Any thoughts on which Brake Controller I should purchase?

[dfonner]

I am getting a Flagstaff 625d w/electric brakes and will be pulling it with 2002 4x4 Durango w/ 4.7 liter V8. I would like to get some feed back and opinions on which brake controllers you have used and which ones are thought to be the best, which ones to avoid etc.
Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

[TheViking]

Tekonsha Prodigy........end of story.  And I'm sure most folks on these boards will back me up on this.  I'm not sayiong its the only one out there, but it's the best in my opinion.

[AustinBoston]

The best is probably the Jordan Ultima, but they are expensive, a bit tricky to set up, and can't be used with all tow vehicles.  It works by sensing the actual brake pedal movements and sending braking power accordingly.  If I were towing a 5th wheel, I'd spring for a Joran Ultima.

Of all the remaining brake controllers, there are two types, timer-based and inertial.

The timer-based type apply more and more brakes the longer the brake pedal is pressed.  They tend to apply too much brake when trying to gently slow, and too little brake when in a panic situation.  Those who have owned them have often reported having to fiddle with them every time the driving changed (entering or exiting the highway, entering or exiting stop & go traffic, etc.), and still not being satisfied with the braking.  IMNSHO, timer-based controllers should be outlawed.  Most controllers made by Draw-Tite are of this type.  If it says "Draw Tite" make certan it is NOT a timer based controller, or just choose a different brand.

Inertia controllers sense the rate of braking of the tow vehicle, and apply the trailer brakes accordingly.  They can be a bit tricky to adjust, but once set up right they usually work well.  Most use a pendulum to sense the rate of braking, which means they can be fooled, but they are way ahead of the timer-based controllers.  With an inertial controller, you will immediately get the maximum available braking (depending on settings) in that full-blown panic stop, and a light braking all the way through when gradually slowing.

Among inertial controllers, there is one that stands head and shoulders above the others.  The Tekonsha Prodigy is a completely solid-state controller that simply works.  It does not need or have the leveling control that most other inertial controllers require, reducing the complexity of use.  And I have yet to find a driving situation that can "fool" it.  It costs more than most controllers, and it is worth every penny.

Generally, you don't want your trailer brakes to be able to lock up on dry pavement.  The instructions will tell you to adjust them so that at 25 MPH, using the manual lever full blast will not quite cause the brakes to lock up.  Start there; some people find this setting too agressive, and can feel the trailer pulling the tow vehicle.  Adjustment Nirvana comes when the brake pedal causes the combination to stop in the same way as the tow vehicle alone.  You probably won't get this exactly, but with a Prodigy you shold come close enough to make the difference irrelevant.

Here's a tip: Electric brakes seem to become more sensitive when they have had time to "warm up."  We used to adjust the controller the moment we pulled out of the driveway.  Then, some miles down the road, we would come to a stop light and find the trailer brakes set too high, and have to turn them down.  Now, we pull out and just make sure they are working, then only adjust them at that first light.  Most times, they don't need adjusting.

Austin

[TheViking]

The best is probably the Jordan Ultima, but they are expensive, a bit tricky to set up, and can't be used with all tow vehicles. It works by sensing the actual brake pedal movements and sending braking power accordingly. If I were towing a 5th wheel, I'd spring for a Joran Ultima.
 
Of all the remaining brake controllers, there are two types, timer-based and inertial.
 
The timer-based type apply more and more brakes the longer the brake pedal is pressed. They tend to apply too much brake when trying to gently slow, and too little brake when in a panic situation. Those who have owned them have often reported having to fiddle with them every time the driving changed (entering or exiting the highway, entering or exiting stop & go traffic, etc.), and still not being satisfied with the braking. IMNSHO, timer-based controllers should be outlawed. Most controllers made by Draw-Tite are of this type. If it says "Draw Tite" make certan it is NOT a timer based controller, or just choose a different brand.
 
Inertia controllers sense the rate of braking of the tow vehicle, and apply the trailer brakes accordingly. They can be a bit tricky to adjust, but once set up right they usually work well. Most use a pendulum to sense the rate of braking, which means they can be fooled, but they are way ahead of the timer-based controllers. With an inertial controller, you will immediately get the maximum available braking (depending on settings) in that full-blown panic stop, and a light braking all the way through when gradually slowing.
 
Among inertial controllers, there is one that stands head and shoulders above the others. The Tekonsha Prodigy is a completely solid-state controller that simply works. It does not need or have the leveling control that most other inertial controllers require, reducing the complexity of use. And I have yet to find a driving situation that can "fool" it. It costs more than most controllers, and it is worth every penny.
 
