Curt Wireless Brake Controller: 9 Facts You Should Know (Explained)

The Curt Wireless Brake Controller bills itself as a completely wireless, non-invasive brake controller for trailers.

So, what is this brake controller all about? Who could benefit from it? Well, hopefully, we are going to be answering some of your most burning questions on this page.

This is a complete guide to the Curt Wireless Brake Controller.

Table of Contents

Curt Company

Curt is an American company that specializes in towing accessories. This includes hitches, electrical systems, and various extra components.

Basically, this is one of the companies that you would go to if you are in the market for something related to towing, whether you are pulling an RV, trailer, or even in the haulage business.

Rest assured, this is a company that makes some good components. That isn’t in any doubt.

What is the Curt Wireless Brake Controller

So, what is the Curt Wireless Brake Controller? Well, it is pretty much what it says on the tin. It is a wireless brake controller.

If you have ever had to have independent brakes on your trailer before, then you will know that getting them installed can be quite cumbersome.

You need to have some pretty serious wiring there, and when you have some wiring, there is just more that can go wrong with the system.

By making a brake controller that needs no wiring, there is less that can go wrong with it. In fact, it can easily be installed by anybody.

That isn’t all, though. The Curt Wireless Brake Controller will be hooked up to your smartphone via Bluetooth. In fact, this is going to be how you control the vast majority of the features that the brake controller has (more on that in a short while)

Features of the Curt Wireless Brake Controller

Alright, so you are going to need to have a smartphone or smart tablet with Bluetooth functionality to use the Curt wireless brake controller. It will need to be either an Android or an iOS device. Obviously, these are going to be the main phone operating systems available. No. It does not work with Windows Phone.

👉 This system is designed to be ‘Plug and Play’ (we will talk about the installation in a short while). This means that you can add it and remove it from your vehicle whenever you want.

Just sync it up to your phone each time you do, and you are good to go.

👉 The Bluetooth signal can stretch up to 50-feet which, of course, you are likely to get nowhere near when you are driving.

The 50-feet is just an extra amount ‘just in case’ there is something which can interrupt the signal of the Wireless Brake Controller.

👉 One of the brilliant things about the Curt Wireless Brake Controller is that you can save tons of settings inside of the app. So, if you are the type of person that regularly switches trailer type or vehicle, then you can put these settings into the device.

👉 From your mobile device, you will be able to keep an eye on when the brake controller is being used, as well as do a small amount of calibration yourself.

This means that you have a decent amount of customization over how that wireless brake controller is going to be working for you.

Does the Curt Wireless Brake Controller Know When to Brake?

This is one of the bigger questions that we often see asked when it comes to wireless brake controllers.

This is because, with a wired system, the trailer knows when to brake because of all those wires hooked up to the brakes. You don’t get that here. It is wireless, after all.

However, we can assure you that the Curt Wireless Brake Controller knows exactly when you are braking due to a small sensor in the device. This sensor detects a stopping motion.

If the brake controller gets it wrong (which is almost certainly never will), there is a manual override built into the app. This will allow you to correct everything.

Curt Echo Smart Wireless Brake Controller – How it Works >> Check out the video below:

Do You Need the Curt Wireless Brake Controller?

It depends. Obviously, if you are driving a trailer that does not have independent brakes then, no, you do not need to have a wireless brake controller. It would be rather useless for you. It wouldn’t be able to control anything at all.

If you do have a legal requirement to have independent brakes then, yes, the Curt Wireless Brake Controller is a fantastic choice. It is dead simple to install.

While we believe that just about anybody could benefit from this Wireless Brake Controller, we feel the people that will be getting the most use out of it are those that regularly switch trailers or vehicles.

There is just something about being able to carry all those settings around with you in your pocket, knowing that whenever you plug your device in, it is ready to go. It means that you do not have to tinker with anything..

We actually believe that wireless tech is going to be the future for brake controllers so, why not get the very best brake controller around?

It is going to do nothing more than help you have the most pleasurable and safest driving experience while on the road of the United States.

Best Trailer Brake Controllers

Below you can find some of the best wireless brake controllers. Just follow the link to Amazon where you can see the current pricing:

CURT Echo Electric Trailer Brake Controller (Best Overall)
Tekonsha P3 (Best Value)
Reese Towpower (Best on a Budget)
CURT Venturer Electric Trailer Brake Controller (51110)
Tekonsha Primus IQ
Draw-Tite I-Stop IQ
Reese TowPower Brakeman

Installation of the Curt Wireless Brake Controller

Now, there are many of you that will likely have a wired brake controller already. Contrary to popular belief, you will not have to disconnect that if you plan on switching to the Curt Wireless Brake Controller.

This is because the wireless brake controller will actually override the wired system. So, this will make the installation a little bit simpler.

👉 The wireless brake controller will plug directly into the seven-way by the hitch (i.e. the power system). It operates on a 12V.

Obviously, if you do not have that, then you won’t be able to use the Curt Wireless Brake Controller. However, you also wouldn’t be able to use any other independent braking system, so it is likely that you have one already.

👉 You will also need to download the mobile app onto your smart device. Don’t worry, this is completely free. In fact, you can even download it if you don’t own the Curt Wireless Brake Controller.

It won’t have any functionality, but you can see what it is all about while you are eagerly waiting for your wireless brake controller to arrive.

