Wiring Proportional Trailer Brake Controller on 2011 Monaco Diplomat Motorhome

Question:

My motorhome came wired to lug in a TV-1000K brake controller from Unified Tow Brake. I found the plug on the wiring harness and know where all wires go to. I need to put a proportional brake controller to pull a 20foot enclosed trailer. O have a wire on this plug that is hot all the time. Do I need to put a circuit breaker between brake controller and this power source? I would appreciate if you would recommend a controller that I could mount in a vertical position. Motorhome is a Monaco Diplomat 43DFT.

asked by: Jack S

Expert Reply:

Among the most popular and reliable proportional brake controllers we offer is the Prodigy P2 # 90885 from Tekonsha, which you referenced. We do not offer a quick-connect brake controller harness for use with Roadmaster chassis-based motor homes so your installation will be a hard-wire application.

If your Monaco is already equipped with a 7-way connector at the rear (which I expect) you will need the wiring kit # 5506 to install the P2. If you do not have the 7-way then instead you will need kit # ETBC7. There may already be a fuse to protect the OEM controller's power feed, but you will do no harm installing a 20-amp breaker (supplied in both kits) to provide additional protection for the P2.

If your original controller and harness still function, you can use a tester like # PTW2993 to determine the function of each of the four wires. One wire will carry +12V at all times; this is the power feed to the brake controller's black wire. Another will carry +12V ONLY when the motor home's brake pedal is pressed; this is the brake light switch signal which connects to the P2's red wire. The wire that carries the controller output to the 7-way should connect the the blue wire on the P2. The remaining wire is the ground.

I have linked several videos and an article on brake controller installation.