stuff have already been moved. Next trip will be the tools.

But, yes, leaving WA. I've had quite enough of the rain here.

 

[Ken226]

An update, for anyone with the same question and comes across this thread in the future.

The Curt Echo works very well. On a smaller truck, it's really good, but even on the 26' uHaul it is useable.

On the 26' uHaul truck, the controller was so far away from the phone that Bluetooth drops out frequently.

But, once you get the gain and senditivity set where you want it, the controller keeps working regardless of the status of your Bluetooth connection to the phone.

Of course, when the phone drops out, you lose the manual override button and further ability to change the gain settings, but the controller keeps working, using the last saved settings.

They should make some kinda magnetic Bluetooth repeater you could stick on the truck, halfway down the side. That would solve the issue.

But, even with the Bluetooth dropping in and out every hour or two, it worked and got me from WA to Oklahoma, across many mountain passes.