Towing Package, tow ready?

[Builder]

Jim,

Maybe GM changed something in 08. When Dad bought his new 07 Silverado, he had the dealer install his Tekonsha Prodigy, and they had to run wires from under the hood. At that time, both the dealer and Southwest Wheel confirmed that there was no pigtail for the new Silverados.

If it was NBS, then it might not have a factory trailer tow package, either.
My '07 has a fuse panel under the steering column. You unscrew the cover and plug the controller harness right in. Anyone could do it in under 3 minutes.

When you say "no new pigtail", do you mean coming off the controller? Because if that were the case, then yes, it would have to be wired.

We would have to know if it was a classic or a NBS. If it was NBS without a factory controller, then you get the wires you have to splice. I think that's a minor task-probably a 5 minute job.

Maybe they skimped on the trailer tow plug to put more money into bigger more important things like Allison MD transmissions with tap up/down shifting? They seem to be more important to towing than a plug.

 

[Baucom]

Regardless of whether or not you have to pull wire through the firewall (don't believe anyone said you did) you do have find wires under the hood, connect them, and then splice the wires under the dash to those for your brake controller. That counts as "running wires under the hood" to me (they're wires and they're under the hood). GM really took a step backward with the GMT900s. I don't care how much of a GM loyalist you are, they're the most involved new full size to put an aftermarket brake controller on. Toyota, Nissan, Ford & Dodge all have direct plug-in harnesses available, GM doesn't.

I suspect they did this less to save money and more to boost orders for their factory integrated brake controller.

 

[Baucom]

If it was NBS, then it might not have a factory trailer tow package, either.
My '07 has a fuse panel under the steering column. You unscrew the cover and plug the controller harness right in. Anyone could do it in under 3 minutes.

When you say "no new pigtail", do you mean coming off the controller? Because if that were the case, then yes, it would have to be wired.

We would have to know if it was a classic or a NBS. If it was NBS without a factory controller, then you get the wires you have to splice. I think that's a minor task-probably a 5 minute job.

Maybe they skimped on the trailer tow plug to put more money into bigger more important things like Allison MD transmissions with tap up/down shifting? They seem to be more important to towing than a plug.

GMT900 1500 LTZ w/ factory tow package. At that time (early 07) there wasn't much info about the changes to brake controller wiring other than that GM eliminated the plug under the dash for a direct plug-in harness and you had to connect wires under the hood and splice wires under the dash to your controller.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Chris, following your own link

They even say the wires for the controller are under the dash. Yes, you have to connect the 2 wires under the hood, but you don't have to run anything through the firewall.

BTW, my Suburban is a late 2008.

Where did I say anything about running through the firewall? You would if you had a non Tow Package Equipped truck of any brand but that is not the topic here. All I said is on the 08 GM and later trucks they did away with the under dash plug and there is a bundle of wires under the hood that must be routed to the fuse/relay box and installed with the proper non supplied metric nuts.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

Regardless of whether or not you have to pull wire through the firewall (don't believe anyone said you did) you do have find wires under the hood, connect them, and then splice the wires under the dash to those for your brake controller. That counts as "running wires under the hood" to me (they're wires and they're under the hood). GM really took a step backward with the GMT900s. I don't care how much of a GM loyalist you are, they're the most involved new full size to put an aftermarket brake controller on. Toyota, Nissan, Ford & Dodge all have direct plug-in harnesses available, GM doesn't.

I suspect they did this less to save money and more to boost orders for their factory integrated brake controller.

Clap, clap, clap. Some one understands!

Chris

 

[Builder]

Well, we have a picture from what appears to be a pretty reputable website of wires already installed for hookup and 2 individuals who say the wires are in the engine compartment.

To keep this informative thread form becoming another anti-GM war, I guess the readers will have to decide who/what they want to believe.

 

[Baucom]

Nothing anti-GM here. I know you're a GM guy Builder; I like GM too. It's really simple though, every full size but GM can have a brake controller installed without tools if you want to use double sided tape or velcro to hold it in place, or just a screwdriver/nutdriver if you want to screw the bracket to the dash. Everything else just plugs in. Nothing on the GMT900s "plugs" in. To install a controller on a GM as I'd want it done appears would require: soldering iron, heat gun, heat shrink, wrench, and several zip ties. All other brands: screwdriver/nutdriver, zip tie (maybe). GM took a step backward with the GMT900, and I don't think it was just so they could add tap up/tap down shifting to the Allison. Plus, I'd say most would agree that being able to easily add/change a brake controller is pretty well equal in towing importance to having tap up tap down shifting.

 

[Builder]

Nothing anti-GM here. I know you're a GM guy Builder; I like GM too. It's really simple though, every full size but GM can have a brake controller installed without tools if you want to use double sided tape or velcro to hold it in place, or just a screwdriver/nutdriver if you want to screw the bracket to the dash. Everything else just plugs in. Nothing on the GMT900s "plugs" in. To install a controller on a GM as I'd want it done appears would require: soldering iron, heat gun, heat shrink, wrench, and several zip ties. All other brands: screwdriver/nutdriver, zip tie (maybe). GM took a step backward with the GMT900, and I don't think it was just so they could add tap up/tap down shifting to the Allison. Plus, I'd say most would agree that being able to easily add/change a brake controller is pretty well equal in towing importance to having tap up tap down shifting.

Are you serious? A little extra time up front versus not having a tap up/down feature and a real MD trans forever? What are we talking here 10-20 minutes of time on a short run of trucks that doesn't have a plug for a trailer controller

I know which I'd rather have.......

To each his own I guess.

 

[flusher]

Pat, this is the norm. At least it is for GM. I believe Ford is the same. Don't know about Dodge, nobody buys them. When I first bought my '99 GM included the fuse and pig tail for the brake controller. As time went on these became extras you had to buy. On my '05 Trailblazer and then my '08 Suburban I had to hook up a wire for the aftermarket brake controller and for the 12-volt. I then had to add a fuse for the 12-volt. So what you are experiencing is the norm.

That's the way it came in my 2001 F150 that I bought in May04--pigtail for the brake controller and a little plug-in gizmo that goes in the fuse block.

 

[Diamondpilot]

The problem arises when a guy buys a new truck and then the next weekend he wants to install his controller as he did on his last 3 or 4 trucks. This usually happens Friday night after dinner and he wants to tow the trailer at 9am the next morning. There is no mention of how to install in any of the manuals I have seen or how and were the wires are that need to be hooked up. Now the guy has to go to the net if he knows how to use a computer or take it to the dealership or a trailer sales and service center like mine. He then finds out he has to run wires, obtain nuts and fuses, ect. It turns a 5 minute job into a 2-3 hour job after researching and running all over town unless he knows what to expect and has obtained the metric nuts, proper odd sized fuse, and necessary instructions ahead of time and has had a chance to source the parts.

In the end its a step backwards but great for guys like me that can charge 1 hour shop rate$$$

Chris