Recommended Trailer Brake Controller and Wiring for 2020 Honda Odyssey

Question:

okay I have a 2020 Honda Odyssey. I need to add a wiring harness and brake controller for the trailer. Can you tell me what parts I would need for this/your recommendations? I really appreciate your help. Thank you.

asked by: Seth

Expert Reply:

We can definitely get your 2020 Honda Odyssey set up with a trailer wiring harness and brake controller. If you don't yet have a wiring connector at the bumper you will need to start with a 4-Way harness. For this the Tekonsha T-One # 118781 will work perfectly.

This custom harness will plug into an existing port behind an interior trim panel in the van's rear cargo area (I have attached an installation video to assist). This will provide you with a 4-Way connector capable of power a trailer's basic signal lights.

With the 4-Way in place you then need to upgrade it to a 7-Way so you can match up to the trailer and add the needed brake controller. To do this I recommend using the Wiring Kit # ETBC7 paired with the Curt Echo Brake Controller # C51180.

The Wiring Kit includes everything you need to easily convert the 4-Way to a 7-Way connector (it plugs right into the 4-Way itself) and activate its 12V circuit, which is needed to power the Echo brake controller. The Echo itself then just gets plugged into the 7-Way and is paired to your smart phone via Bluetooth. This makes it a perfect controller for your Odyssey since you won't need to mount an additional component inside the vehicle like with most other options and can be easily transferred to another tow vehicle if/when needed.

The Echo will automatically send power back to the trailer's brakes in proportion to your deceleration but you can adjust settings or activate the manual override with your phone. I have attached a short video demonstration below that you can check out as well.