[kylepezz]

I'm gearing up for starting my junk hauling business and have been reading this forum exhaustively. It's been a huge help with finding certain parts but I think I may have too much knowledge now.

Regarding the brake controller...early posts about the 3014-P harness said that they needed to swap the black and blue wires. That was back in 2014 but I never saw any posts about not needing to do that anymore.

It looks like now in 2016 it's just straight plug and play with no black and blue swap. On amazon and etrailer it makes it seem like just plug and play and the packing even says 2014 to current jeep cherokee with OEM 7 way tow package.

Just wanted to get some feedback if they made it now so that there is no need to swap the black and blue.

 

[David_Baker]

3021 for the Ram trucks was the original one in this thread that had 2 wires reversed. The 3014 is the correct one for the Cherokee and is plug and play.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[chartle]

I'm gearing up for starting my junk hauling business and have been reading this forum exhaustively. It's been a huge help with finding certain parts but I think I may have too much knowledge now.

Regarding the brake controller...early posts about the 3014-P harness said that they needed to swap the black and blue wires. That was back in 2014 but I never saw any posts about not needing to do that anymore.

It looks like now in 2016 it's just straight plug and play with no black and blue swap. On amazon and etrailer it makes it seem like just plug and play and the packing even says 2014 to current jeep cherokee with OEM 7 way tow package.

Just wanted to get some feedback if they made it now so that there is no need to swap the black and blue.

Pretty sure either in this thread or another it was posted that they started to make the correct harness.

 

[rogerthedodger]

2016 Cherokee 3014-p harness install. Anybody do this? I think the plastic cover under the dash has changed? Does not look like the 2014-15.
Roger

 

[norbertsz]

I installed the whole thing today, also 2016.
The plastic cover is the same as the first pictures. I was able to half open it and plug in the adapter. The whole process took 15 minutes but it wasn't easy to access at all. Tomorrow I'm testing with the trailer.

 

[eraser8]

Hi Guys,

Yeah I know it's my first message and I didn't take the time to present me in the appropriate section. I hope you will pardon me.

I just read a bunch of topics and I would like to shared my experience with brake controller. First, I'm new owner of a used Jeep Cherokee 2014 Limited V6 with Tow package. I got it since 2 weeks now and I was looking on any advice to install a brake controler on it.

I finally bought the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 on eTrailer.com with the custom built harness.

When I was reading on any forum, I was a little bit disapointed about the location where the people install it. My first guess was, this should fit in the small storing bos on the left on the steering. I didn't find anyone that did this. Maybe I miss some? So, I take the guess and I modified the storage compartment. I used a dremel tool to cut some plastic parts and TADAM! It fit just like a charm completely in interior of the storage. I can close the storage just like if there is nothing behind. If I want to modify the tension, I just open the storage and press on the button I need. I must say that In this position, the test lever is not really easy to access, but it is feasable without any rush.

Here is 2 pics to show the result.

Hope this could help someone.

THanks

 

[Len1304]

Hi Guys,



Yeah I know it's my first message and I didn't take the time to present me in the appropriate section. I hope you will pardon me.



I just read a bunch of topics and I would like to shared my experience with brake controller. First, I'm new owner of a used Jeep Cherokee 2014 Limited V6 with Tow package. I got it since 2 weeks now and I was looking on any advice to install a brake controler on it.



I finally bought the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 on eTrailer.com with the custom built harness.



When I was reading on any forum, I was a little bit disapointed about the location where the people install it. My first guess was, this should fit in the small storing bos on the left on the steering. I didn't find anyone that did this. Maybe I miss some? So, I take the guess and I modified the storage compartment. I used a dremel tool to cut some plastic parts and TADAM! It fit just like a charm completely in interior of the storage. I can close the storage just like if there is nothing behind. If I want to modify the tension, I just open the storage and press on the button I need. I must say that In this position, the test lever is not really easy to access, but it is feasable without any rush.



Here is 2 pics to show the result.



Hope this could help someone.



THanks

The problem with your setup, if you read the manual is it needs to remain level and not change position while in use and should, during an emergency or while traveling down hill need to manually activate the brakes on the trailer you can't. Opening the door changes the level of the brake controller and therefore the brake calibration for how much power is sent to the trailer. It has a level built in so when going uphill it applies less power and downhill applies more. It needs to be permanently mounted in a location easy to get to.


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[eraser8]

The problem with your setup, if you read the manual is it needs to remain level and not change position while in use and should, during an emergency or while traveling down hill need to manually activate the brakes on the trailer you can't. Opening the door changes the level of the brake controller and therefore the brake calibration for how much power is sent to the trailer. It has a level built in so when going uphill it applies less power and downhill applies more. It needs to be permanently mounted in a location easy to get to.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True. but if the calibration is done correctly before starting, there is no need to play with it during running. Moreover, you just need to stop/start the engine and the controller is reset. I test it tonight and yes, I could experiment a more braking effect if I close the tray (like if I go down the hill). But this was only during my test. The way I did is: open the tray full, adjuft the brake voltage, close the tray and restart the vehicule.

It works great and for me, it is a better option than having it near my knees.

