Yep, helps if all the connections are connected HAHA!!! I still have an old 80's tekonsha brake controller, no need for anything new, the old one works just the same. Had a close call several years ago on the freeway about 30 miles from home where a lady decided that at the very last second was a great time to cut off 4 lanes of traffic to get off at the same exit I was already heading down at 55mph...yep, truck and trailer brakes locked up, laid on the horn, and the lady just kept on texting as if nothing else was going on...nevermind the 80's Ford F250 with trailer heading towards her plastic car. Luckily the truck's brakes and trailer's brakes slowed me down in time...but seriously people need to realize a truck and trailer can't stop like a little car...and the total lack of attention that people pay to what's going on around them are the #1 cause of accidents. Even my little 7' x 14' flatbed trailer has brakes....well it was a travel trailer prior, and I turned it into a flatbed, so the axle already had brakes on it, very nice addition, granted I don't load that thing down very heavy but just having the extra stopping power is a huge plus.
And yet many people on many forums keep claiming the brakes on the tow vehicle are just fine to stop their additional weight of a trailer that often times weighs more than the tow vehicle...especially as people keep buying smaller and smaller crossovers...err cars to tow heavy trailers because the manufacturers claim these small crossover cars can tow stuff...so they skip the trailer brakes and trailer brake controller because? Well that was an additional $200 for the brake controller system...but causes serious injury or death because their cheap ass doesn't think their 2,000lb crossover can easily tow a 5,000lb trailer without any brakes.