Brake Controller and 7-Way Trailer Connector Recommendation/Installation on 2006 Chevy Express Van  

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Expert Reply:

An adapter like the # 37185 would provide both a 4-pole and a 7-way trailer connector, and would be perfect for your needs. The adapter would plug into your existing 4-pole, and would have 4 additional bare wire to contend with. The white wire is grounded to the vehicle frame or chassis, the purple wire carries the reverse lamp circuit (which isn't usually necessary, so it's usually just bundled up out of the way) and the other two wires are for 12-volt accessory power (black wire) and output from the brake controller (blue wire). Your brake controller choice will dictate how the remaining two wires are connected.

The easiest installation would be the Curt Echo, part # C51180 which operates wirelessly using your smart phone as the user interface. The Echo plugs into the 7-way, the trailer plugs into the Echo, pretty simple. The easiest way to install the Echo would be to use the # ETBC7L install kit, which also includes the # 37185 adapter mentioned above. If you went this route, the blue wire on the adapter wouldn't be needed, but the black wire would be extended and connected to the positive battery terminal using the wire and 40A circuit breaker included with the # ETBC7L kit.

If you'd prefer a more traditional controller that mounts under the dash, you can certainly do so, but the installation would involve running additional wiring which increases the complexity of the install.

For a more traditional controller, I'd recommend the Tekonsha Primus, part # TK90160 which is a reasonably priced easy to use proportional controller. You'd also need a different installation kit, part # ETBC7. This kit also includes the adapter I spoke about above, as well as the additional wiring needed to connect the brake controller output to the 7-way at the rear of the vehicle.

I've linked to some demonstration and installation videos that you'll find helpful.

expert reply by: Mike L

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