A simple LED display and a pinch-trigger manual override make this time-delayed brake controller easy to read and easy to use. Installation is quick and simple with no mounting restrictions. Activates brakes with a preset intensity.
Features:
Specs:
Gain control lets you set the maximum amount of power that will be applied to your trailer's brakes, adjusting in increments of 1. How much braking output you need is determined by the weight of your trailer; a heavier trailer will need more power to bring it to a stop. You want to go as high as you can without the trailer brakes locking up. Typically, the gain is only readjusted when you experience changing road conditions or if the weight of your trailer changes. To get more power to your brakes, press the left-hand upper rocker switch. To decrease the gain, press the lower switch. When you make your adjustment, the gain setting will show on the LED screen for 5 seconds as a series of bars and then go into sleep mode to reduce drain on the battery.
Once you have the gain set, you can fine-tune your braking by adjusting the load control on a scale of 1 to 9. This controls the aggressiveness of your trailer's braking, meaning how quickly the brakes reach the maximum braking level. Load control can get the braking power to your trailer faster and with more intensity so that it doesn't push your tow vehicle forward. If your vehicle takes too long to come to a stop, increase the setting by pressing the right-hand upper rocker switch. If it stops too abruptly, decrease the setting by pressing the lower switch. You can alter the setting to suit your driving preferences or to improve handling based on changing road conditions or varied trailer loads.
The Venturer comes with a easy-to-reach, pinch-trigger manual override, great for stopping sway or controlling your trailer's momentum in emergencies. To engage the manual override, just push in the trigger. This will activate the trailer's brakes and brake lights without you having to apply the brakes on your tow vehicle, perfect for limiting trailer movement while you're cruising.
The LED display on the Venturer is large and easy to read at a glance. It will show you what setting the brake controller is on as well as give you information for troubleshooting. You can adjust the screen brightness or trigger night mode so it won't glare obnoxiously on your dash. Press the control button to cycle through the different modes, shown as a bar - keeping it simple.
Because inertia plays no role in the functioning of this controller, you do not have to mount the unit at any particular angle. Your mounting options are limitless, so long as you can still easily access the controller and the manual override. The included bracket is designed to mount the brake controller flush to the dash so it takes up almost no space at all.
The included custom-fit adapter plugs into the port on your vehicle's built-in brake control wiring harness, which you'll find underneath the dash, to the left of the steering column, taped to another harness near the emergency brake pedal. Once you're plugged into your factory port, just plug the other end of the adapter into the Venturer. No hardwiring needed!
Note: If you don't already have a 7-way plug at the back of your vehicle, take a look at our exclusive 7- and 4-way brake controller installation kit (ETBC7 - sold separately).
The Curt Venturer NEXT comes equipped with time-delayed braking. Every time you apply the brakes in your vehicle, a signal is sent - via the brake switch - to the Venturer. The controller then sends power out to your trailer brakes to activate them with an intensity set by you, at a rate determined by you. Both the amount of braking power (gain) and rate of application (load) can be adjusted to suit your preference, the road conditions, the type of trailer, and the weight of your load. To determine which levels are best for your application, test your towing setup and choose what feels right.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi there. I'm Michael with etrailer.com. Today we're gonna take a quick look at this CURT Venturer NEXT Trailer Brake Controller. Now, if you're not familiar, if you have electric trailer brakes on your trailer, you are going to need a brake controller in order to activate those brakes. Otherwise, they're not really doing anything for you. There are several different kinds of brake controllers out there, different features and that sorta thing.
This is really gonna be your more basic option. So it's not gonna have some of the more advanced features that allow you to control the intensity of your braking in the moment, but this is going to be enough to get your brakes functioning. So if you are just looking for the base model that's gonna do the job for you without having to pay a whole lotta money, this is gonna be a great way to go. This will work for your trailers that have up to three axles, so six brake assemblies. Basically the way this works, every time you apply the brakes in your vehicle, a signal is sent via your brake switch to the Venturer.
The controller is then gonna send that power out to your trailer brakes to activate them with an intensity that's preset by you. It does also have the predetermined rate, which is also set by you, and we'll get into what those two terms mean, but this is going to be a time delay system. So unlike some other brake controllers that are proportional, this is going to apply the brakes at the same intensity whether you're tapping on the brakes or slamming on the brakes in an emergency sorta situation, that your trailer's brakes are gonna apply at the same rate either way. Both the amount of your braking power, called the gain, and the rate of the application, which is called the load, can be adjusted to suit your preferences, the road conditions, the type of trailer you have, and the weight of your load. We've got the switches here that are going to allow you to very easily access that and adjust.
