Comparing Curt Echo Wireless Brake Controller and Prodigy RF Wireless Controller

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Question:

I am curious if you have any opinion of which controller works best? I have a 2019 Dodge Ram and will be pulling a 7,000 travel trailer. I do not really want to put holes in the dash for an interior unit. I do have a working 7 pin plug on the back. Would you recommend the curt echo or the Prodigy RF brake controller?

asked by: Neil R

0

Expert Reply:

Performance-wise the Prodigy RF part # 90250 and the Curt Echo part # C51180 are right on par with each other. They are both proportional controllers which means they will sense the amount of braking applied and apply the trailer brakes in an equal amount. The big differences are that the Echo does not permanently install on the trailer like the RF does. It basically just plugs into the 7-way. So an easier install...with the added risk of being easily stolen possible (we've not seen this become an issue at this time though). The Curt Echo does not add anything at all to the interior of your vehicle. You do have to have a smart phone though. So the give and take there is the RF comes with a wireless remote but the Echo requires you to use your phone. That would come down to personal preference.

When it comes to reliability the RF has been around a while and we know it is rock solid. The Curt is pretty new (as of March 2019) so reliability is harder to determine. I will say that in general the Prodigy brake controllers are rock solid and are incredibly reliable. Typically Curt controllers are on the other end of that spectrum. I wouldn't recommend their standard brake controllers to anyone basically.

expert reply by: Jameson C

0

Cory W.

5/1/2020

I have a 2007 dodge ram 3500 Mega cab. and can not get the Prodigy rf too pair any suggetions.

Reply

Chris R.

5/4/2020

There are a few things that seem to work when the Tekonsha RF Controller has trouble pairing with a truck like your Ram 3500. I'm not sure where exactly in the process you getting stuck, but if you're not seeing a display like what the instructions show, try powering through the rest of the steps anyway. Sometimes it just won't display what it's "supposed to" but will still pair perfectly if going through all the steps. If that doesn't help, trying taping off the pin at the 5 o'clock position at the back of the RF, which will just block off this circuit (it's not used for the RF) to avoid any potential interference. Let me know if this doesn't work and we'll go from there.

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Answer 1

You are on the right track with your thinking and doing exactly what I would do if I were you. You can swap out the slider base of your Companion for GM rail kit to the fixed base part #BWRVB3710 and in the rearmost head position you'd have…

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Answer 2

The best option for wireless brake controllers is the Curt Echo #C51180. It is the easiest to plug in and go when you need to use a brake controller with your trailer. Once you have a 7-way connector installed in your vehicle, all you need is to…

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Answer 3

It sounds like you aren't correctly testing the brake output setting on your Curt Echo Wireless Brake Controller #C51180. What you need to be doing is driving 25 mph in an open parking lot and then applying your tow vehicle brakes with the brake…

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Answer 4

The Curt Echo #C51180 does not have to be mounted level for it to function properly. The 45 degree angle of your 7-way plug does not make a difference in the functionality because of the unit's triple-axis accelerometer. The accelerometer is able…

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Answer 5

There are a couple key differences between the Curt Echo Mobile part #C51180 and the Echo Under Dash #C27JR with the install harness part #C77BR. If you wanted the absolute easiest install that literally takes seconds go with the Echo Mobile as it…

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Answer 6

Due to its triple axis accelerometer, the #C51180 doesn't need to be perfectly level, but it will need to be pointed in the general direction of travel in order to work correctly. Curt tells me that it shouldn't be used in a 7-way installed…

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Answer 7

An incoming call will not affect the braking of the Curt Echo Brake Controller part #C51180 in the Kia Sorento. The Curt Echo will still be operating in the background. However, you will not be able to use your phone with a Bluetooth device like your…

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Answer 8

Due to its triple axles accelerometer, the Curt #C51180 doesn't need to be perfectly level, but it will need to be generally pointed in the direction of travel in order to work effectively. I've linked to a product demonstration video for the…

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Answer 9

The orientation/angle of the Curt Echo Mobile Trailer Brake Controller part #C51180 does not matter. We have tested it on vehicles with 7-way's oriented/angled in all different directions and it has performed flawlessly. Therefore, you should not…

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Answer 10

Curt doesn't give great instructions for initial adjustment of the Curt Echo Mobile #C51180 but I'll see if I can help. First you need to set the output which is the first number. Drive 25 mph and apply brakes and if the brakes are too weak…

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Answer 11

Only certain bike racks are rated by the manufacturer for use behind RVs or trailers. This is simply because the ride at the rear of an RV is significantly rougher when compared to the rear of a standard passenger vehicle. The reason for this is that…

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Answer 12

If you purchased a 4-Way/7-Way Hopkins adapter like part #37185 so that you can use the Curt Echo Mobile Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 then you are correct about only needing to connect the 12V power wire for the brake controller (in addition to…

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Comparing Curt Echo Wireless Brake Controller and Prodigy RF Wireless Controller

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