Do our $$$$$ Escalade's not have an integrated brake controller?

[Vector]

I had assumed that just like the other GM SUV's that the Escalade had a trailer brake controller, but that they shunned the buttons/levers for a more refine look with electronics. Yet the other day I was looking through the manual to see how to bring it up on the touch screen, only to find little to nothing about towing, much less a brake controller.
Thus I must now assume GM's flagship luxury SUV does not have one, despite costing upwards of $90k for a fully decked out one.

So let me know if I am just making an incorrect assumption?
If I am not and the Escalade does not come with one, what on earth could be the reasoning. Do they think people with Escalade's do not tow things?

 

[swathdiver]

I priced one out the other day at $104K. They do not have the JL1 option to best of my knowledge and a quick browse across the internet. What year is yours?

 

[Vector]

I priced one out the other day at $104K. They do not have the JL1 option to best of my knowledge and a quick browse across the internet. What year is yours?

Mine is an early build 2015, but a friend who has a 2018 doesn't think his has one, though he does not tow anyway.

I just find it hard to believe their most expensive flagship SUV does not come with one standard. I was giving them credit for not having it in the panel as it looks somewhat industrial in the Sub much less the Denali. Frankly seeing one in the 2015 Denali made me think the engineers at Cadillac made the Escalade even more refined.

 

[swathdiver]

I guess they figured that most Esky owners won't be towing much. GMCs don't have them standard either, it's either a stand alone option or part of a package; at least when mine was built.

I read a 17s manual and at least the wiring is there for it.

 

[PG01]

They still would have to have a manual brake control somewhere in the dash. As refined as they are there is no getting around that...something like this

 

[adventurenali92]

You are correct. The Escalade does not come with a trailer brake controller as standard equipment. I believe that wiring is there but that’s you have to purchase a controller from GM, although I’m not entirely sure where you’d mount it on an Escalade.

 

[thirdcoast]

Yep, got one of those brake controllers on my El Cheapo 2018 Tahoe Custom, but it was an option included with the Max Trailering Package, RPO NHT, for $580.00..

RPO JL1 is the stand alone Brake Controller order code..

 

[PG01]

You are correct. The Escalade does not come with a trailer brake controller as standard equipment. I believe that wiring is there but that’s you have to purchase a controller from GM, although I’m not entirely sure where you’d mount it on an Escalade.

Any aftermarket controller will work, cant adapt factory ones into the 07-14’s and im sure its the same on newer models...

 

[adventurenali92]

Any aftermarket controller will work, cant adapt factory ones into the 07-14’s and im sure its the same on newer models...

I thought he was talking about the newer gen. My bad. Crazy that even the 2007-2014s don’t either. I didn’t know that.

 

[Tahoe14]

Correct, it is an option and comes with the max trailering package. 07-14 you had to order the brake controller and the max trailering package as separate options.

 

[noob]

Guess they realized that wasn’t a make it or break it option for potential buyers. Though I have a 2010 and 2017, I cannot say that is even something I thought of when buying the car. I wanted a comfortable people mover that is tall enough for some slight road flooding down south.

 

[Vector]

I thought he was talking about the newer gen. My bad. Crazy that even the 2007-2014s don’t either. I didn’t know that.

I am, regarding a 2015+

 

[Vector]

They still would have to have a manual brake control somewhere in the dash. As refined as they are there is no getting around that...something like thisView attachment 193777

Maybe this as an alternative?

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-90250-Prodigy-Electronic-Control/dp/B001P0ZA86/ref=cm_wl_huc_item


`

 

[Vector]

Guess they realized that wasn’t a make it or break it option for potential buyers. Though I have a 2010 and 2017, I cannot say that is even something I thought of when buying the car. I wanted a comfortable people mover that is tall enough for some slight road flooding down south.

Then why tout it's towing capacity?
Lets face it, no one is going to tow 8k without brakes functioning on the trailer.
Heck I can see a potential lawsuit for those who assume it is integrated once the 7 way connector from the trailer to the Escalade is inserted.

