Apparently I did not get the trailer lights plugged into my TV securely. when I stopped for gas I did a walk around check and found that it had come out and dragged on the highway. Much of the black rubber on one side had worn away.  I couldn't tell if the metal had been affected so I made the rest of the trip home without plugging it back in. It was a nice sunny afternoon without much traffic and I was afraid of causing an electrical problem. 

Now I need to take it somewhere to have the plug replaced. There's no RV dealer near me (and I haven't found them helpful if they aren't servicing an RV they sold anyway). Google only turns up DYI videos and I do not want to DIM. Who should I look for to have it fixed?  Will an auto repair shop do it? Is there a better idea?

The RV places here are far away and won't look at anything for weeks.

Is there a U-Haul place you could check with? 

TT

What you are looking for is a guy (or gal) who will just cut the old plug off, and wire on the new plug, playing attention to the color codes. This is assuming you have plenty of cable, enough that you can cut several inches off and still reach the plug without strain when turning.

Be sure to test all functions after the job is done, before you leave the lot.

Unless you have bare metal showing in the core of the plug, and that metal is visibly scraped away, the plug may still be perfectly usable.  Two tests: plug it in and see if all of the lights do what they're supposed to do, and see if it will physically stay plugged in, assuming you plug it in correctly.

TT

Its an easy fix for some of us, but for others, not so much. 

And yes, I'm also curious about the brake controller with no manual settings.

If the rubber on the cable itself is what is worn, then it is very likely that the whole cable will need to be replaced. In that case, the wiring of the plug is moot since a new cable will come with a new plug already attached. Then it becomes a matter of going underneath to the junction where the cable ties into the rest of the wiring.

If you feel uncomfortable doing this, then by all means find someone local who can do this for you. Don't wait on a dealer. Do a search for RV repair and see if there is an independent shop near you which can get to it quicker.

The plastic covering on the plug is worn away exposing the metal of the plug. The cord itself is fine.

My tow vehicle is a 2016 BMW X3 with a factory tow package. There is no separate brake controller device. The computer knows when the trailer is plugged in. I bought this used from a non-BMW dealership so they couldn't tell me much about it.  What I know is from the BMW forum.

Hmmm.

Wrong.

The ground connection shorting to some other wire IS a bad thing that could happen. Fuses can blow, lights wont work...maybe even a scorched wiring harness or a blown computer. This is what I was referring to. 

Also, if things are not wired correctly, 12 volts from the brake light circuit, for example, might be applied directly to the brake magnets..full power to the brakes with no 'modulation'..just locked up trailer wheels the first time the brake pedal is touched.

Or, the brake circuit might end up powering the AUX connection to the trailer battery...oops...I bet the vehicle ECM wont like that...not at all, especially if the polarity got reversed.

Or, the trailer turn signals could end up reversed...maybe even cause an accident when you 'zig' and the other vehicles in that intersection expect you to 'zag'.

All I'm saying is....it HAS to be done correctly, or, NOT AT ALL. Guessing about the wire positions during replacement, and hoping it is OK, is NOT AN OPTION.
 

But I can't believe I don't have brakes. I've towed over 8k miles at this point. Up and down mountains (albeit Eastern ones), small windey roads and bumper to bumper on the NJ turnpike. I am careful about speed but I've never felt trouble stopping. Moreover, when I first got the trailer the emergency brake release had corroded and broke loose, and the brakes engaged.

But I don't mess around with safety stuff. :)

Nope, not wrong. That's why I said you have to get the ground right, so the polarity is not reversed. Nothing bad means no arcs and sparks, not that you don't have to go through and be sure everything is connected right. Of course you do. Trial an error is sometimes necessary and can be done safely as long as you get the polarity right to start with, which can be verified with a multimeter. 

The emergency breakaway system works independently from the TV brakes so that wouldn't prove anything one way or the other. 

I'm pretty sure you don't have a brake controller either, a quick scan of the BMW forums suggests that folks are adding them after purchase. 

+2

The only way it would have one is if you purchased it used and the previous owner added it. It does not come with one from the factory.

Miss Julie,

Are you still in FL?  There are 11 Gander/Campingworld stores in Florida, plus 6 BigTex Trailer dealers.  Surely one is close enough to be practical.  Anybody that sells commercial trailers, like flat-bed or horse trailers can fix it. 

A brake controller will always have an adjustment button/knob to set the trailer brakes for the trailer's weight.  Here is one from BMW.

I have a Redarc inertial controller.  It only has one 5/8" knob sticking out of the dash. 

First, I am not in Florida right now. I made my annual summer trip home (with the pod) to Maine and just stayed here.  I'm teaching online this term and don't need to be Florida for the heat and the virus. Yay!

My SUV and the pod are at a great truck and trailer place I found not too far away.  The guy is so thorough, which I appreciate.  He had heard of computer built-in controllers and was willing to trace down the computer settings and various wires in my BMW to figure out for sure.  He determined (as many of you thought) I do not have one (I'm shocked really).  I'll be adding it by the end of the week (while also replacing the electrical plug I destroyed.)

Thanks for all the help.

If he hasn't already done so, I would ask your guy to also check the wear on your SUV brakes as that might have been a little excessive over the time you've been towing. That's particularly true of the rear TV wheels which tend to carry the most load while towing. 

The good news is you have zero wear on your rPod brakes. 

Get a brake controller installed, get used to the new quicker stops, and enjoy!

Then there are the wireless bluetooth units. 

So, Julie, if you dont really have a good place to mount one, then keep in mind there are alternatives that will fit, one way or another. 

Disagree, The P2 is significantly cheaper, smaller, and does all the same functions as the P3, and is also inertial. The display is just fine. It says "nc" when its not connected, "c" when its connected, and when in use gives the voltage that its sending to the trailer brakes. It's not at all hard to understand.

I gather that if you tow multiple trailers with electric brakes the P3 has some nice functions allowing you to switch between them, but if you don''t then I don't see the point. My utility trailer has surge brakes so I only use the P2 for the rPod. 

"Pod"... Coincidence? Maybe, and it works fine on the r-pod. 

Simple, cheap, and not much to go wrong.

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Brake-Controller/Tekonsha/39523.html - https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Brake-Controller/Tekonsha/39523.html

Mine has been working great for about 3 years now.