 

[Len1304]

True. but if the calibration is done correctly before starting, there is no need to play with it during running. Moreover, you just need to stop/start the engine and the controller is reset. I test it tonight and yes, I could experiment a more braking effect if I close the tray (like if I go down the hill). But this was only during my test. The way I did is: open the tray full, adjuft the brake voltage, close the tray and restart the vehicule.



It works great and for me, it is a better option than having it near my knees.

The problem is, the little handle under the brake controller is for manual activation during either an emergency or for traveling downhill. A good use case would be during a vehicle sway event. The trailer is swaying, to fix this you would activate only the brakes on the trailer using the brake controller handle. Which would require you to open the door, while trying to drive which changes the calibration and manually activate the brakes. Not a safe situation to find yourself in. I feel with it hidden like that it's actually unsafe. You can't make useful adjustments to it or set it properly with it hidden. You can't read possible errors or anything. Hidden is not the answer. You need to be able to see and watch the brake controller.


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[Len1304]

Also, starting and stopping the engine doesn't reset the calibration. Once hooked up the brake controller is powered the entire time even with the vehicle off. You'd have to disconnect the power cable.


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[eraser8]

The problem is, the little handle under the brake controller is for manual activation during either an emergency or for traveling downhill. A good use case would be during a vehicle sway event. The trailer is swaying, to fix this you would activate only the brakes on the trailer using the brake controller handle. Which would require you to open the door, while trying to drive which changes the calibration and manually activate the brakes. Not a safe situation to find yourself in. I feel with it hidden like that it's actually unsafe. You can't make useful adjustments to it or set it properly with it hidden. You can't read possible errors or anything. Hidden is not the answer. You need to be able to see and watch the brake controller.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Len1304,

Thank you very much for your usefull comments. In fact, If I want, I can let it open in static postion, so the controller would stay at the same level during the trip and I would have acces to the lever.

You have a good point, thanks

 

[Len1304]

Hi Len1304,



Thank you very much for your usefull comments. In fact, If I want, I can let it open in static postion, so the controller would stay at the same level during the trip and I would have acces to the lever.



You have a good point, thanks

I'm sorry if I came off as brash, but I used to own my own RV business installing towing systems and repairing trailers. I was also a truck driver along with having nearly 18,000 towing miles between two cherokees. I take towing safety very seriously and have a sticky thread in the towing section to help people.

I'm glad you got the P3. In my opinion it's one of the safest and most advanced brake controllers on the market.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[eraser8]

Nice setup!

Thanks for your input

 

[David_Baker]

Here's where mine sits, similar but different... all controls accessible and held in place by velcro after simply removing the drawer. When not in use its unplugged and stored in glove box or under passenger seat.

Sent via Tapatalk from a small keyboard on my phone with fat thumbs and no glasses...

 

[eraser8]

Here's where mine sits, similar but different... all controls accessible and held in place by velcro after simply removing the drawer. When not in use its unplugged and stored in glove box or under passenger seat.

Sent via Tapatalk from a small keyboard on my phone with fat thumbs and no glasses...

It is an excellent solution. I searched a way to avoid plug/unplug it. I will try it like I did a couple of trip and if I don't like it, I think I will do something similar than you. Where did you get your support? I think it is not the original one. Mine is not like that.

Thanks

 

[David_Baker]

The support was a bit of scrap angle aluminum I had laying around. I cut majority of one side off just leaving the part that the locating screws go through (I think they were old CB or speaker thumb screws). The remaining flat bit was hammered a little to make it curved to follow the dash. Some industrial strength velcro (hook and loop) attached to the sides of the opening and matching to the brackets. In hindsight I may have been able to trim the opening slightly and have the brackets poke in so it sat half in half out of the hole. May look into that.

Sent via Tapatalk from a small keyboard on my phone with fat thumbs and no glasses...

 

[mreg376]

I'm new to towing and new to the KL tow package. Reading this thread the thought that keeps popping up for me is why, since they install a fully capable tow wiring harness, couldn't they have put the brake controller plug in an easily accessible location, like they do the OBDII connector, that does not require dismantling and lying on the floor on your back? Why??

 

[chartle]

I'm new to towing and new to the KL tow package. Reading this thread the thought that keeps popping up for me is why, since they install a fully capable tow wiring harness, couldn't they have put the brake controller plug in an easily accessible location, like they do the OBDII connector, that does not require dismantling and lying on the floor on your back? Why??

The ODBII is used a lot.

The trailer connector has to be used only really once and they want the wires to be tucked away.

 

[mreg376]

The ODBII is used a lot.

The trailer connector has to be used only really once and they want the wires to be tucked away.

I think probably the opposite is true. People try to connect to it only once now BECAUSE it's such a pain-in-the-ass to get to. If the plug was easily accessible you could just plug the controller in and use a level suction cup mount for the controller on the windshield, and easily unplug and put the whole thing in the glove compartment when you're not using it. It's not like our KL's are being used for 24x7 commercial hauling.

 

[bigbear1612]

I am a little off subject here but I have a 2015 TH and I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this. The Dashboard page on Mopar.com shows a towing capacity of 4500 lbs but when you run the vin# it shows a towing capacity of 5500 lbs? Also the door panel tag shows a GVWR of 5500 lbs?