So we've got 10 different gain settings. You select a higher setting for your harder braking and a lower setting for your more gradual braking. You do wanna go as high as you can without your trailer's brakes locking up. That's a good indicator that you've gone a little too far, so you wanna come back down a little bit. Typically your gain is only gonna be readjusted when you're experiencing changing road conditions or if the weight of your trailer changes.
So if you've taken off your load, you might wanna adjust it so that it's not engaging as hard with that lighter empty trailer. This also provides nine different load settings, and that's gonna control the aggressiveness of your trailer's braking, meaning how quickly the brakes reach their maximum braking level. So you've got all that adjustability to preset it, but then once you apply the brakes, it's going to apply that same power and as quickly each time. So again, whether you're tapping on the brakes or you're slamming on them, the trailer's brakes are gonna apply that same amount of pressure. So unlike your proportional systems which will apply the trailer's brakes in proportion to how intense you're applying the tow vehicle's brakes, this is not gonna have that feature. It does have a very simple LED display that's gonna show the amount of power output. So you can adjust that in one-digit increments so that you can know where you're at, you know how much intensity you've got. The brightness is also adjustable, so you can view it optimally either. No matter if you're driving during the day or at night, you can adjust that brightness level. We also have the pinch trigger that's going to give you that manual override capability, so very easy to reach if your trailer begins to sway or if you're stopping in an emergency situation. You can activate your trailer's brakes and the brake lights without having to apply the brakes on your tow vehicle just by pushing in on that switch or that trigger there. This is gonna be very quick and easy to get installed. There really are no mounting restrictions. So with a proportional system, you have to have it mounted in a certain orientation for the internal components to sense the inertia. This, you don't have to worry about that. They've got this mounting bracket here with the included hardware that you can get mounted flat on your dash, and then it just kinda slips in place there, so basically flush with your dash. Very simple to get installed, and you don't have to worry about getting a certain orientation. You can mount it basically whichever way is gonna work best for your setup. You can see our width there. We're looking at approximately 3 1/8 of an inch wide. Our length, we're sitting at approximately four inches, and then our thickness, call it about an inch. So keep that in mind when determining where you're gonna mount this. Now, to get it wired in, it's gonna depend on your setup. If your vehicle is already equipped with a plug-in brake controller wiring harness, all you have to do is just connect the unit to it, so very simple there. If you don't have a built-in system, there are some plug-in vehicle-specific brake control wiring adapters available that are gonna help to reduce your installation time, and of course, that is gonna depend on your vehicle. So I'd recommend using our vehicle fit guide here at etrailer.com. You'll select your year, make and model of your vehicle. We'll let you know which products will work for you. So specifically for those vehicle-specific kinda products, that's more important, but if you do have one of those available, I'd highly recommend going with that. Otherwise, if you are just going to wire it in place, you are gonna need either the 20-amp circuit breaker if you have a two, three or four-brake application, so with two or four-brake application, or you'll need the 30-amp for a six-brake application. So depending on your setup, you'll need either one of those, and again, if you don't already have a seven-way plug at the back of your vehicle, I highly recommend our ETBC7 seven and four-way brake controller installation kit that you can see on the screen there. So that's gonna give you that plug at the back of your vehicle so that you can plug in your trailer's wiring and make sure everything is connected properly. This does come with a limited lifetime warranty. So if you we're to have any issues with it, you're more than welcome to reach out to us here at etrailer.com, but like I said, this is a very basic model. I think it's gonna get the job done for you. It's not gonna have a whole lot of bells and whistles and that sort of thing, but it is gonna help to apply those brakes on your trailer, and that completes our look for today. Again, I'm Michael with etrailer.com. Thanks for watching.
Installed but not used with a trailer yet, easy instruction and appreciate the extra hardware for the installation.
Compact and not intrusive. Decided to use the adhesive tape included and taped under the dashboard L of the steering wheel.
Sorry for the late follow-up. I just wanted to let you know that the brake
controller and wiring harness I purchased through eTrailer worked very well
with my 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins 6.7L diesel. Pictures are
attached for your use, as required.
