Best Brake Controller for Towing On and Off Road with Jeep Gladiator

Question:

Ive read elsewhere that there are concerns with the Echo applying the brakes on its own when going on rough roads. Have there been any revisions to the product or changes since it was introduced? It appears that most of the negative reviews I read on the Echo were from last year 2019. Ive read because Im a new Gladiator owner, myself. I dont have any apprehensions about mounting a traditional controller, but the Echos ease of use seems very appealing. I just need to know if theres any merit to the 17 1 star reviews that this product has on Amazon. Thanks!

asked by: Matt C

Helpful Expert Reply:

Our experiences with the Curt Echo Mobile part # C51180 is that it works really well and does not have any issues with bumps causing braking issues. Now if the plan is to mainly do off-road towing where there will be quite a bit of bumps a strictly proportional brake controller is not the way to go as you'll get some minor false braking triggers for the controller.

The best solution for that is the Tow Pro Elite part # RED44FR which easily switches between proportional when towing on highways and time-delayed for when off-road. It also mounts on the dash with a very small knob instead of a large controller box so it looks great and doesn't get in the way. I attached an install video for this controller on a similar 2020 Jeep Gladiator as well. You'll need the install harness part # 3073-P as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C