- First Name
- Josh
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2022
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 173
- Reaction score
- 315
- Location
- Denton, TX
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 BadSquatch, 2021 JLUR, 2008 JK-X, 65 Elco
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
Fellow nerds, I have some ideas I would like your help with. Like many, I deleted factory tow. Who knows if that was the magic trick but after 609 days of waiting I got my bronco a month ago. I have since added a Rough Country hitch, Curt 4-pin kit, and a 7-pin kit with a Redarc Tow Pro Elite. Side note - that was a lot more work than I anticipated, and maybe I should have just waited longer for factory tow… anyway. All of my trailers pull great with this setup.
I know that part of the factory tow package is a module that integrates with all the other modules and turns on/off certain features when a trailer is connected. I would like to try and emulate that functionality somehow. Most importantly, I would like the rear parking sensors and BLIS to turn off when I am towing. Yes, I can change those settings in the dash/sync, but when I go camping I tend to hook/unhook more than once per day and convenience is always good. I also believe there are transmission shift point changes and I’d like those too, if I can get them. My initial thoughts have been around emulating the tow module and tricking the existing system via some CANBUS magic, but I don’t have any real expertise with CANBUS. I do have a little sparkfun board that would get me plugged into it.
A real nice-to-have, which I don’t think is part of factory tow, would be to integrate a remote camera for trailer backing purposes. This is possible on the Super Duty, I have to believe it is possible on the Bronco… it may just take more work. I don’t mind doing that work.
With all of the things I have already added and will be adding soon, I’d like to avoid as much additional clutter in the cockpit as possible. Adding an extra screen just for a trailer cam is possible, but not ideal. I am handy with a raspi, Arduino, soldering iron, etc and I have a two-post lift to make any new wiring runs a breeze. Any ideas would be much appreciated.
I know that part of the factory tow package is a module that integrates with all the other modules and turns on/off certain features when a trailer is connected. I would like to try and emulate that functionality somehow. Most importantly, I would like the rear parking sensors and BLIS to turn off when I am towing. Yes, I can change those settings in the dash/sync, but when I go camping I tend to hook/unhook more than once per day and convenience is always good. I also believe there are transmission shift point changes and I’d like those too, if I can get them. My initial thoughts have been around emulating the tow module and tricking the existing system via some CANBUS magic, but I don’t have any real expertise with CANBUS. I do have a little sparkfun board that would get me plugged into it.
A real nice-to-have, which I don’t think is part of factory tow, would be to integrate a remote camera for trailer backing purposes. This is possible on the Super Duty, I have to believe it is possible on the Bronco… it may just take more work. I don’t mind doing that work.
With all of the things I have already added and will be adding soon, I’d like to avoid as much additional clutter in the cockpit as possible. Adding an extra screen just for a trailer cam is possible, but not ideal. I am handy with a raspi, Arduino, soldering iron, etc and I have a two-post lift to make any new wiring runs a breeze. Any ideas would be much appreciated.
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