Hi, FO. I own a late 2006 version of the 2619. It differs from yours in having a '5000 lb' axle. Yours has the standard '3000 lbs' maximum load on the axle, which is very difficult to upgrade -- I wouldn't bother, unless you always load it to heavy. You can check your axle load at the start of a trip, just visits a truck stop and pay them to weight it -- only the TM axle on the scale, while hooked up with your TV off the scale. They usually charge $5-20 to do that if you're not a gigantic OTR truck buying lots of diesel fuel at the same time.
You should get a 'proportional' brake controller, NOT a time delay controller. The more expensive proportional controllers have built-in sensors for tow-vehicle deceleration and set the breaking power voltage according to whether the truck (or SUV actually IS SLOWING DOWN at a rate which matches your brake pedal position. The cheaper time delay controllers don't adjust well on hills, they react slowly, and they can cause disasters during skids.
The favorite and most popular choice of most trailer owners is the Tekonsha P3. Although it's been around for ever (with various 'updates' from time to time), it's still better or nearly equal to anything else. There are some other proportional controllers which use radio communications, rather than wires, to "talk into the trailer" - but with only one trailer axle, wiring is pretty simple (mostly within the cab, and reaching the TV bargman 7-pin interface.)
My own P3 is almost 20 years old, it still works perfectly. It's memory settings are maintained through the winter when it put the TM in long term storage, (though I may have replaced the battery once, during those 20 years.) Newer models have 'nicer' displays which might not stay as bright after 20 years, but my red-LED display is still as bright as ever. They newer and cheaper 'P2' model is identical, except that the P3s can store settings for up to 5 sets of operating parameters -- good if you have multiple Tow Vehicles and Multiple Trailers, but almost useless for me.
In short, get either the Teknosha P2 or the P3 -- and don't be afraid to buy a used one from EBAY or elsewhere, as long as it is in good working condition. If you are not familiar with under-the dashboard wiring, have a pro wire it up for you. Under or on top of the dashboard, you should mount the controller nearly level, in a front-to-back direction with the display facing the driver. My own is actually titled with the display upwards from underneath the dashboard at about 30 degrees, it still always works VERY well, but I know the that the accelerometer accuracy is compromised by that misplacement. I drive in extreme grades, often reaching 15% - and once reaching over 25%.
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With respect to other 2619 fixes and mods, I've done everything except the original 'stinko-matic' toilet -- for which I added a totally effective and noiseless quiet fan customization. Per my sig, I have huge batteries, huge solar, and I can run the AC in Desert summer camping without plugins or a generator. Some hof those things cost a lot of money :;
Another upgrade you might want to consider quickly is replacing the old 3-way "absorption fridge" with a condenser-based unit. (The original uses gas and electric heaters to provoke heat transfer, and they fail to keep the inside cold when the outside gets above around 95F. The compressor ones -- like modern AC units and refrigerators -- are about 5 times more efficient on electric power., they're also good up to more than 120F. In Australia, ALL the tour operators to Uhru (Ayers Rock) use compressor fridges to keep the beer cold.)
First question: What is a good brake controller or what yall use- suggest? Thank you!!!
