Recommended Trailer Brake Controller and Wiring for a 2020 Honda Odyssey

Question:

I already have the 76170 hitch on my 2020 Odyssey but now I need wiring and a brake controller. Any thoughts or a recommendation would be very helpful because I'm at a bit of a loss since there are so many brake controllers out there.

asked by: Larry

Expert Reply:

Thank you for all of the information. I am more than happy to help you sift through the selection of brake controllers so you can choose the best one to use with your 2020 Honda Odyssey.

Since you only stated as having the Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch # 76170 I'm going to guess you don't have any kind of wiring at the moment. To install a brake controller you're going to need a 4-Way wiring kit that activates the basic lighting on your trailer and then an adapter and extra wiring to use the brakes on your trailer.

For the 4-Way I recommend the T-One # 118781 because it is the most reliable and the easiest to install. Then I recommend the 7-Way RV Upgrade Kit # ETBC7L which gives you a 7-Way and comes with wiring and the connectors needed to activate the 12V power pin on the 7-Way. Just add the Curt Bracket # C58000 to hold the connectors!

This wiring combination is all you need to utilize the Curt Echo # C51180 brake controller. The Echo is a unique controller because it connects to an Apple or Android smart device for adjusting the performance of the brakes which means you don't have to install anything inside your Odyssey. Since you just plug it into the 7-Way at the back of your vehicle this makes it very easy to toss the controller in your vehicle for safe-keeping as well as transfer it to a different vehicle if the need arises!

To complete a towing setup you also need a ball mount kit. I recommend checking out Ball Mount Kit # 989900 because it includes two ball mounts, one with a 3/4” rise/2” drop and the other with a 2-3/4” rise/4” drop, a 1-7/8” hitch ball, a 2” hitch ball, and a pin and clip. You will want to refer to the attached ball mount article to ensure that this kit is correct for your towing application.

I have attached some instructions and videos that you can reference.