Redarc Brake Controller Install on 2017 TRD Sport (Step by Step w/ pics)

As the title says, I installed the Redarc TowPro Elite on my 2017 TRD Sport. I used a mount from forty2skates on Shapeways which honestly looks amazing! Figured I'd try to help out the forum a little - I've seen a couple of these threads with a slightly different spin. Here is my install with parts list, etc. This install was about 1.5 hours and about $240 with an etrailer coupon code. There are cheaper options, but again - I liked the look and the decent capabilities of this controller for this truck.

Standard Disclaimer: I am not a mechanic, I'm an engineer, but I play 'mechanic' on the weekends. This is how I did my install. Your mileage may vary and I am not responsible for any damage you may cause to your truck.


Parts Used:

1) Brake Controller
https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/Redarc/331-EBRH-ACCV2.html



2) Wire Harness for Toyota Plug
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Tekonsha/3031-S.html


3) Mounting Plate (ordered via Shapeways - Credit to: forty2skates)
https://www.shapeways.com/product/3...-w-redarc-towpro?optionId=63983174&li=ostatus


4) x2 Blank Toyota Switches

$16 Toyota Genuine Spare Switch Hole Cover

https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-55539-AE010-C0-Switch-Hole-Cover/dp/B00J09FREQ



5) Mounting Tape (for Controller Box)
https://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_U...7&preselect=5584757+7584070+3293786499&rt=rud


6) x6 Standard Zip Ties


Tools Used:

• Socket Set (Metric)
• Flashlight
• OPTIONAL: I soldered my wire adapter rather than crimped it (your choice)

The Install
A) Assemble the Shapeways Mount Plate, Redarc remote switch, and the blanks. It will look like this - Pretty sweet!


B) Join the Toyota Harness to the Redarc harness. I soldered mine, but there are some crimp connectors that were provided as well. If you DO solder - you will need a good soldering gun as the wire gauge is pretty thick. You'll want heat shrink tubing as well. The crimps are fine, but I just prefer solder joints (Your Choice). The Techonsha adapter had braided sleeving around the wires. I happened to have some so I added that to the Redarc wire as well (My preference... but again your choice):



C) Remove the Cubby (Coin Holder thing); If you put your hands on each side and gently tug... it should pop out. I didn't need any tools to do this. There are x4 screws on the back that hold the cubby in place. Remove those and the cubby will pop off the back


D) Remove the plastic Door Silll. Simply pull up gently at the back and front and it will detach


E) Remove the Left Side Kick Panel. There is a plastic nut in the front (behind the brake pedal). Twist that off. Gently pull back - toward the seat.



F) Remove the Lower Knee Panel (below the steering wheel). There are 3 bolts. The air bag stays in place, so don't worry about that. Remove the bolts and tug back and downward gently. The clips are not in super tight - so you shouldn't have to fight with it much.


E) You'll find the brake controller wire harness on the left, slightly up, and waaaay in the back behind a large wire. Keep looking... it's there!


F) Go ahead and plug in wire harness you assembled. There is a ground wire, so you'll need to attach that to the frame. There are many ways to do this, but I wanted to create my own attach point rather than tie into other wires (I didn't want to give Toyota ANY reason to void the warranty). I simply drilled a small pilot hole behind the left kick plate, sanded it bare and attached the ground with a self tapping screw.



G) Next I plugged the harness wire into the Redarc Control box and then mounted the Control box using the Scotch Extreme Mounting tape. You can put it anywhere, but I mounted mine to a plug box behind the steering wheel. If you get under the dash and look up... you'll see two vertical plastic boxes with wires plugged in. I just mounted it there. Easy and completely concealed. The 2nd picture is looking UP at the box. Really hard to get a good shot of this. I mounted mine vertically where the remote switch wire is on the bottom and the harness wire is on the top:



H) Plug your Redarc Remote switch wire into the controller box and route it to where the old cubby was. Mine was too long so I coiled it up and tied it with 3 zip ties in a loop. I plugged the 90 degree plug into the switch and the vertical plug into the box.


I) Go ahead and attach the Shapeways Mount, Redarc, Blank switch combo where the cubby used to be and plug the Redarc Wire into the Redarc Remote Switch


J) Next you'll want to loop the excess harness wire and secure it behind the dash. I used x3 Zip ties to do this. You'll have to lay on your back under the steering wheel and work with it a little, but there are some good attach points under there.


K) Time to button it up!

