You ask about needing something to use "from the steering wheel?" In the interest of perhaps taking this thread off into a slightly different direction, I'll ask, "Why? Why from the steering wheel?" You've got buttons and or switches on your wheel, somewhere between 0 and 6 or 7 of them, and in the middle of a crisis you'll be hanging on and maybe spinning the wheel madly trying to right things, while at the same time trying to remember which button/switch releases the chute.
On the other hand, if spinning the wheel isn't in your future, you could maybe just use a bicycle hand brake lever mounted on the wheel and facing backwards (actually forwards, towards the front of the car).
If possible, especially with emergency stuff, I like to keep things simple and consistent with lizard level "fight or flight" responses developed over milena of evolution (well at least since I was 15 1/2). I'm thinking maybe it might be a good idea to activate the chute with the first few inches of travel of the brake pedal. I mean you don't use the dern things for much of anything except stopping when you've entered your trailer too fast, so they are basically a useless appendage down there in the foot well. Why not use it for something useful? Besides then a simple, and relatively foolproof (unless a rear engine/flywheel/transmission explosion destroys the cable) pull cable would accomplish what you need.
Just a thought (I think).
Jim
