I decided to break my build thread up into individual threads so they might be easier to search and find in the future for others googling related keywords.
This post is about updating the 25 year old electric brake controller in my OBS 97 F350 7.3.

When I bought the truck, it came with a Tekonsha Voyager 9030 trailer brake controller already installed. It appears this controller was originally installed when the truck was brand new, as the date sticker reads Aug 1996. It was pretty nicely wired into the factory connector using what appears to be a Ford OEM pigtail.




The Voyager has worked ok for me, but there are two reasons I decided to upgrade:

1. Manual level adjustment
I have always disliked how the Voyager requires manual level setting using the dial. What happens when I am ascending or descending a steep grade? What if I accidentally bump the dial or accidentally rotate the Voyager mounting position? It’s just an unnecessary thing to worry about when modern controllers offer automatic leveling.

2. The mounting location
There is no great place to mount these types of brake controllers. I had mine mounted just below the cubby to put it within arms reach and be able to glance at the status LED. Unfortunately, this position still required me to hunch over to reach the adjustments or manual override switch. It was also difficult to see the status indicator LED without taking my eyes off the road.



For these reasons, I decided to upgrade and was ready to pull the trigger on a Tekonsha P3 which is a great modern brake controller with good reviews.

Then a friend told me about the REDARC Tow-Pro Elite and I started to research them. When I realized the Tow-Pro unit could be mounted anywhere and utilize the remote switch, I was convinced this was the right fit for me. This would allow me to install the switch high up on the dash within quick glance and arm’s reach. Then I found that they make a Ford/Lincoln wiring harness TPH-006 that would make installation plug-and-play, even better!



While searching for a suitable location to mount the main unit, I noticed the nifty factory bracket holding my OEM stereo amplifier. I had bypassed this amp long ago while installing an aftermarket stereo head unit, so it was just wasting space. So I removed the amp and reused the bracket to mount the main unit of the REDARC brake controller. Mint!





I hated drilling a hole in my factory dash bezel, but decided it’s worth it because I won’t be smashing my shins on a Tekonsha any longer. Here is how the **** looks, it has a multi color status LED behind it to give visual feedback, and momentary push to manually activate trailer brakes. I will take some more pictures in daylight once I have the dash reinstalled.

 

The PO of my dually notched a hole below that little storage slot to fit the brake controller. It looks okay, not great. I am using a Curt progressive, seems to work fine but I do not tow anywhere near as much as you guys in terms of weight or days over the year. I dig the small **** of yours, that is where the **** for my TS6 is at currently!

Unrelated, good move on the Husky liners. What did you do for the back? I tossed in the factory 'all weather' mat from my CC 6.4 (dually is EC), seems to fit well.

 

Thanks Hit Man, here is a shot today all wired up:



My truck came with the floor mats, there is a matching style one in the rear that works pretty well.

 

Do you have a photo of the rear mat by chance?

 

When ever you get a chance after towing let us know how it does, I'm curious!

 

I have the same thoughts as oldbird1965.

Forgive my ignorance, but I assume the dial on the dash is for adjusting the gain and the force being applied to the brakes. Is there a plunger/lever any where for actuating the trailer brakes manually if the dial does not serve the purpose of the plunger/lever?

I like the idea of this brake controller being mostly out of sight.

 

We have a big 1,650 mi round trip coming up end of November, I will report back then!

Yes, the dial adjusts braking force. The main unit is proportional so it will intelligently ease into the braking.

You can manually apply trailer brakes by pushing the **** in. You can also adjust braking force while pushing the ****, which I really like.

 

Safe travels to you and the family!

That makes sense about the dial being dual function. Makes for a nice clean install.

 

After 800 miles of testing, the REDARC brake controller has been a good upgrade. It is great to have the status indicator within glance without taking eyes off the road. I also found it much easier to reach **** for adjusting gain. I noticed the progressive braking is much smoother than my old Voyager, and coupled with the new air bags it was confidence inspiring during hard braking situations.

 

Thanks, good to hear, thanks for getting back to us!