ready brake on 2015 equinox

I've just got my ready brute elite and I'm getting ready to put the braking cable on my 2015 Equinox. Has anyone ever done this themselves? and if so, what tips or tricks can you give me to make this easier? I've looked briefly at the firewall and I'll be darn if I can see a clear path or a flat spot on the firewall to drill my 2 holes for the cables on the brakes and breakaway.

Thanks for any insight and advice.
Brad

I installed one on a saturn outlook it is similar. keep looking you will figure it out. you may call manufacturer or maybe an rv shop they may be able to help you...

I just finished this on a 2017 Equinox.  If you are not totally up to doing this yourself, have it done for you. 

That being said.  I have the brake buddy Stealth and only had to electric wires thru the firewall/floorboard.  My cable for the brake pedal comes from behind the passengers seat.  When I mounted the pulley for my cable behind the brake pedal, went under the car and looked for where the self tapping screws came thru.  The top 2 screws, came thru where the metal was single, everything lower then that there is a double floor with gap and much harder to get thru. I could not see where the lower 2 screws were because of the gap and double floor board.  Bottom line is pull back the carpet and sound dampening then look for where there are many raised small weld lines.  You want to drill thru just below the bottom one.  You will need a rubber grommet to protect the wires from the metal, and a way to keep water from coming in thru the hole.  I also spay painted the hole for rust protection. 

This video is about an hour long.  Watch the whole thing, it will help.  There should not be too much difference between the 2015 and 2017. About the 20 minute mark will answer your specific question.

The link does not take you to the exact video, do this follow link, scroll down click on "Videos (25), then click on "Show all 25 videos"  in blue, scroll down then click on the 2017 GMC Terrain (white).

https://www.etrailer.com/Tow-Bar-Braking-Systems/Chevrolet/Equinox/2017/RM-8700.html?vehicleID=20171130795#/#exp-productdetails=.videos   

UPDATE:  I've just completed the install of the Ready Brute Elite system with the ready stop break away.
For anyone getting ready to do this, especially on a front wheel drive newer/new-ish vehicle, it's all about figuring the best way to get access to the area. The perfect thing would've been a lift in a garage but I haven't won the lottery yet so I don't have my dream garage!
I started by removing the front drivers side wheel and well cover at the suggestion of another equinox owner on another forum. This allowed me to get under the vehicle and opened up the view of what first appeared to be an impossible task. I had to put the cable for the brake through the pedal of the brake because the brake pedal arm was actually in line with the steering column going through the fire wall. I saw this particular way of installation on an old NSA RV PRODUCTS video on YouTube. After that it really was a very easy install. The cable fed effortlessly through the engine compartment as did the break away, keeping close to the frame rail and then going down under the radiator to a point through the front bumper that was a straight shot to the braking mechanism.
One of the most difficult tasks, at least for me, was actually running the brake activation light from the tow bar the entire length of my coach and then up into the dash so that I could tell when the brakes were activated on the tow bar.
Hopefully I will test the system within a few days as soon as I get my electrical cord and the QUIET HITCH brackets from Amazon. The charge line for the battery hasn't been completed yet, I have only short runs coming up and don't foresee an issue with battery discharge from puling #16 fuse, which is the new procedure for this model.

Brad

Congratulations on getting your ReadyBrake installation done! We've used our ReadyBrute/ReadyBrake tow bar for about 10 years now, and it still works well for us. One tip on pulling the fuse; you might find a remote switch to disable the fuse more convenient than actually pulling the fuse. Blue Ox makes a device for that, but I think it's way over priced. I've made similar setups for a few friends for around $10 in materials.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ox-BX88271-Bypass-Switch/dp/B009APJ2UU

Second what Dutch said.  I would check the difference between the one he mentioned and

Blue Ox BX88272  which is longer, if needed.

Charger1204:  Can you explain the new procedure of pulling Fuse #16,  I have a 2017 and the manual says to pull fuse #32? or is this just a year difference thing?

I downloaded a copy of the sheet sent out by general motors on the "death wobble" that some people were experiencing, I'll try to locate it...sorry for the late response, I've been out of town all day.      https://community.fmca.com/topic/117...-2017-terrain/

I found this on another forum, I hope this link works.
I dont think it's going to work, but it covers 2010 through 2017 equinox and terrain.

Report post
Posted November 3, 2017
FMCA was notified November 1 that GM engineers have developed a revised flat towing procedure for 2010 through 2017 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder engines. GM developed the new procedure to eliminate the wobble that sometimes occurs when flat towing these vehicles behind a motorhome.

GM officials said a service bulletin has been distributed to GM dealerships advising them of the revised towing procedure. The service bulletin says this about the wobble, or instability: “This condition may be caused by fuse 32 being removed from the instrument panel fuse block as outlined in the owners manual.”

In the revised procedure, it is no longer necessary to remove fuse 32. However, fuse 16 must be removed. Engineers determined that these changes should keep the vehicle’s electric power steering activated during flat towing. Another important aspect of the revised procedure: An auxiliary battery charger must be installed to prevent the battery in the Equinox/Terrain from losing its charge while the vehicle is being towed.

Please read closely the attached service bulletin, which details the complete revised flat towing procedure for 2010 to 2017 Equinox/Terrain.

As for the 2018 Equinox: GM officials say that because its electrical architecture is different, it is not necessary to pull any fuses. However, just as with 2010-2017 models, a charger will be necessary to keep the towed vehicle’s battery charged. The current owners manual for the 2018 Equinox will be revised to reflect the need for a charger, GM officials said.

The 2018 GMC Terrain is not flat towable.

In July, Larry Milhalko, GM’s crossover vehicle performance manager, told FMCA that the first step in developing a fix was to replicate the wobble during testing. He said this week that although testing encompassed a variety of conditions and scenarios, engineers were unable to replicate the wobble. Nevertheless, he said, “we’re pretty confident” that the revised towing procedure will solve the wobble problem. “We think we have a good solution.”

FMCA will continue to follow this issue. If Equinox/Terrain owners experience the wobble when using the revised flat towing procedure, contact John Johnston at [email protected].

Equinox Terrain revised flat towing.docx  (google search this for full article)

Thanks for the info, I have not towed yet but am getting ready to in a couple weeks.

Well...Towed equinox about 90 miles to Carolina Beach State Park, Ready Brute Elite performed flawlessly with no problems. Had to brake hard a couple of times and came to a stop as if I wasn't towing anything at all. Can't say enough about the performance of this system. Absolutely can't get any more simple than this system and yet it performs like there was someone sitting in the drivers seat pressing on the brakes! If anyone is considering the 4 down towing method, you should take a look at this system. The equinox followed straight behind the Vista and the steering wheel never shuttered a bit. Pulling the #16 fuse under the hood worked as GM said it was supposed to, although I can't hope but wonder what would happen with the old way of pulling #32. I haven't put a charge line in yet but I can tell that if the tow had been longer the battery would've probably been drained. The Infotainment system screen stays on even when the radio is turned off and the time, outside temp and drive indicator stay on as well. I'm just going to tap into my MH 7 pin 12v supply at the plug and add a charge line with a fuse straight back to the battery. ;D ;D

Brad

Glad to see the ReadyBrute/ReadyBrake combo is working well for you, Brad! Thanks for letting us know...