👉 If the brake controller is powered, then you will be able to follow the instructions in the app to pair it up to your device.

It will do a little bit of calibration to ensure that everything is working perfectly. We do not suggest that you tinker about with these settings unless you know exactly what you are doing.

👉 That’s it. You can now drive your vehicle, confident that the wireless brake controller works. Although, you may want to drive it up and down your street at a slow speed just to double-check.

However, as long as the wireless brake controller is powered and connected up to your phone, then there shouldn’t be any issues with it.

👉 It is important that you ensure that your mobile device is powered at all times here. This is because it will constantly have a connection to the brake controller.

If the phone battery dies, then the brake controller won’t be able to function properly.

Thankfully, most of us will have some sort of power system in our vehicles where we can connect our phones up. If you don’t do this, then it is likely that the phone battery will die in just a few hours of driving.

Installation Instructions: CURT 51180 Echo® Mobile Brake Control >> Check out the video below:

Is it Safe to Use the Curt Wireless Brake Controller?

Is it Safe to Use the Curt Wireless Brake Controller? Yes, the CURT Wireless brake controller is safe to use. However, I know that there are a few people out there that may have concerns about hooking up their brakes wirelessly.

After all, hacking is a problem with some wireless connections.

I can assure you that this isn’t going to be a problem here. The Curt Wireless Brake Controller can only work with the device that it has been paired up to. Nobody will be able to break that connection.

That being said, it is unlikely that you will find anybody on the road that is willing to break that connection either.

Most hackers aren’t really looking to take control of wireless brake controllers. That would be rather pointless, especially since there are not actually many of these devices out there on the road.

What Happens if the Phone Battery Dies or the Phone Connection is Lost?

Nothing, and that is a good thing.

If your phone battery dies or that phone connection disappears for some reason (that can happen sometimes with a Bluetooth connection if there is too much interference in the local area), your brakes are not going to stop functioning.

The Curt Wireless Brake Controller is able to remember the last settings that it was given from the mobile device that was paired up with it.

If your phone is still active, you will be given a warning that the Bluetooth connection has dropped, but the brakes will continue to work.

That being said, you still want to ensure that your phone is connected up to the mobile device as much as possible. You also want to ensure that if there are any issues that they are corrected as soon as possible.

While the brakes will continue to function, if there is no connection between the phone and the wireless device, then you will not be able to use that manual override feature, if you need to use it. You also won’t be able to change the settings of the device.

How to Purchase the Curt Wireless Brake Controller

You should have a ton of places where you can pick up the Curt Wireless Brake Controller. It comes from one of the biggest names in the world of towing, after all.

This means that you can buy from any retail outlet or online store that deals with towing accessories. In some places, you may even be able to buy the brake controller directly from Curt!

I really like the CURT 51180 Echo Mobile Electric Trailer Brake Controller with Bluetooth-Enabled. It’s not terribly expensive but gets amazing reviews. Just follow the link to Amazon where you can see current pricing.

👉 Purchase: If you are interested in this CURT 51180 Echo Mobile Electric Trailer Brake Controller with Bluetooth-Enabled then just follow the link to Amazon where you can see current pricing.

CURT Echo Brake Controller Near Me

Are there CURT Echo brake controller near me? yes, you can find on following place:

Amazon: If you are interested in this CURT 51180 Echo Mobile Electric Trailer Brake Controller with Bluetooth-Enabled then just follow the link to Amazon where you can see current pricing.
At uhaul.com

Curt Echo Brake Controller Reviews – Wireless

Below you can read some wireless brake controller reviews and comments of our readers:

John M.: “Just picked up our new tab 400 and drove 200 miles with the Curt controller on our sienna. Worked great!

The only thing the app is used for is setting the current profile, seeing the brake application, manual brake application and adjusting/selecting the current brake profile.

The link is Bluetooth, so it doesn’t depend on getting cell service at all. Even if you lose connection to the controller, it still works, you just won’t see how it is working. Even if you don’t have a connected phone when you plug it in, it will default to the last braking profile used.

i had the tech ride with me when we set up the Curt and he was very impressed. They sell and install the Prodigy RF. It does hang out a ways, I don’t think it will ever fall out, but I may rig a safety harness of some sort anyway. Nice option if you have multiple tow vehicles, happy with it so far”

DENNY606: “The Echo has a locking tab, which is engaged on the 7-pin lift cover and secures it in place. The Echo has a similar setup to latch the trailer 7-pin plug.

The setup does add some length to the connection, but I towed out TaB400 150 mikes down coast mountain roads, no issue, worked great. Also towed the TaB over a dirt, poorly maintained access road, which was a test for it staying put, again, no issues.

Also towed it again over the coastal range, two-lane roads, then highway driving at 60pmh. No issues.
The brake action, once adjusted stayed set, no noticeable lag, and everything worked as expected. You do need to be sure the cover latches set correctly.

One could add a Velcro strap around the cover and Echo controller to keep it latch engaged.”

Conclusion

If you need a brake controller for your vehicle, and you want something that is a bit fancier than normal, then we suggest that you take a look at the Curt Wireless Brake Controller.

It is easily one of the best options on the market right now. The tech behind it is absolutely superb too, which means that driving with this connected up to your vehicle is going to feel fantastic!

References

https://www.curtmfg.com/dm/echo-mobile-brake-controller