Brake control advice

[beanofscotia]

Hello again to all.  I've been away for a long time, but back in the fold again!
I have a question about our "new" tow vehicle:

We just purchased a beautiful 2000 Bravada with the sole purpose of dragging our '02 Niagara around.  I cut the brake controller out of our old TV and was thinking of installing the unit in the Bravada myself.

As with most things in life, there's an issue.  I'm see that there's a bunch of other GM vehicles (Jimmies, p/us, 'Burbans) with a brake control plug-in right under the dash.  I don't see one in my vehicle.  After hours of scouring the Internet, it looks as though this vehicle came equipped with everything -- except a pre-wired brake control module.

I've located the wiring harness above the rear bumper for the connectors, there's an awesome receiver, and 4 wheel disks.  I don't know if this vehicle has a tranny cooler or not, but am not too worried about that at this point...

Do I just cave and run the vehicle up to the local mechanic, hand over some cash and be done with it, or try to hard wire it myself?  I'll do the trailer connectors myself; the one on the camper needs to be replaced anyway.

Sorry to ramble on, but I'm hoping someone out there has heard of this issue before.

Thanks,
Bill

[wynot]

Hello again to all. I've been away for a long time, but back in the fold again!
I have a question about our "new" tow vehicle:
 
We just purchased a beautiful 2000 Bravada with the sole purpose of dragging our '02 Niagara around. I cut the brake controller out of our old TV and was thinking of installing the unit in the Bravada myself.
 
As with most things in life, there's an issue. I'm see that there's a bunch of other GM vehicles (Jimmies, p/us, 'Burbans) with a brake control plug-in right under the dash. I don't see one in my vehicle. After hours of scouring the Internet, it looks as though this vehicle came equipped with everything -- except a pre-wired brake control module.
 
I've located the wiring harness above the rear bumper for the connectors, there's an awesome receiver, and 4 wheel disks. I don't know if this vehicle has a tranny cooler or not, but am not too worried about that at this point...
 
Do I just cave and run the vehicle up to the local mechanic, hand over some cash and be done with it, or try to hard wire it myself? I'll do the trailer connectors myself; the one on the camper needs to be replaced anyway.
 
Thanks,
Bill

Actually, what you said about tranny coolers, etc., also impacts the availability of easy controller installation.  From what I understand, if you have a tow package, and probably more specifically, a heavy duty tow package - you also get a plug in connector at the relay box.  If you have a Prodigy, there is a GM adaptor available as well, and the folks at Tekonsha are more than willing to tell you what you're looking for.
 
Personally, if you don't feel like hacking into wires, and there is no pre-wired socket/connector for you, I would recommend taking it to either a competent RV place or hitch installer.  Not necessarily a mechanic who may or may not have dealt with it before.  I had my Tahoe scheduled in (AT THE CHEVY DEALER) to get the first controller installed from my previous tow vehicle, and I got a call from the shop asking what the brake controller was for.  After having a discussion with two mechanics (both of whom had towed "for years") and the service manager, I finally got them to realize what a brake controller was used for.  Long story shorter, I got the vehicle out of there, ordered a Prodigy and the GM adaptor, and installed it in less than 10 minutes.

[tknick]

wiring the controller is not a big deal.  check with Tekonsha because I'm not familiar with the GM adapter people are talking about.  They can also provide you with a wiring diagram.   Following the diagram should be fairly straight forward, there are only 3 or 4 wires to hook up.  As for wiring the plug on your TV, that is simply a matter of finding the appropriate wires on your TV and tapping into them for the brake and tail lights.  You will need to run a brake control wire and a 12v charge line.  If you can follow the wiring diagrams, and have a little patience and time, you can do it on your own.  Most auto parts stores and even walmart and kmart should have the wiring kits you need for the 7 way bargman style plug.  If you choose to hook up the 12v charge, connect it via a relay that will only have the power on when the vehicle is running.  You can get the relay at the auto parts store as well and they can tell you how to wire it.

hope this helps
travis

[beanofscotia]

Thanks, tknick and wynot for your responses.

I got the new bargman connectors wired and installed very easily, since the wiring was bundled right above the rear bumper.  And, since the BC is a Valley Accupower (made by Tekonsha?), I'm going to call them this afternoon to see if they can walk me through the install.

I just think it's a little weird that the Bravadas came with a class IV receiver installed and didn't have the quick-connects under the dash.  I thought the Bravada was only available in a "fully-loaded" model...I'm probably misinformed.
Good camping!
Bill

[wynot]

Thanks, tknick and wynot for your responses.
 
I got the new bargman connectors wired and installed very easily, since the wiring was bundled right above the rear bumper. And, since the BC is a Valley Accupower (made by Tekonsha?), I'm going to call them this afternoon to see if they can walk me through the install.
 
I just think it's a little weird that the Bravadas came with a class IV receiver installed and didn't have the quick-connects under the dash. I thought the Bravada was only available in a "fully-loaded" model...I'm probably misinformed.
Good camping!
Bill

"Fully loaded" comforts-wise, but not necessarily towing-wise.  Unless I am mistaken, a Bravada comes with a Class III hitch (Maybe IV with WDH) and about a 6,600 lb towing capacity (at most).  Dependent on year, it is either a S-10 Blazer or a TrailBlazer twin.  I think at least some of the Bravada only came with high range 4WD as well.  In reality, I have seen very few Bravadas towing, which might impact what dealers order to sell them.  So, there are probably few with tranny coolers, heavy duty tow packages, etc...