New! Hopkins 47297 Insight Flex-mount Brake Controller - Free Shipping on 2040-parts.com

Hopkins Brake Controller - HM47297

Get proportional braking with this convenient and innovative brake controller. Mount the brain portion of the system out of sight; put the controller in an easy-to-access area; and affix the digital display to your dash for easy viewing.

Features:

• Brake controller activates trailer brakes in proportion to your vehicle's braking action
  • Automatically adjusts trailer's braking based on deceleration of tow vehicle
  • Activates immediately - no pausing like with time-delayed brake controllers
• Flex-Mount system includes 3 separate pieces, each of which can be mounted in multiple locations
  • Flex-Display mounts on dash or anywhere in your line of sight
    • Digital display shows braking percentage and diagnostics
  • Flex-Control attaches to any easy-to-reach area
    • Manual override, sensitivity button, and power adjustment buttons
  • Smart-Box goes on kick panel or side of center console
    • Inertia-based control must be pointed in the direction of travel
• 7 Sensitivity levels let you adjust initial braking power and aggressiveness
• Integrated short circuit protection
• Built-in, slide-style manual override
• Mounting hardware included
• Universal wiring harness or plug-in, vehicle-specific brake control adapter (sold separately) is required for installation

Specs:

• Application: trailers with up to 4 axles (8 brake assemblies)
  • Designed for use with electric or electric-over-hydraulic trailer brakes
• Smart-Box mounting:
  • 360-Degree vertical plane operating range
  • 10-Degree horizontal range
• Wire length on Flex-Display and Flex-Control: 4'
• Limited lifetime warranty

Many proportional brake controllers have restrictions on how and where they can be mounted in your cab. Even if the limitations on mounting a particular controller are relatively few, you still must find an appropriate place in your cab to install it. Typically, brake controllers are mounted beneath the dash. This is done in part to keep the controller relatively out of the way, though still within reach, and in part because this is usually where your vehicle's brake controller wiring harness is located. But this can make it difficult to reach the manual override on the controller, and it makes it nearly impossible to see the display.

With the InSIGHT Flex-Mount brake controller, you are free to customize your cab as you see fit. Mount the Flex-Display unit (1) anywhere you can easily see it. Attach the Flex-Control (2) somewhere within easy reach so that you can activate the manual override and adjust the sensitivity. Install the Smart-Box (3) in an out-of-the-way location - either on the side of your center console or on your kick panel - and forget about it. Then simply connect the display and the control to the Smart-Box unit with the integrated plug-in wiring harnesses.

No more inability to see the brake controller's display. No more having to reach around blindly searching for the controller beneath your dash. No more hitting your knee on an obtrusive unit. Now your vehicle will look the way you want while being outfitted with a brake controller that works the way you want.

Proportional Braking

With a proportional brake controller, you can get heavy-duty emergency braking, general braking, or slow-to-an-idle braking for your trailer automatically. The intensity with which your trailer brakes are activated and the rate at which they are applied are dependent on the deceleration of your tow vehicle. This means that, unlike time-delay controllers - which send the same amount of preset power to your trailer brakes every time - proportional controllers are able to adapt to every braking situation differently. So, if you slam on the brakes in your truck, your trailer brakes will activate with that same extreme intensity. And if you merely slow down as you approach a red light, your trailer will gradually brake in the same manner.

As long as the InSIGHT Smart-Box is properly mounted according to the included instructions, it will sense - via an internal inertia sensor - how your tow vehicle brakes. This inertia-based sensor responds to the deceleration of your tow vehicle as you brake by signaling the controller to send out enough power to your trailer brakes so that they are activated with an intensity that matches. The result is uniform braking across your towing setup. No push-pull action - just smooth, proportional braking every time.

Power and Sensitivity Adjustment

Getting the braking power you need for your application is simple with the InSIGHT. First, set the overall power so that you can achieve maximum braking without locking up your trailer brakes. This can be done using the plus and minus buttons on the side of the Flex-Control unit.

Once you have the overall power set, you can fine-tune the power output by adjusting the sensitivity of the internal sensor. Use the button labeled "S" on the side of the Flex-Control to achieve your desired degree of intensity. There are 7 levels to choose from. The first level offers the least amount of sensitivity, making it ideal for lightweight setups. The heavier your load, the higher you will want to take the sensitivity. At level 7, the sensitivity of the internal sensor is as high as it can go. This level is particularly beneficial if you are towing a heavy load because the intensity required to stop that load may be far greater than that needed to halt your vehicle. Therefore, sending out more initial power to the trailer brakes - and causing them to reach maximum braking faster - allows you to better control the trailer so that it doesn't push your tow vehicle before coming to a complete stop.

Simple, Customizable Installation

Each piece of the InSIGHT can be mounted in multiple locations within your cab so that you can customize installation to suit your needs and preferences. Because all 3 parts connect with the specially designed wiring harnesses, you will have to pay attention to how far apart the pieces are spaced and think about how to run the wiring.

Affix the Flex-Display to a surface that is within your sight line. This can be your center console, your dash, or somewhere near your instrument panel. Once you've determined the ideal location, attach the display with the included double-sided tape.

The Flex-Control should be mounted in an easy-to-reach area so that you have fast, simple access to the manual override, as well as to the other controls on the unit. This could be almost anywhere on your dash or center console. The supplied mounting bracket lets you attach the Flex-Control to a curved surface for even more mounting options. The Flex-Control, like the Flex-Display, can be affixed with the included double-sided tape.

The red light on the Flex-Control unit will remain on at all times. This safety feature ensures that you will always be able to find the control, even in the dark.

There are no restrictions on the vertical angle at which the Smart-Box can be mounted, but it does have to be pointed in the direction of travel for the internal accelerometer to properly function. You can mount the Smart-Box on the side of your center console or on your kick panel using either the included double-sided tape or self-tapping screws. If you choose to mount it to your kick panel, make sure that the box does not interfere with your emergency brake pedal.

To connect the Smart-Box to your vehicle, you must either purchase a universal wiring harness to hardwire the box directly into your vehicle or a custom wiring adapter designed to plug into the box and your vehicle. To hardwire the Smart-Box, you must remove the plug at the end of the integrated wiring harness.

Installation Accessories

A vehicle-specific wiring adapter (sold separately) is available for most newer trucks and SUVs. One end of the custom adapter plugs into your vehicle, and the other end plugs into the Smart-Box - no hardwiring required.

Note: If a custom brake control wiring adapter is not available for your vehicle, one of the following will be required:

20-Amp circuit breaker (9506P - sold separately) for 2- to 4-brake applications

30-Amp circuit breaker (38630 - sold separately) for 6- to 8-brake applications

See also etrailer.com's exclusive 7- and 4-way brake control installation kit (ETBC7 - sold separately) if you don't already have a 7-way plug at the back of your vehicle.

47297 Hopkins In Sight Flexible Mount 3-Piece Proportional Trailer Brake Control

Installation Details