 

[PG01]

Maybe this as an alternative?

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-90250-Prodigy-Electronic-Control/dp/B001P0ZA86/ref=cm_wl_huc_item


`

Personally, when towning something that large, or any trailer that requires electric brakes, i would not trust a wireless setup. It may be fine and work well but not for me.

 

[05alive]

DNW to tow with an escalade.

Towed with the 15 Denali and swore off ever towing anything bigger than a small landscape trailer ever again without a truck. The slop in the pintle smashed the truck around, the mirrors aren't tows so I couldn't see around the trailer, and all in all it wasn't comfortable. It squatted like crazy.

If you can afford a 75k+ truck and need to tow heavy they assume you can afford at least an older 3/4 or 1 ton truck to pull the trailer around.

That's why my father got rid of his SUV and bought a SD. He found himself having to go places and put it in 4wd or needed to pull a trailer and couldn't with his 1/2 ton SUV, and didn't want to beat the truck up doing something it wasn't supposed to do.

 

[EmeryZ28]

I am fairly confident in saying that most Escalade owners do not tow things, especially things that need that brake controller. I am often at the boat ramp and very rarely see Escalades and when I do they are just towing either 1 or 2 high end jet ski's and those trailers do not come with brakes. I have the controller in my Z71 and Tahoe and do not use it. My boat trailer has brakes, but they are controlled by a different system. In order to use that brake controller you need to be towing something pretty large!

 

[yates ™]

DNW to tow with an escalade.

Towed with the 15 Denali and swore off ever towing anything bigger than a small landscape trailer ever again without a truck. The slop in the pintle smashed the truck around, the mirrors aren't tows so I couldn't see around the trailer, and all in all it wasn't comfortable. It squatted like crazy.

If you can afford a 75k+ truck and need to tow heavy they assume you can afford at least an older 3/4 or 1 ton truck to pull the trailer around.

That's why my father got rid of his SUV and bought a SD. He found himself having to go places and put it in 4wd or needed to pull a trailer and couldn't with his 1/2 ton SUV, and didn't want to beat the truck up doing something it wasn't supposed to do.

Towed with Yukons, Denalis, Escalades, and HD Trucks. If you're within the weight limits SUV's tow just fine. With my old Yukon I think I even towed over weight a time or two, once was a 20' car trailer we made sides on and put all my old roof in, pretty sure it was over weight. Tow mirrors are nice but not really needed for most trailers.

I have considered trading in my truck for a newer SUV for family things and still using it to tow my car but then I need the bed for something and just wait to get my wife something new.

 

[05alive]

Towed with Yukons, Denalis, Escalades, and HD Trucks. If you're within the weight limits SUV's tow just fine. With my old Yukon I think I even towed over weight a time or two, once was a 20' car trailer we made sides on and put all my old roof in, pretty sure it was over weight. Tow mirrors are nice but not really needed for most trailers.

I have considered trading in my truck for a newer SUV for family things and still using it to tow my car but then I need the bed for something and just wait to get my wife something new.

My trailers are either equipment trailers way too large for a 1/2 ton, or big box trailers.

I pulled a big stealth box trailer with a pintle, 14 or 16 by 8.5. I couldn't see jack, and the trailer was pushing the truck around when I forgot to hit the manual brake. Even with the gain all the way up it was pushing the truck around. It was just weird. I've pulled the same trailer with dump trucks and hd pickups, and it doesn't push the truck around like it did to the Denali. Wasn't as much slop, or at least it didn't make the truck jump as much on the bigger trucks, probably because they're heavier.

It COULD do it, it wasn't sagging the truck out like crazy or straining to pull, but I wouldn't do it again unless I absolutely had to because it wasn't comfortable. Bumpy and sloppy. Couldn't see.

 

[yates ™]

You're talking about a whole different class of trailer that is too large for any half ton truck or SUV, completely different conversation.