Editor John Ford continues upgrading his Trakmaster caravan with the WiTi Anti-Theft System's Wireless Towing Interface, Wireless Brake Controller and WiTi GPS hardware.
In part one of this gear review we showed how I successfully fitted the WiTi anti-theft alarms to my Trakmaster caravan and this month we continue with some valuable upgrades. The WiTi’s electronic brain is capable of much more than simply guarding your assets because of its gyroscope with accelerometer feature and can also inform other applications through wi-fi.
Remote control lights
The Wireless Towing Interface replaces the cables and plugs connecting a tow vehicle and the van with a wireless connection for point-to-point communication between the tow vehicle and van. All the lighting and braking signals transmit over the ether and don’t require an internet link. The Towing Interface includes a Communication Module that plugs into the WiTi Anti-Theft System already installed in the van which is wired into the van’s lights and brakes. The two modules work together to wirelessly operate the signal lights.
The Wireless Towing Interface plugs into the vehicle’s 12-pin socket, and it needs 12V power to operate the brakes. I found my 12-pin was only wired as a seven-pin, but luckily there was a powered Anderson Plug close by and it didn’t take long to tap into it with a wire running to position eight on the top row of the female socket.
With the Interface plugged into the 12-pin receiver on the Toyota it was quick and easy to connect the Interface with the Module by pressing the PAIR and RESET buttons. Lights flashed and the link was established. A quick test showed the blinkers, park and brake lights all worked without the normal wired connection. It’s worth noting that WiTi advises the Interface supports CAN Bus vehicles and vehicles with advanced electronics like vehicle specific towing modes as well as all third-party electric brake controllers.
Remote control brakes
The next phase was setting up the Wireless Brake Controller. It plugs into the standard power socket on the dash and includes an LED screen and a dial for brake pressure and manual override. Like the Towing Interface, the brake controller wirelessly communicates with the Communication Module in the van and operates the caravan brakes.
We linked the brake controller using the pairing commands in the instruction booklet. The connection was simple and fast, and we soon had signals on the brake controller screen that indicated all was good. The position for the brake controller low on the LandCruiser 200 Series dash gives a good view of the screen and it’s within quick reach to adjust the brake sensitivity or apply the override. The screen shows caravan battery power and the selected percentage of brake sensitivity.
The WiTi Wireless Brake Controller applies proportional braking in accord with the rate of deceleration and offers hill descent assist and brake smoothing. In the downhill application, the system measures the angle of descent and applies the brakes in proportion to the amount set on the dial. This is contrast to some proportional systems that rely on deceleration to apply more brake pressure and if you are feathering the brakes then the caravan brakes may not work effectively.
Brake Smoothing minimises the jolting sometimes experienced with some controllers by measuring the input and applying suitable pressure.
With the brake controller installed we set off for a test drive. In a safe spot on gravel, I applied full pressure to the controller and the caravan brakes brought us quickly to a stop. Through town and out on the open road the brakes worked smoothly and efficiently. I didn’t get an opportunity to try the hill descent on a steep incline, but I will report on that when we have a chance.
Keeping track
GPS tracking of the van is another upgrade to the WiTi system. The optional WiTi GPS hardware plugs into the WiTi Anti-Theft unit. By partnering with the QuikTrak app there are two options for tracking: WiTi Track which gives 24/7 location and WiTi QProtect to locate and receive notifications on activity around the van. The basic package (QProtect) is $48 annually and the full-time monitoring costs $228.
Setup was quick and easy. I chose the basic package which should suit my needs.
The Electric Brake controller is $349, the Wireless Towing Interface is $349 and the GPS module $289.
Once I learned to understand the complexities of WiTi I was surprised at the many ways it aids the caravanning lifestyle. The system works very well, even with my ham-fisted and tortured installation (admittedly, installation was more difficult in an offroad van). Overall, as a pretty non-digital native, I’m quite impressed.
THE NEXT STEP
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