Hopkins Towing Solutions 47297 INSIGHT Plug-in Simple Brake Control , Black

I wanted to wait until I had a change to use this controller towing a heavy load before writing a review. I had that chance this past weekend.I have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Eco Diesel and I used it to tow a load of 7000lbs for about a 6 hour ride. The trailer brakes, and controller, worked flawlessly. The controller was easy to set and it worked very proportionally. The brake application was very linear.That doesn't mean everything is perfect. From an operational standpoint I am very happy. The installation itself wasn't bad either. My only issue is with the remote display and remote manual brake control unit. Both are larger than I would have liked and that is especially the case with the manual brake control. In trying to find a spot for the both of them their size caused some issues. It's not that they are so large they won't fit places, it's that they are large enough that it is difficult to make them inconspicuous when installed and not in use.With the display once the rubber bezel and pivoting mount is removed it is much better. It would have been nice though it had much less depth. To the point of being able to have the back of the unit stuck to a flat surface facing the driver. It is deep enough that about the only real choice is to mount it on the top of the dash somewhere. I wound up placing it on the dash top just in front of the A pillar. When not in use it is a little more noticeable than I'd like but not terrible. Also, without the ball mount, being just Velcroed to the dash top, it is not perfectly angled to the driver. Using the ball mount you can angle it any way you'd like but for me the ball mount was far too bulky. In the end it works.For the manual brake control it is far more bulky and thus harder to find an inconspicuous place for it. Ultimately I mounted it to the knee bolster very as low and to the outside of the drivers compartment as possible. It is quite large. I'd have preferred it to be at least 1/2 its size.The whole idea of having the three parts of this setup separate instead of a single unit is to allow flexible and "custom" installation. When you take their bulkiness and then add in somewhat substantial cables, it makes a true lay custom or integrated look very difficult.Even with these difficulties I am giving this item 5 stars, just barely though. The reason is, it is still better than a standard brake controller for reduced bulk and it works very well. Just be prepared to take some time to get it installed in a manner you would like and keep in mind it will be very hard to get a truely integrated look.

This device is about as perfect as I can imagine it can be.I really, really love the modular design. It's brilliant and makes everything so easy. Mount the "brain box" in the footwell, mount the readout near your instrument cluster, and mount the pinch control anywhere you find convenient. It's just that simple. I took less than five minutes deciding where I wanted to mount everything. (I admit, I spent the first day driving without the pinch controller mounted yet, so I could test out exactly where I liked it best.)It's easy to fine tune the breaking amounts for your vehicle/trailer. And is even capable of remembering the settings for different trailers. And it could not be easier to use on the road.I had no compatibility issues with either my towing vehicle nor any trailers.The modular design alone makes this absolute winner, but the price point is perfect as well (not so cheap as to make me think it's junk, but not so expensive that I'm warned off). And it's worked reliably for a year now. I will update my review if any of that changes.I've been nothing but happy with this purchase, and if I needed a second unit I wouldn't think twice about purchasing it again.

Bought a flatbed car hauler to transport my convertible back and forth from FL to MI every summer. Needed a brake controller and loved the features of this unit. It is proportional, it keeps the main box mostly out of sight, it gives a digital readout every time the brakes are applied on the trailer, showing you what percentage of braking power is being used, and it has a separate, very easy-to-use manual braking feature, if you feel you aren't getting as much stopping power as you need.I have no idea why Amazon says it is not compatible with my 2018 Ford Explorer (Limited, AWD, Class III Towing Package), but it clearly works and works well, so far. eTrailer also sells this and they show that it is compatible. (Side note: I would have ordered from them simply for the professional towing help they offer, but they were out of stock.)The only difficulty in installing this unit was getting my hands on the cable that Ford had prewired into my Explorer. They left it under the steering column, at a place that was simply impossible to access without removing the panel under the steering wheel. Six screws and five plastic clips and I was in. After that, a piece of cake install. I bought some of those sticky backed wire holders at Menards and the install looks really nice in my vehicle.As I was testing it out on a country road, I wanted to see how well that manual thumb-switch worked. Incredible! I was going about 35 and without touching my brake pedal, I pushed the button down to full braking power, which is 99% on the readout. You could instantly feel the trailer dragging my 5000 pound SUV to a halt. Obviously, you wouldn't do this in the real world, but it was nice to see that this feature really gives you that extra stopping power you might need someday.I hope I am as excited about this product in a few weeks after traveling through the mountains of Tennessee!EDIT: I have added the two photos. The controller box sits almost completely out of sight near your right leg. The picture of the "flex control" and the "flex display" shows how you can easily mount them to be convenient yet not in your way. (The phone charging system is pictured, also. Didn't want to bother with removing it!)Also, spend the $15 or so to buy the coupler cable that fits your vehicle. It literally is plug and play if you do that. No wiring/splicing of any kind!

This works great as a trailer break and is super easy to use. However, it doesn’t say anywhere that an adapter is required to plug it in so we had to quickly find an adapter at a nearby parts store before using it.