Bendix launches Ultimate Tow™ Electric Brake Controller

Bendix has applied its many decades of braking expertise to develop the new 12V Ultimate Tow™ Electric Brake Controller, providing additional braking control and enhanced safety for drivers who regularly tow heavier trailers or caravans.

Developed, fully programmed and tested from an Australian facility, Ultimate Tow™ features its own unique braking algorithm, ensuring superior performance and reliability in demanding local conditions.

By law, trailers with a gross trailer mass (the weight of the trailer with everything in it) of between 750kg and 2,000kg are required to be fitted with either a mechanical or electrical braking system. And anything over 2,000kg needs to have an electric, or electric over hydraulic brake and an electric ‘break-away’ controller. Break-away systems are designed to activate the trailer or caravan’s electric brakes if they decouple from the tow vehicle.

When hitched to trailers and caravans with electric brakes, the electric brake controller’s purpose is to activate and control the braking force supplied by the electric brakes in the caravan or trailer whenever the driver in the tow vehicle applies the brakes.

The controller allows braking to be easily modulated by adjusting the dial left for a lower setting or right for maximum setting. This adjustment might be needed when descending steep hills or mountain roads, providing the driver with additional controlled braking capacity.

Bendix Ultimate Tow™ also features an override function – if the driver notices that the trailer/caravan is swaying, they press the same dial to engage the override. This applies the trailer brakes independently without the tow vehicle brakes needing to be on, pulling the trailer or caravan into line and minimising the swaying affect. Other safety features include an open circuit and trailer disconnection indicator.

Ultimate Tow™ is suitable for installation in a wide range of popular vehicles and is compatible with the ALKO ESC systems fitted to many caravans and trailers. The unit offers a compact, remote head and OEM-style finish with built-in LED for easy access during nighttime driving and attractive aesthetics.

Installing Ultimate Tow™ is also simple – only a single small hole is required for the remote head and it can be located in the smallest of knock-out dash panels.

Positioning is made even easier with the included 1.28m of cabling, which allows greater flexibility to mount the control unit in a variety of under dash or under seat locations. The control unit features rugged aluminium construction and can be installed on any angle. Everything required to fit Ultimate Tow™ is also provided within the kit, so there’ll be no unexpected trips to the auto shop mid-job.

Bendix Ultimate Tow™ is available from leading automotive, 4x4 and camping stockists across Australia and New Zealand, and is covered by a generous 3-year warranty.

For further information:

For more information free call the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 or +61 3 5327 0211 from overseas (8am-5pm Monday to Friday EST), e-mail us at: brakeadvicecentre@bendix.com.au or visit our website www.bendix.com.au