The trailer was an 18-foot enclosed snow machine tailer with a steel
chassis. I can't remember the empty weight, but it's substantial. We towed
empty and full on dry and snow covered roads from Oklahoma to Colorado and
back. Even with th exhaust brake on my truck, I can't imagine towing this
load through the hills and mountains without a brake controller. It's been
done before, but I would say it's an unnecessary risk given the more than
reasonable prices at eTrailer...it was cheap insurance pulling such a heavy
rig with my family on board.
The controller was definitely not your top-of-the-line model, but the
adjustability and controls were more than adequate for somebody who tows
occasionally. A professional may desire more proportional controls and
adjustability, but not much more. This unit peformed flawlessly.
Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contct me if you would like
any clarification on my statements or pictures.
This break controller was easy to install and
Works grat.
It does not fit my vehicle. On the attached photo the connector on the left is the stock dodge plug, the plug on the right is what I just got
This item easily plugged into my Curt brake controller and into my truck’s factory plug. Made for a less than 5 minute install; powering up the brake controller with no issues. Convenient is an understatement with this pigtail. Rig is 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 CTD.
Perfect fit for my 1999 Dodge Ram. it made installation of the brake controller super easy. I highly recommend paying the extra $** for this item.
The folks at etrailer are the best! Very helpful and knowledgeable!! The product I received fit perfectly and works great!!
The adhesive pad does not work and the mounting bracket is really flimsy (one screw went through the bracket, breaking it, and I was screwing in with a sprained wrist, so not a Hulk). The unit, itself, is fantastic! I would recommend this to anyone, but it needs a better mounting system. I did end up screwing the non-broken side into a factory hole and didn't have to screw into the dashboard at all.
y0u want good go to etrailer was a perfect fit
Slimmer than most of the others. Easy install with the additional pigtail.
I ordered a fifth wheel brackets and hitch along with curt brake controller and pigtail. Everything fit great with no problems and the service and shipping was very speedy. Highly recommend etrailer for all your needs.
2006 Dodge Ram. Easy install. Plug it in and tie up the wires. I put a wire protector sleeve to cover the wires coming out of the controller.
Delivered early. Was just what I wanted.
Almost plug-n-go.The hardest part was where to put the controller !
Trailer control shipped quickly, super easy install with the pigtail. Happy customer!
fit and finish was perfect.
I needed an electric brake control for my 2006 Dodge pickup but was having trouble finding one locally that would plug in to the factory installed plug. If it was a Chev or Ford it was in stock and I didn't want a universal that would have to cut into the wiring. I called etrailer to make sure what I saw on their website was correct and they assured me it was so I ordered it. It arrived, I instaled it and it works perfect.
In hind sight I probably didn't need to order this item. Forgetting how difficult it was to access the connector on my Dodge Ram when I installed my first (now defunct) brake controller, I imagine it will be a greater struggle to get it to disconnect before putting the new one on. So I think what I'll do is cut the Dodge specific connector off the one end, cut the wires off my old controller and splice this pigtail into it, thus eliminating the need to remove the old connector!
Used in conjunction with the Curt brake controller I purchased from etrailer.
Worked perfectly.
The directions on this item are horrible. I finally figured it out and was able to install it onto my Ram 1500, but only after spending hours trying to make everything fit right. If you're looking for a hitch setup to pull a trailer long distances, I would advise you to look at other options. This will work for my short trips with my half-ton pickup, but I would not want to pull anything more than 50 miles with this setup.
Fast Shipping! Works great! Easy to ins tall!!
I ordered the Curt TriFlex trailer brake controller. Had to return the first one, due to the manual brake activation lever being sloppy loose. They replaced it with no hassle. It looks cheap but works good so far
I ordered a Curt Discovery trailer brake controller. Exactly what I was looking for and for a great price. Transaction was smooth and easy and the controller arrived within a reasonable amount of time. I liked the parcel tracking that showed the progress of my order.
My 07' Dodge Ram Quad Cab had a factory installed receiver hitch and therefore the plug to which this cable attached. However, I had to go to the Curt mfg website to find a picture of the actual truck plug. Once I found the plug which was buried up in a difficult spot to reach, the cable snapped in easily. It is sufficiently long enough to reach the controller cable if one installs the controller anywhere on the knee panel below the steering wheel.
I used this connector with a new brake controller that I also purchased. It was very easy to connect to the controller & truck's electrical system (under the driver's side dash). So far it's working beautifully.
As always, etrailer was excellent with their advice, shipping, and follow-up emails. I have had great experiences with them since 2010.
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