Towing question - first timer

[mad_max]

Hi all, bought and installed the Invisihitch based on the positive reviews here. It's coded and all ready to go. This will be my first time towing anything. To start off with I'm thinking of renting a travel trailer soon on a vacation trip. However I'm not sure if I need a brake controller. What is the safe weigh that can be towed without a brake controller and are the light travel trailer within that weight limit?

I saw the optional brake controller switch that comes with the active harness, how to I make use of that?

[alphaod]

There is no safe weight. If it has electric brakes, you need a brake controller. If it has no brakes or uses surge brakes, then you don't need a controller.

Most likely if you're towing something as big as travel trailer it will have electric brakes hence the need for a controller.

[mad_max]

How do I hookup a brake controller using the plug on the active harness that came with the tow hitch? Do I need to run wires to the front of the car?

[edpm3]

I have the Invisihitch and it works great.

You can buy a relatively inexpensive brake controller and wire it in to your X5's system. I am reluctant to cut into my vehicle's wiring, so I didn't do that.

In my opinion, the easiest and simplest solution, although more expensive, is to get the Tekonsha Prodigy RF controller.

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-9025.../dp/B001P0ZA86

You plug your trailer's 7-pin round connector into the Prodigy, you plug the Prodigy's 7-pin round connector into your Invisihitch round plug receptacle, you plug the controller handset into a cigarette lighter, and it's connected. By the way, if you rent a trailer, you can probably zip tie the Prodigy receiver to the trailer's tongue with big, strong zip ties.

The only glitch is that before you can use it, the hand controller must be paired to the receiver on the trailer. Because of certain circuits on the BMW, it won't pair. The fix is easy if you know someone else with a trailer. You plug everything into their truck and trailer, pair the unit, and then you can plug everything back into your X5 and it will work fine.

It sounds complicated, but it's not that hard.

[mad_max]

Originally Posted by edpm3

I have the Invisihitch and it works great.

You can buy a relatively inexpensive brake controller and wire it in to your X5's system. I am reluctant to cut into my vehicle's wiring, so I didn't do that.

In my opinion, the easiest and simplest solution, although more expensive, is to get the Tekonsha Prodigy RF controller.

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-9025.../dp/B001P0ZA86

You plug your trailer's 7-pin round connector into the Prodigy, you plug the Prodigy's 7-pin round connector into your Invisihitch round plug receptacle, you plug the controller handset into a cigarette lighter, and it's connected. By the way, if you rent a trailer, you can probably zip tie the Prodigy receiver to the trailer's tongue with big, strong zip ties.

The only glitch is that before you can use it, the hand controller must be paired to the receiver on the trailer. Because of certain circuits on the BMW, it won't pair. The fix is easy if you know someone else with a trailer. You plug everything into their truck and trailer, pair the unit, and then you can plug everything back into your X5 and it will work fine.

It sounds complicated, but it's not that hard.

Even if I have the active harness with brake controller plug do I still need to cut into the wiring? I did look at the remote unit you listed. I won't tow that much so would like the cheaper option.

[edpm3]

Originally Posted by mad_max

Even if I have the active harness with brake controller plug do I still need to cut into the wiring? I did look at the remote unit you listed. I won't tow that much so would like the cheaper option.

Are you talking about a separate plug just for an electric brake controller, or the round, 7-pin receptacle under the vehicle that comes with the Invisihitch? The round 7-pin receptacle is for the plug from the trailer. That's where the trailer gets its power for lights and brakes, but you still need a brake controller unit or handset in the cabin. The controllers are normally hardwired into the vehicle, unless you have a wireless controller like the Prodigy RF. If your harness already has with a dedicated connector for an electric brake controller, that's great, but I've never heard of a BMW having that before.

I think the least expensive route if you need electric brakes is to find someone who has wired an electric brake controller into a late-model BMW and have them do it. I'm not brave enough to do it myself.

[mad_max]

Originally Posted by edpm3

Are you talking about a separate plug just for an electric brake controller, or the round, 7-pin receptacle under the vehicle that comes with the Invisihitch? The round 7-pin receptacle is for the plug from the trailer. That's where the trailer gets its power for lights and brakes, but you still need a brake controller unit or handset in the cabin. The controllers are normally hardwired into the vehicle, unless you have a wireless controller like the Prodigy RF. If your harness already has with a dedicated connector for an electric brake controller, that's great, but I've never heard of a BMW having that before.

I think the least expensive route if you need electric brakes is to find someone who has wired an electric brake controller into a late-model BMW and have them do it. I'm not brave enough to do it myself.

Do you have the active harness? If you look at the wiring diagram from Invisihitch there's a plug in the wiring harness that's marked as "connect to electric brake controller if applicable"

[ramsal]

Originally Posted by mad_max

Do you have the active harness? If you look at the wiring diagram from Invisihitch there's a plug in the wiring harness that's marked as "connect to electric brake controller if applicable"

I highly recommend the Prodigy RF brake controller, it bolts onto the trailer and the wireless handset in the cabin then controls the unit bolted onto the trailer - no additional wires/wiring required. The trailer 7-pin the connects to the Prodigy RF and the Prodigy RF then connects to the 7-pin outlet of your active harness that comes with the invisihitch. The pairing can be a pain but all you need to do is put electrical tape on the the brake pin of the Prodigy RF before you plug it into the vehicle and it will pair. You then unplug it, take of the tape and plug it back in, done. Good luck!

[mad_max]

Originally Posted by ramsal

I highly recommend the Prodigy RF brake controller, it bolts onto the trailer and the wireless handset in the cabin then controls the unit bolted onto the trailer - no additional wires/wiring required. The trailer 7-pin the connects to the Prodigy RF and the Prodigy RF then connects to the 7-pin outlet of your active harness that comes with the invisihitch. The pairing can be a pain but all you need to do is put electrical tape on the the brake pin of the Prodigy RF before you plug it into the vehicle and it will pair. You then unplug it, take of the tape and plug it back in, done. Good luck!

I'm considering renting trailers before I buy one and this I don't think that would be practical.

[leo95se]

It takes 20 minutes to route the OEM harness provided with a standard brake controller (you can buy the OEM bmw one which is a tekonsha). Id rather a wire to control brakes over a radio signal that's been known to drop out

[mad_max]

Originally Posted by leo95se

It takes 20 minutes to route the OEM harness provided with a standard brake controller (you can buy the OEM bmw one which is a tekonsha). Id rather a wire to control brakes over a radio signal that's been known to drop out

That's exactly what I was looking for. But I wasn't able to find additional information on how to do it. So do I plug the brake controller into the brake controller plug in the back (the one that came with the tow hitch) of the car and route the wires to the front where fix the brake controller there? Does the unit come with long wires?

[leo95se]

It has long wires yes. The instructions should have come from execuhitch. The exterior 7 pin harness routes into the trunk and connects to the rear fuse box.

The brake controller routes from 1 4pin connection from the rear to the controller in the front.