Tested: WiTi

It sounded like a ‘must-have’; a wireless trailer connection that doubles as a physical and audible deterrent to thieves that can be fitted quickly and simply.

Well, two out of three was true as I found out on an extended review involving fitting the system to both a tow car and caravan and using them in the real world.

Developed by Perth-based IT specialist Tony Maddison, the WiTi is believed to be an industry first and is something we can expect to see offered as a dealer-fitted option on future caravans.

Essentially, what it does is convert the lighting and braking signals from the tow vehicle and transmits them wirelessly to a trailer module-equipped caravan, camper or boat trailer.  It’s designed to support all electronic brake controllers, although WiTi plans to market its own brake controller in the near future.

Hands free?

So, no more on your knees in the dirt and dark, fumbling under the back of your tow car to connect wiring plugs; no more fears about the plug being jolted out on corrugations and the peace of mind knowing that when armed, the in-built trailer alarm will stop thieves in their tracks by locking the trailer brakes and scaring them away by flashing all its lights and sounding an audible alarm.

I was planning to fit the system to my personal Land-Rover Discovery 3 and Trakmaster off-road caravan, but my local auto electrician said it would take several hours at best, given the way the caravan’s wiring was routed through the Trakmaster’s chassis and the location of its lithium battery

Instead, with the assurance that the system would be much faster and easier to fit to a more conventional trailer, I approached Sunseeker Caravans on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast  to have it fitted to one of their 20ft 6in Desert Storm off-road vans and their new current-model Landcruiser 200 Series tow vehicle.

Two hour job

Graham Carmichael of Caloundra’s Total Auto Accessories did the fitting, which he said went smoothly and took about two hours all up, which means an installation cost of around $220-$300,depending on the hourly rate of the person you use.

The job was made easy on the Sunseeker because of the WiTi trailer unit was able to be located next to its dual batteries, with the main wiring loom nearby, both accessed underneath one seat of the café-style dinette.

Had these items been further apart, it would simply have meant a little more time running wiring to another location. The alarm system’s (supplied) warning horn was then mounted invisibly behind the battery vent, inside the Sunseeker’s wall.

Fitting the similar-sized Vehicle Unit to the Toyota was just as easy, with the module tapped into the wiring and tucked out of sight in the left-hand rear access compartment for the rear lights.

Once fitted, the next step was to pair the two units, which simply meant powering up the trailer unit to locate and allowing it to locate the tow vehicle. With our review system, the connection was made at a distance of nearly 30 metres, so it was done and dusted by the time it came to drop the van onto the Landcruiser’s tow pin.

Unfortunately, if you have an Anderson plug to send full power from your tow vehicle’s cranking battery to your caravan, you’ll still need to connect this, as the WiTi only interfaces the trailer’s lighting and brakes.

Wire or no wire

One good thing about the system is that you can still use a manual plug coupling system to connect another tow car to your caravan if you wish, which is handy if you have different tow cars, lend your caravan to a friend, your kids, or drop it off for service.

Activating the WiTi’s alarm system is also simple; just press the key fob button, at which time the caravan’s lights flash once, then wait a few seconds for a second flash and it’s done. You can then drive off in your tow car without affecting the theft deterrent.

The WiTi anti-theft device then detects movement via a highly sensitive gyroscope. If the caravan/trailer is hitched, bumped firmly, or moved slightly, the unit immediately applies the brakes, flashes all the lights and sounds the alarm, rendering the van completely immobilised and impossible to tow.

Here’s a warning though: You’ll need to disarm the alarm after returning from a night out (by pressing the fob button once) or you’ll set it off and wake up the whole caravan park! Personally, I’d like to see a warning light located outside the van to indicate when the alarm is armed with an adjacent sign that might warn thieves off before they attempt to break in or hitch up. Should be easy – WiTi?

In this case you’ll pay $459 for that security, versus $699 for the complete WiTi system, plus about half the fitting cost.

Should you buy one?

So is it worth it? Well, for my money, the anti-theft system is particularly good if WiTi add that visual deterrent that I mentioned. After all, you can pay up to nearly $200 for a purely mechanical wheel clamp.

But I suggest that you get your local auto or caravan electrician to give you a firm fitting quote first.

As for the wireless interface? Well, not essential, but if you want to embrace the latest technology, go for it.

Check out the WiTi website for ordering details...