What Parts are Needed to Install a Trailer Brake Controller on a 2005 Chevy Express Van 1500

Question:

I have a 2005 Chevrolet Express Passenger Van 1500. I will be needing this control box and the wiring harness from the electric box of the van to the brake control box. Do you have the wiring harness, and if so, what is the part number? I already have one of these boxes in my Tahoe and it works very well, so I figured I need to stick with what seems to work well. Also, what is the weight limit of the trailer for this box? Thanks, and have a good day.

asked by: Ray

Expert Reply:

The 2005 Chevy Express Van does not have a port for a plug and play brake controller wiring harness. Instead, you will need to do a little hard wiring. If your van has a factory installed tow package, you will need Brake Control Plug-In Harness, # 20127. One end plugs into the brake controller, the other end has blunt cut wires.

Locate the blue brake wire on the van. It is located under the dash near the emergency brake pedal. This wire attaches to the brake controller blue wire. The remaining wires could be located under the dash as well, near where the first one was found. If they are present, they will most likely be held together with a white tag that explains their functions.

The white wire on the brake controller is the ground, the red wire is the stop light, and the black wire is the 12 volt power. If the van has the tow package but no 7-Way trailer connector, you can add one using Replacement Multi-Tow 7-Way and 4-Way Trailer Connector, # 30955.

The Voyager brake controller does not have a specific trailer weight range it can handle, but it will work on trailers with 2, 4, 6, or 8 brake assemblies. I have included a link to the installation details for reference.

If the van does not have the tow package and/or there are no brake controller wires under the dash, you will need to first install Tow Ready Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring, # 118392. I have included a link to the installation details and a video installation for reference. You would then need to install 4 and 7 Way Installation Kit, # ETBC7. I have included a link to a video showing the installation of an ETBC7 kit and a link to our FAQ article on installing a brake controller from scratch.