[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by cookiemech

I thought that all of the U-Haul trailers that required brakes had surge brakes (so no controller needed). Installing a controller in that situation wouldn't help anyway, since there would be no place to plug it in.

That is correct. UHaul knows that few, if any, of the folks who will rent their trailers have a brake controller so they equip all their trailers with surge brakes.
A brake controller is therefore not needed to tow a UHaul trailer.

Generally speaking, brakes aren't required on any trailer with 3000 lb. GTW or less.

Generally speaking, maybe. Specfically speaking about towing with a Tundra (all models, all years), trailer brakes are a virtual necessity anytime the trailer weight is over 1000 lbs (not 3000 lbs). Toyota specifies 1000 lbs as the maximum trailer that should towed without trailer brakes in the owners manual for a very good reason...the truck's brakes are barely adequate to stop the truck itself, much less the weight of a trailer. If you look through the hundreds of posts in the Brake forum, you'll likely be amazed at how many people have overheated/warped their truck's brakes in just normal, non-towing driving...and how many people wear out their front brake pads in less than 10,000 miles. The problem is that Toyota basically equipped the Tundra with Tacoma brakes (along with other Tacoma parts like the suspension pieces, axles, differentials, etc.).