Towing a 320S Boondock

shane1

Well, I think we have decided to buy a new 2022 T@b 320S Boondock. Our TV is a 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with 3.2L which should be more than enough. I have a couple of questions though. 1. The RV dealer recommened two brake controllers that they can install. One is the Curt Echo and the second is the Prodigy RF. Any experience with either of these and which do you think is better? or another? 2. Should we get any type of sway bars? If so, which do you recommend?  Thanks in advance. Shane

VictoriaP

I have the Prodigy RF. For me, having the manual control unit for emergency sway control was critical, but plenty of people use the Curt controller (which uses your phone as a manual override) and appear happy with it. I seem to remember a few Curt issues coming up in the forum in the last year though, probably worth a search for posts on the subject.

Assuming your vehicle is OK with a sway bar (some are not, check your owner’s manual), it’s really a preference. Some people swear by them, others find them unnecessary. I prefer them myself, but they aren’t compatible with my current vehicle. And they are a bit of a nuisance; one more thing to do when hitching up, and must be removed before backing up. First and foremost, before adding one, I’d suggest making sure your loaded tongue weight is in the correct 10-15% of overall trailer weight…this will eliminate many sway issues without the need for further intervention.

Yoshi_TAB

Hi,  I have a 2021 JGC and tow a TAB 320 BD.  I opted for a REDARC brake controller.  It is "plug & play" into your OEM harness located under by the steering column and the control box is completely hidden, you only have a small control knob (see picture).  My dealer offered the same two as you posted, but I went with the REDARC because of reviews I read , and only having the control dial seemed to be a better fit for me. I installed it in about 1 hour.   I also just installed a sway bar.  You will hear from many who have them and those who say it's unnecessary.  I'm getting ready to go on a very long trip and wanted it "just in case".  It's one of those things, you don't need it, until you do.  For about $60 and 1/2 hour to install...Although I've never experienced any sway, I did it for the level of comfort for myself on this long trip.  Best wishes.

Denny16

Whilst the REDARC is very good, I use the Curt Echo, and have had no issues with it.  It is easy to setup, and requires not dash mods or hard wiring.  The REDARC control on the Jeep SUVs replaces the 12VDC power point, which I did not want to give up.
 Cheers 

Yoshi_TAB

Denny16 said:

the Jeep SUVs replaces the 12VDC power point, 

Hi,  Just curious....does this mean a separate 12V power connection?  If so, I did not have to do that with my JGC.  My only vehicle connection was to open harness by the steering column  for brake controllers.

Sharon_is_SAM

@shane1 - we have been using our Prodigy RF for 5 years.  It is simple to set up, maintain and is not distracting during use.  In the event the hand held controller fails, the brakes remain at the last setting and remain functional.  No need for a phone or app.  It just works.  BTW - use of the booster is not recommended for light weight trailers like the 320s.  

Regarding the sway bars - I think the influx of a large number of owners new to towing has increased the dialogue on the forum regarding sway devices.  It seems no matter how often seasoned owners say “you don’t need a sway bar if you have an appropriate TV”, risk adverse newbies go get one anyways😂. Anyway, since you have an appropriate TV, I suggest you get some experience towing with a fully loaded TaB before deciding on any additional devices.  Having some weight in the TaB and a tongue weight 10-15% of the overall TaB weight makes a big difference with your towing experience.  Keep in mind, the TaBs have a decent frontal area and catch some air - not especially aerodynamic- so until you get used to it, you will feel some tugging.

dragonsdofly

We have the Prodigy RF. Absolutely love it. We've traveled about 45,000 miles towing the t@b with it. When our original 2005 gmc envoy was totalled, we just reached into the glove compartment where the tv component was stored, removed it and plugged it into the replacement tv. We've moved the controller between multiple tow vehicles with no problem. The Prodigy RF has a hand controller about the size of a cigarette pack. It does plug into the cigarette lighter port, which was never a problem as that old gmc had multiple ports, so we never had to give up anything. When the trailer has been used by other family members with different vehicles, it's a very simple plug 'n play. 

On the other note, we do not use sway bars or weight distribution devices. I am the primary, almost exclusive, driver. I have towed my 320S through the southwestern monsoons, 60 mph winds with horizontal driving rain, Rocky Mountain 11% grades (up and down) with switchbacks and have never had the t@b even wobble. Never. We load the trailer and tv properly and secure both loads to insure no shifting. We keep our speeds at 60 mph always. Even when a tv rear tire failed on the interstate, there was no sway or unsafe moment. Btw I am 70 and female, in case that matters to you, although it doesn't matter in the least to me. Good luck with everything. -Denise

Denny16

Yoshi_TAB said:

Denny16 said:

the Jeep SUVs replaces the 12VDC power point, 

Hi,  Just curious....does this mean a separate 12V power connection?  If so, I did not have to do that with my JGC.  My only vehicle connection was to open harness by the steering column  for brake controllers.

No Yoshi, on the Jeep CG and Gladiator, the display/control button is physically mounted where the power point was located.  It just replaces it, doesn’t connect to the 12VDC power point wiring.  It still connects to the towing controller wiring harness.
 Cheers 

CharlieRN

Another Prodigy RF user here. As others have noted, it's easy to set up (just plug it in) and to use. Installation is a bit more complicated, but that's a one and done chore. We went with the Prodigy rather than the Echo solely because we felt that during an emergency, it could be difficult to access the controls via the latter's cell phone interface. That has not seemed to be a serious problem however, and many folks report that the Echo works well for them.

We do not use sway bars in towing our 320S BD with a Kia Telluride. Though we only a few thousand miles of T@B towing under our belts, we have not had any issues. In places that are notorious for their crosswinds such as some of the Susquehanna River crossings in our home state, you can feel the trailer being pushed around a bit, but never to the extent that there is a control problem.

Best of luck with your new camper. We love our 320S BD and are confident that you will too.

SLJ

We've used the Curt Echo for a year now with no problems. There's a huge button on the display for manually applying the brakes along with a gauge showing how much braking is being applied. If you loose contact with it (never have) it remembers its setting. Also nice if you have more than one trailer as it can be used on either with no installation.

kottum

A sway bar is an adjustable friction device that dampens any lateral movement or oscillation forces imposed on your trailer by sidewind, semi's passing you, uneven roads, sudden braking or swerving (especially downhill) to avoid something in the roadway, or sudden shifting of the load in/on the trailer.  Like a lateral shock absorber, it smoothes the ride.  Or a seat belt, which you never need until you do.

An inexpensive device (under $100) that takes about one minute to hook up or unhook.  I have experienced increasing sway oscillations towing utility trailers that were loaded back-heavy. I have towed travel trailers extensively and always with an anti-sway device, either a friction sway bar for light trailers, or a weight distribution hitch with sway control for larger trailers.

Doug K

shane1

Thank you everyone.  I am leaning toward the Echo. Less initial costs and I just found that they now have a button!!

Freespirit

 @shane1, we have used the Autowbrake electronic brake controller from the beginning and love it. You may want to take a look if you haven’t already.