Equipment Needed to Tow 1500 lb Brake Equipped Trailer with 2014 Subaru Crosstrek  

Question:

Expert Reply:

You don't mention whether you already have a trailer hitch, so we'll begin there. I'd recommend a Class III hitch, because if you also wanted to use the hitch for accessories like a bike rack or a cargo carrying tray, you'll have greater capacity and many more possible options.

I'd recommend the Curt Class III hitch, part # C13135. The hitch includes all necessary installation hardware. You'll also need a ball mount and trailer ball. For the ball mount, I'd recommend part # 2753 and # 19260 for a 1-7/8 or # 63845 for a 2 inch trailer ball.

The first step in installing a brake controller is installing a 4 pole trailer connector which is used to access the taillight circuits for the trailer. I'd recommend the Tekonsha # 118467. At this juncture, you'd then choose a brake controller. You can choose a less expensive alternative that would be more complicated to install or a more expensive option that would be much easier to install.

A standard brake controller like the Tekonsha Primus # TK90160 would be a good option. This is an easy to use, good preforming controller that proportionally controls your trailer brakes. The controller can sense how quickly the tow vehicle is stopping, and will then send the appropriate amount of voltage to the trailer brakes so that the tow vehicle and trailer brake at the same rate for safe and predictable braking. You'll also need the # ETBC7 brake controller install kit, which includes all the necessary hardware, wire and circuit breakers necessary to complete the installation. Also included is an adapter to convert the 4 pole trailer connector provided by the # 118467 to a 7-way.

An easier to install option would be the Curt Echo Wireless brake controller, part # C51180. The Echo also operates proportionally and would communicate wirelessly with your smart phone, which you'd use in the passenger cabin to control the trailer braking. A different install kit is needed, part # ETBC7L which also includes the needed hardware as well as the adapter mentioned above. The difference is that to wire the Echo, you'll only need to run one wire to the vehicle's positive battery terminal instead of the multiple connections needed for the traditional controller mentioned earlier.

I've linked to multiple installation and demonstration videos that will explain how the various parts I mentioned above work.

expert reply by: Mike L

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