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223 Posts
Agreed, those are all very nice (although I do not have the wireless charger on mine). Another good feature is the heated steering wheel.
WL - Nice Features to Note Regarding the GCL
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50 Posts
wait what? how does tow prep package not come with receiver and wiring?
tow "prep" comes with the heavy cooler, larger alternator, leveling rear suspension, leveling headlights, trailer hitch camera zoom, and other things that are really hard to change afterwards. And with the cooler and alternator, things that actually change the max tow rating. It is a "prep" package.
I don't like it either, but thus why they call it "prep" package instead of towing package.
I don't like it either, but thus why they call it "prep" package instead of towing package.
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11,978 Posts
Tow Prep and the full factory Towing package are two different offers for the WL.
I got the tow package with my Reserve and was disappointed there was no brake controller. The Curt Bluetooth wireless brake controller looks pretty "plug n play". Some good videos about it with the GC.
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11,978 Posts
Very few vehicles come with an integral brake controller, so I'm not surprised about this here. Jeep didn't offer an integrated solution with the "WK2", either. Folks also tend to like choice for that item. The Tekonsha P3 is probably the most popular unit, but the ReDark, which is nearly hidden, is gaining a lot of popularity. The wireless Curt dongle does have the nice feature in that it's easy to move between vehicles.
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50 Posts
Interesting, I got a fully loaded overland with a Hemi for towing but I don't even see an option for a tow package. I'm guessing this is because Overland comes with it standard?
Correct. Overland and above have it as standard.
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50 Posts
Great i can stop freaking out now
I'd really hate to max it out and not get the tow package.
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1,077 Posts
I would not trust BT for a critical safety component like brakes. The Redarc Tow Pro Elite is very simple to install - complete no brainer plug and play. Worked great on my ‘21, swapping it to my ‘23 when it arrives next month. Can be mounted next to the USB and 12v sockets in the lower center dash. Lights indicate it’s working, push button applies full force, dial allows quick adjustment of relative force (nice that its so easy to adjust after you drop your boat, for instance). I like it better than the Tekonsha P3 I’ve been using in various vehicles for the past 15+ years.
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1,077 Posts
And given how unreliable my phone is for even playing music on this car, I think I’ll stick with a wired controller.
Plus, it creates an immediate nuisance if my phone is not present (ie it died, I lost it, I broke it, my wife or someone else is using it, etc). Brakes are the last thing that need added complexity and reliance on wireless BT connections, especially as the BT standard continues to evolve. A simple phone upgrade or update might render your trailer brakes unusable. All that risk for an end result that is no different from a completely reliable wired connection? Hard pass.
The controller saves your settings so if you lose your phone connection it just uses the last settings until you connect and change again. I get your point though. For once in a while towing (like me) it's a good solution. For someone who tows all the time, I can see why it could be an issue.
It doesn't use your phone or bluetooth for any functionality, just setup/config.
"If Bluetooth connection is lost, the brake controller will continue to function safely, using the most recently programmed settings."
Now I wonder if they have a Android Auto/Carplay App, that you can have on your uConnect screen.
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1,077 Posts
Interesting; I wonder if that’s leveling, or if the high-low beams are just a function of it repositioning the led bulbs, and it does that at startup either as a gimmick or a ‘test’.Hard to get a good video without being blinded by the lights. You can see something moving on the inside but I'm not sure what.
IMG_0649.MOV
drive.google.com
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1,077 Posts
So, if my wife drops the boat, and I’m in the boat with my phone, she gets to drive off to one of three overfull trailer parking areas within a mile of the ramp with the brakes on the now unladen trailer locking up every time she uses them even lightly.
That’s also one of the reasons I like the Redarc dial adjuster better than the Tekonsha P3, which makes you adjust pressure by .1 increments to dial it down by repeatedly hitting a button. The Redarc only requires you to quickly turn the knob (nice if you forget).
With the unadjustable BT setup I would be locking the brakes, squealing tires, and flat spotting them without the phone connecting (never a guarantee with any BT connection).
It might be ok for some use cases, but hard pass from me. Added complexity and inflexibility, and nothing gained.
The high beams are separate lights - they don't come on at startup (assuming that you are referring to the high beams). My understanding is just like the air suspension, it has sensors to know the suspension position and adjust the headlights appropriately. This startup sequence seems standard for leveling lights as my folks' Lexus ES350 did the same thing at startup as the other videos I posted (looking through the windshield at night and seeing the beams go up/down/settle).
What I haven't determined is if these are semi-static or dynamic self-leveling headlights.
Yes, or I guess the easiest thing would be to set it up on her phone, or she takes your phone (assuming she is going to be with you in a minute), or you change the setting before she leaves, or (what I would do) just unplug the trailer to drive it empty to the parking lot.
I'm not promoting it, I don't have it, I don't have a trailer, but just clarifying that it didn't rely on Bluetooth to function.
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1,077 Posts
Or you just use a normal brake controller because BT is never 100% reliable when you need to connect and there’s enough chaos on a busy launch ramp with kids, dogs, friends, and gear without becoming another frustrated-clown sideshow to the circus…
”I know there are 20 people waiting to launch their boats, but I need my husband to come back with his phone to connect it to Bluetooth for my trailer brake controller before I pull the trailer out so I don’t lock up my brakes and flat spot my tires. Just a minute I’m having some technical difficulties.” 🤣
Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.
I'n not disagreeing that it adds a bit of complexity, but I'd consider it.
And while I really have no skin in the game here, just turn the damned thing off before you get out and have your wife park the Jeep.
And IF I did tow, I probably wouldn't get it either due to costs. And if I did, I'd simply keep an older phone/table in the console to control it if needed, and/or my wife's phone as well.
But what would lean me towards it is, as I mentioned, if it worked with AA and/or carplay, and you could alter it via the uConnect as an app or whatever.
Heck, THAT is the way to go, wired in, on the vehicle's bus or whatever, and an app in the uConnect.
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1,077 Posts
I guess maybe I don’t understand something here. What could it possibly do faster, better, or simpler, then just having the little Redarc control knob?
My understanding is that it has no switch anywhere, so if you need to pulse the trailer brakes to stop it from swaying, there is no way to do that? Usually when you need to do that, it’s an extremely urgent situation where are you are hyper focused on vehicle control, and are operating on instinct. I can’t even fathom trying to get to the right screen on Uconnect to pulse the brakes. You’d be in the ditch before you got to the right screen, canned in an emergency scenario, you’ll be lucky if you even hit the right button on the glass.
The whole thing just seems like a terrible idea to me from both a safety and convenience perspective.
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