When towing you can’t always just rely on the tow vehicle to do the braking for itself and the towed vehicle. Australian transport rules state that when a towed load is over 750kg a braking system must be fitted to the trailer.

One of the most common types of trailer brakes fitted is electric brakes.
To smoothly control the electric brakes, a brake controller must be fitted in the tow vehicle, where the driver can easily access the unit while driving.

There are many types of electric brakes on the market. Wynnum towbars use and strongly recommend a pendulum type of controller (Tekonsha p3, Prodigy, Primus or Voyager) We do not recommend and advise against the installation of ‘solid state’ type.

A pendulum type will send a variable amount of current to the trailer brakes in proportion to the stopping motion of the tow vehicle giving you a smoother and more responsive braking application.

Most controllers also have a manual override feature which allows you to apply brakes to the trailer only. this is helpful feature to minimise caravan sway or instability.