CURT 51170 Spectrum Brake Control w/Triple-Axis Accelerometer Motion-Sensing Accelerometer Spectrum Brake Control

I was looking for a brake controller that didnt get in the way of my knees, old style brake controllers always annoyed me and just plain look bad, so when i found out about this brake controller from curt that only shows a remote knob, i figured i would try it, it is very expensive compared to other brake controllers, but its kinda a specialty for people like me who dont like normal brake controllers, so i was willing to spend the money, first off ill say everyone that had problems with the controller flashing when not in use almost made me not buy it, but i figured i would wire a on/off switch if i had that problem but it never happened to mine, I havent actually hauled a trailer yet, but i did connect to one just to see what happens, nothing different than when not connected, except when i unplugged the trailer i did get the flashing blue lights which mean the trailer was disconnected, those lasted about 10 seconds and then it returned to the normal mode, for my fellow 07-13 silverado owners thinking about buying this, just make sure you order the wiring harness adapter, its like $8 you wire it up to your trucks already pre existing brake controller wires under the dash and then it plugs directly into the module that comes with the brake controller, and then connect the 2 wires to the fuse box under the dash, they are already there from the factory, google should make all that easy, but overrall its super simple to install and super easy to use, i should be hauling a trailer soon, if this is the last you hear from me about this brake controller it means it worked great, if it does not work great i will be back to change my review

This is an awesome brake controller. Works perfect. Manufacturer VERY helpful when called and asked a question about the wiring connection. Installation is straight forward, and it looks like it was factory installed.

Best controller I've used in the last 30 years. I've owned allot of brake controllers from every price point out there and this is the best. I set it up the first time, tweaked it once and haven't touched it in almost a thousand miles. No fiddling trying to get a better stop or working out the lurches of the trailer stopping you. I can ease to a stop or punch the brakes hard, and I get the right amount of braking every time without adjusting it again. It looks OEM in the truck and the brightness is plenty adjustable, this coming from someone who will turn his dash lights off to avoid distraction. It does it's thing and I just drive.

Like the compact size and fairly easy to install. Decent value for the $. Functions mostly as expected with one small quirk. It sometimes has random lights lit. When I contacted the manufacturer they said this was typical and not a sign of a defect. Used for a couple years in my Jeep Wrangler before selling the vehicle.

Easy installation. Love that the dial is bigger than the redarc. Plus the LEDs are nice and easily seen. This controller offers all the same stuff that the REDARC offers without having to buy an upgraded “pro” version or off road version.

I just drove cross country pulling my 5th wheel using this and I’m not happy with it at all. Had my time not been fully consumed by driving I would have ripped this thing out of my truck and threw it out the window and just drove with no brakes. I gave it 2 stars just because I like the idea of it, but 2 stars is definitely over rated for it. The first problem I had is it wouldn’t adjust, I could push the knob in 10 times and out of those 10 times it would let me adjust the dial maybe once, and even then I’m not sure what or if it was adjusting because it seemed to make no differences in anything. I thought I’d just limp it along driving 2600 miles by manually pushing it in to activate my trailer brakes every time I needed to stop but you can’t do that either, if the foot brakes on your truck are being pressed the manual engagement of the brake controller doesn’t work, why would they do that? It must of made sense to someone who had no sense. Then as we were coming down a steep grade on I80 in Salt Lake my wife who was following called me on the radio and said the trailer tires were smoking. I looked down at the brake controller knob and all the red lights were lit even though I wasn’t even pressing my brake pedal, it had locked itself up and was holding my brakes with full force. There’s also no way to test this thing to insure its even working! Before leaving I installed and adjusted all new trailer brake hubs and bearings. With the wheel jacked up I spun the trailer tire and had my wife hit the brake pedal, nothing. I called Curt tech support thinking they weren’t working and he said this was how they are, they have to sense the truck is moving to work and there is no way to test them, another design element that made sense to the same person who had no sense. Wish I would have seen this sooner, but when I was trying to find troubleshooting information there was a tech support article on etrailer that said Curt’s brake controllers are notorious for internal electronic problems, they were absolutely right. I had it too long before getting a chance to use it and find out it didn’t work to return it so now I’m stuck with a nice looking very expensive controller that’s absolute junk.

I installed the CURT spectrum trailer brake controller in my 2023 GMC 2500 Siera. The controller was easy to install, looks and works great. The Installation problem was simply a blown fuse in the vehicle fuse box.

Most videos I watch on installing this to a Chevrolet Trail Boss shoed you having to add the tiny wires to the adapter. I guess enough people complained and the company provided a new plug. Had to purchase the wire harness for the Trail Boss separately. Install only took about 40 minutes. Did not have to remove any of the panels. Just removed the USB port by prying it out. You can put you finger through the hole and pull the tabs that will allow you to push the plastic plug in. You then just have to maneuver it around to get it out and back in.

Seems like the newer version of this brake controller no longer has a diy connector and has been replaced with a standard connector making install easier. The rubber washer and screw are no longer included and now it has no screw hole in the base plate and just includes self tapping screws. I ended up just drilling two holes and using 6-32 machine screws with a nut on the back. Overall very good brake controller, didn't seem to stay on when trailer isn't connected either which i believe the old version did.

The package arrived quickly as well as the required wiring harness for connection to the truck (2017 Ram 1500). No special tools or wiring expertise was required. I was able to install it in about 1 hour without any special tools. There are some YouTube videos specific to this product that you should check out before installing it. Also, the connector which is to be attached to the wiring harness is a little tricky to put together and the instructions are a bit vague.

Très bon produit seul point négatif ce sont les instructions qui sont uniquement en anglais. Et aussi je suis un peut troublé par l’affichage à savoir comment bien régler les freins

This is the best brake controller that I ever owned. Easy to understand with the led lights around that will give you to info that you need. Looks great to, it almost looks like it is part of your vehicle. Very adjustable to different road conditions.

Excellent brake controller. Installed in a 2020 Honda Pilot. Very little wiring needed when using the Honda supplied pig tail for the TBC harness behind the dash. Controller was easy to setup and adjust and worked great hauling our 3600lb camper.