Electric trailer brakes are a technology that most people do not know about until they suddenly need it. I recently took a look at the Australian-made Elecbrakes E2 brake controller and how it simplifies and expands a complicated product.
Why do you need electric brakes?
A car’s brakes are designed to stop your car but not both a car with a heavy trailer attached. A trailer with a loaded weight of less than 750kg requires no extra braking. A trailer with a loaded weight of 750kg to 2000kg must have a brake on the wheels of at least one axle.
Each vehicle will publish its maximum towing capacity according to its specifications. A Ford Ranger, for example, can tow up to 3,500kg, and a Toyota Corolla 750kg.
You must have electric brakes if you tow a loaded trailer heavier than 2000kg. Electric brakes on a trailer are braking systems powered by electricity that work similarly to your vehicle’s brakes.
To make electric brakes work, you need a brake controller mounted in your vehicle. This controller communicates with and applies the electric brakes on your trailer when you press the brake pedal.
A brake controller allows you to adjust the brake pressure on the trailer and the ability to apply the brakes without pressing the brake pedal. Brake pressure refers to how much braking force is applied. Braking adjustment is required as different weights in your trailer will require a different braking force. For example, if you tow a horse float, the braking pressure with a horse on board is greater than when the float is empty.
A reason to apply the trailer brakes independently from the car is if a trailer starts to sway, applying the trailer brakes independently will stop that sway.
Elecbrakes E2 specs and price
| Max trailer weight | 4500kg ATM |
| Connection voltage | 10 to 27.6 volts |
| Dimensions | 14 x 9 x 3.5 cm 0.4 kg |
| Price (RRP) | $828 as tested (option dependent) |
| Website | Elecbrakes |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Elecbrakes E2 features
Traditionally, a brake controller should be installed by an auto electrician. This installation essentially doubles the cost of the electric brake controller. A traditional brake controller is also unique to that vehicle, so if you wanted to put it in another car, you would need to get the auto electrician involved again. Conversely, the E2 allows self-installation in around 15 minutes.
Elecbrakes has approached this differently by moving the technology away from the car and putting it on the trailer with the E2 model. The advantage is that anyone with a vehicle with suitable towing capacity can legally tow a heavy trailer without having an electric brake controller installed in their vehicle.
To tow a trailer with an E2 installed, the user only needs a smartphone with the Elecbrakes app installed. The app makes braking adjustments and also applies the trailer brakes independently if needed. The app stays active on your phone while being used, and in my testing, the screen did not go into sleep mode.
If you use Apple Carplay or Android Auto, the brake controls can also be accessed directly from your car’s multimedia screen, which ensures control is always within reach.
For those who would prefer not to use their smartphone, a $180 remote control, which also includes a manual brake override button, is available.
The app allows you to program up to five different braking programs, which allows you to quickly adjust to different load weights or road conditions, such as a trailer with or without a boat or a gravel road versus a sealed road. The app also provides real-time diagnostics, including checking that everything is working, and allows for over-the-air updates.
The unit’s construction is made of sturdy plastic, and all connectors appear to be waterproof, which would also protect you from dust.
This product really comes into its own when you have a trailer that will be used by many different vehicles, such as in a work environment or perhaps for caravan hire.
In the unlikely event the Bluetooth connection fails, the controller will continue to work at the last setting.
The E2 solves one problem but creates another. With the E2 technology mounted on the trailer, your vehicle cannot tow another heavy trailer if it does not have an E2. Elecbrakes also has a traditional solution, the VM1, which can be installed with the help of an auto electrician.
Using the Elecbrakes E2
Installation was simpler than I expected. The kit comes with four screws which allow you to mount the black box to the side of your trailer. Once this is done, you plug your trailer into a supplied plug adaptor, which itself plugs into your vehicle. A cable runs from this adapter to the black E2 box. Tap your smartphone on the ‘eb2’ logo found on the main unit, and the app will download. Tapping again also pairs the Bluetooth.
Once connected, you turn on your car lights, which supplies power to the E2 via the trailer plug, and follow the app’s instructions to pair and adjust your trailer brakes. The physical installation takes less than 10 minutes, but the app adjustments take more than 20 minutes for a first-time user.
My only concerns with the supplied package are twofold. If you have the E2 installed on a trailer and a vehicle with an existing brake controller and do not need to use the E2, there is no blanking plug to stop the dust from fowling the connector. The trailer adapter connection could also come undone, which I have had to happen on occasion, especially on corrugated roads. The result is loss of brakes and damage to the plugs (often requiring replacement). A better fastening mechanism would prevent this.
As I use a tyre pressure monitoring app in my setup, the fact that Android Auto can be used is a big plus. This means I can control the brakes using my car’s multimedia screen. I could have also used the optional remote for this same purpose.
Regarding functionality and differences from a car-installed solution, I found the braking to be similar. I tow an off-road caravan, which means I need to adjust my braking pressure when my caravan has a full or empty water tank and also when I drive on dirt roads. I like the ability to quickly change the present to that I have previously set up and tested rather than adjusting a dial.
FYI, speaking from experience, a conventional solution dial can get knocked on occasion and put the settings out without you realising.
Who is the Elecbrakes E2 for?
Whether you buy the Elecbrakes E2 or a traditional in-car brake controller really comes down to two main factors. Do you want your vehicle to be able to tow different heavy trailers or to have the flexibility for different vehicles to be able to tow one heavy trailer?
That is not to say that you cannot have one vehicle and one trailer, as after you take installation into account versus the E2 DIY, the E2 most likely will come slightly ahead.
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