If you want to tow a trailer with a Jeep Gladiator or a Wrangler, you need this critical piece of towing equipment. It’s an integrated trailer brake controller. If you are towing a heavy trailer with electrically actuated brakes, the controller will send a signal to the trailer’s brake and help slow down or stop. What is considered a heavy trailer? In Colorado, any trailer over 3,000 lbs is required to have functioning brakes on every trailer axle. If you are in other states, the weight requirement may be even lower.
The Jeep Gladiator can tow up to 7,650 lbs. The Jeep Wrangler can tow up to 3,500 lbs. In either case, you may be required to have a trailer brake controller. Jeep and Mopar have been promising an integrated trailer brake controller for the Gladiator and the Wrangler for some time. The part has been available on the Mopar website for several months. We now have a view of what an installed Mopar controller looks like. The part costs $299. It can be ordered for any brand new Gladiator or Wrangler JL. It can also be retrofit to an existing Jeep truck or SUV.
If you have a towing package, and you are towing heavy – this is a neatly integrated solution. The controller lives on the lower center dash right in front of the transmission shifter. It’s close at hand for the driver to adjust or engage manual trailer brake override. However, it does look a bit like a stereo volume knob.
Here is one of our maximum towing Ike Gauntlet runs. Since a brake controller was not available to us in the Gladiator last year we used an aftermarket remote trailer brake controller. The trailer weight was set at 7,000 lbs. The brake controller was crucial for safe and legal towing.