• Pop the Switch panel back into the lower knee panel
• Gently press the lower knee panel back in place (Start at the top) and then use the side of your fist to lightly tap around the center and edges
• Re-install the 3 screws that held the lower knee panel in place
• Install the left side kick panel. You'll push foward, then inward. Then pound on it with your fist a little to set it in place.
• Install the Plastic sill panel (start at the front and then pop it in place at the back) Pound on it a little with your fist (lightly) to ensure that it is seated.

Hopefully this will help someone else out there. I really like the way this setup looks. Many thanks to forty2skates on Shapeways for designing that panel. It looks great - like a factory install. Plus I now have more plug slots for future 'geekery'.

 

CLEAN!!!! Very Nice!!!

 

This is a great write up. I'll be honest, I never thought to use the 3M tape.....

 

Outstanding write up OP, thanks very much, I'm going to save your instructions and get to this one of these days.

 

Late to the thank you party but I did same install useing the shapeways purchased blank with Redarc controller. Have had it mounted about a month and unit works great during any type of tow situation.

(Added as someone asked if same insert used, right red switfch is for bed lights)

 

Saved...

 

Best setup yet IMO. Looks great

 

Thanks for the step by step post.
Knocked it out today.

 

Nice work.

 

Looks good! I’ve put some miles on my Redarc now pulling a travel trailer and it really is a great controller!

If you haven’t towed with it yet, the first time you plug it up to a trailer it will go into a learning mode. After you stop/ start something like 20 times it learns its orientation in the vehicle and the lights will turn solid. Took me by surprise the first time as it flashed for a while.

 

Today I began your very impressive installation of the Redarc brake controller. I had purchased everything you suggested, and was looking forward to a 2 hour install of a very easy and well thought out upgrade. Everything was going great until the mounting of the control box. I searched for an hour but could never identify where the heck you were mounting the thing to.
I have a 2018 Off Road with a manual transmission. My mind raced with the differences that may exist between your truck and what I was dealing with. In any event once I abandoned finding whatever you had found to mount your control unit to, I began searching for a suitable alternative location. I was really panicking until I stumbled upon 2, 6mm studs welded on the 2" round tube that runs over the steering wheel, and were empty!


They were located above the large void behind the new brake controller remote switch. The air bag mount was directly below so I needed to angle the controller back a little to clear it. Note: the bolts were 1" on center, very unusual for a metric vehicle.


I bent up a bracket that bolted the controller to the to the studs


To make a long story short, The install went amazingly well. What first seemed like a dead end turned out to be a very clean install. Thank you for sharing your experience on your install and I hope that my experience may help someone else

 

That mount looks like a great idea! The Redarc can be mounted anywhere so you can put it anywhere that it fits. It finds its own orientation in the car electronically.

For what it’s worth, the mounting location I used was on the right side (as you look toward the dash) of a fuse/relay/plug box. I think it’s the one that is in your last picture with the white plug coming out of it next to where you mounted yours. It mounted vertically and The Redarc overhangs a little but tucks in there nicely. (Maybe it’s a little different with the manual tranny though.)

Regardless, nice job on the install - I like that bracket a lot!

 

Awesome bracket! I wish someone sold this. Does the Redarc get power from the harness or did you run a power wire to the battery?

 

Redarc gets power from the harness. Pretty much plug and play!

 

Nice write up!

My only concern with this controller what looks to be a lack of being able to manualy apply the trailer brakes in a sway emergency. Do you know if you can do that?

 

Not a concern as Redarc uses proportional and manual user modes for trailer braking. I have had 3 Tekoshi P3 units, all worked great. The Redarc is also excellent but with more mounting options and I have found it to be a smoother brake system for pulling a trailer.

 

I know it has manual mode, but looks like you have to do a couple of steps that may not be intuitive in an emergency, or am I missing something?

If I’m not mistaken, the Tekonsha has the typical slider to manually apply the trailer brakes, but with the limited space in the Tacoma, I’m really interested in the Redarc as long as it has easily accessed manual emergency braking.

Thanks for any insight!

 

Ahh...yeah, guess did leave out the how in above!

You simply push the circular head unit that is mounted. Pushing it in is equivalent to the slide. And for detail search for Redarc manual and has a section on sway control.

 

Awesome, thanks!

Looks like another purchase coming up....

 

You can do manual override - all you have to do is push the button. The controller pretty much does everything any other controller does, the user interfacing is just different (better IMHO):

Here is a link to the manual if you want to read up on it (FYI - Page 10 talks about manual override):
https://www.redarc.com.au/Content/Images/uploaded/Manuals/EBRH-ACCV2 Instruction Manual.pdf