Parts Needed To Tow a Towmaster Trailer with Electric Brakes with a Winnebago

Question:

I just bought a Towmaster with electric brakes. What do I need to use them and how do I connect the items for the brakes? Thanks

asked by: Don R

Expert Reply:

The Dexter Predator brake controller # 58-8 would be a good fit to power the trailer brakes on your Towmaster trailer. You would need to hard wire the brake controller to the Winnebago, connecting the wires coming from the back side of the brake controller as follows.

The brake controller wire functions are:

White: Ground, attached to a clean piece of unpainted metal.
Black: 12v lead, attached to the positive battery terminal on the Winnebago with a 40amp circuit breaker.
Blue: Electric brakes, attached to the blue electric brake wire on the 6 or 7-way plug.
Red: Stoplight switch, normally located directly off the tow vehicle brake pedal.

You would also need to equip your tow vehicle with a 6-Way or 7-Way plug, depending on which style the trailer features.

If your Winnebago does not have an existing connector, I would recommend recommend that you install a 4-Way plug like part # 18252 first.

To install the 4-Way plug, you would use a circuit tester such as the one included with the # 18252 kit to test the wires behind the tow vehicle tail light assemblies. I would recruit a friend to engage the turn signals and press the brake pedal as you test each wire for function. You would then connect the wires accordingly. The 4-Way functions are:

White: Ground wire, attached to the vehicle frame.
Green: Right turn and brake wire.
Yellow: Left turn and brake wire.
Brown: Tail light wire.

You would then need to adapt your Winnebago trailer connector to a 6-Way or 7-Way plug, if one is not already installed. I would recommend using a brake controller installation kit like part # ETBC7 for a 7-Way plug, or part # ETBC6 for a 6-Way plug. The kits include all necessary items to connect the brake controller and adapt your 4-Way plug to a 6 or 7-Way.

White: Ground wire, connected to a suitable grounding point on the vehicle frame.
Blue: Electric brake wire, connected to the electric brake wire coming from the back side of the # 58-8 brake controller.
Black: 12v power wire, connected to the vehicle positive battery terminal with a 40amp circuit breaker, included with the kit. This wire is red on the 6-Way adapter included with the # ETBC6 kit.

If you install the 7-Way connector, you would also have a yellow wire that would be used to power reverse lights on the trailer if present, or to power a reverse lockout function or auxiliary application. If not needed, this wire can be tied up.

I have included a link to videos demonstrating how the # ETBC7 kit and a similar brake controller would be installed, as well as some information on installing a brake controller starting from scratch.