Generally, you don't want your trailer brakes to be able to lock up on dry pavement. The instructions will tell you to adjust them so that at 25 MPH, using the manual lever full blast will not quite cause the brakes to lock up. Start there; some people find this setting too agressive, and can feel the trailer pulling the tow vehicle. Adjustment Nirvana comes when the brake pedal causes the combination to stop in the same way as the tow vehicle alone. You probably won't get this exactly, but with a Prodigy you shold come close enough to make the difference irrelevant.
 
Here's a tip: Electric brakes seem to become more sensitive when they have had time to "warm up." We used to adjust the controller the moment we pulled out of the driveway. Then, some miles down the road, we would come to a stop light and find the trailer brakes set too high, and have to turn them down. Now, we pull out and just make sure they are working, then only adjust them at that first light. Most times, they don't need adjusting.
 
Austin

 
Take note of the contoller AB has listed in his sig...............LOL

[BDK]

We use the Tekonsha Prodigy and it works great.  I like the feature where it will brake the trailer in advance of the tow vehicle at three different levels.

[brainpause]

I had the Jordan in my old truck, and got a Prodigy with the new trailer. Only towed once with the Prodigy so far, but it is a good controller. The Jordan is a good controller, too, but the Prodigy is easier to install with a wiring harness.

I have to respectfully disagree with AB on the "best" controller. I read a lot on the Sunnybrooktalk.com board, and their opinions are different. They also like the Prodigy, but Brakesmart holds some attention over there. However, the "newest and best" is called a Tru-Control, made by Hensley Manufacturing, who makes the Hensley hitch and the McKesh mirrors.

See this topic, and note posts 139-140, which explain the Tru-Control:

http://www.sunnybrooktalk.com/members/brake-controllers/5282-first-born-trucontrol-10.html

Those two posts are from a member who has used all of the above.

Also, see post #75 in the following link. "STWOODRUFF" is an owner(?)/engineer within Hensley. http://www.sunnybrooktalk.com/members/brake-controllers/5282-first-born-trucontrol-5.html

I almost pulled the trigger to get a Tru-Control for the new trailer. However, I didn't, and settled for the Prodigy. It is probably the best bang for the buck. I just find the Tru-Control very interesting.

All this said, my experience is the same as AB's: Prodigy is good. I don't have any personal experience with the Tru-Control. I just have friends over there that I trust as much. Food for thought!

Larry

[TheViking]

I didn't know you got Starcraft Antigua Larry.  If I were to ever trade my TT in that is exactly what I'd get.  I really like the layout of those.  Congrats

[AustinBoston]

See this topic, and note posts 139-140, which explain the Tru-Control:

http://www.sunnybrooktalk.com/members/brake-controllers/5282-first-born-trucontrol-10.html

I'd love to see the chart, but it won't let me without an account.  I suspect, though, based on the text, that this is aimed at timer-based controllers.  The statement:

[INDENT]"The initial brake action sends a signal to your controller that the brakes have been engaged. In most electric brake controllers, [actually only timer-based controllers] this triggers an immediate release of power to the trailer brakes. Unfortunately, its [sic] usually more power than is needed under normal stopping conditions, resulting in the trailer

[brainpause]

I'd love to see the chart, but it won't let me without an account.  I suspect, though, based on the text, that this is aimed at timer-based controllers.  The statement:

[INDENT]"The initial brake action sends a signal to your controller that the brakes have been engaged. In most electric brake controllers, [actually only timer-based controllers] this triggers an immediate release of power to the trailer brakes. Unfortunately, its [sic] usually more power than is needed under normal stopping conditions, resulting in the trailer

[AustinBoston]

Here ya go. Until I saw this brake controller, I felt that time-based controllers should not be used either. But this is time-based differently. Be sure and look at the Features and Benefits.

http://www.sunnybrooktalk.com/members/attachments/brake-controllers/2682d1167168224-first-born-trucontrol-trucontrol-stopping-distance-graph.jpg

Of course, we could agree to disagree.  The initial reports from several members love the TC.

Let me know if this pic doesn't show up for you.

Larry

1) I still get the login screen.

2) I was not claiming that the TruController is timer-based; I was claiming that it is only comparing itself to timer-based controllers.

Austin

[brainpause]

Gotcha.

It does have some timing based to it, but also some proportional and inertial related. Puts it all together.

Sorry, I don't have a program here at work to crop the size of the picture. But here's a rough drawing of it:

Tru-Control Stopping Performance

P.....100%........................ __
O..................................../....
W......80%....................../.......
E................................../..........
R......60%..................../.............
(G............................./................
.A......40%................/...................
.I.........................../......................
.N)....20%............../.........................---__
...................../.../..................................
..........0%...../.../..................................... ________________________________________________________________
                   TIME (Trailer/tow vehicle configuration)


The graph I copied is pretty rough anyway, I believe. My representation above is probably sharper (ie, the real graph is a bit flatter), but I did pretty well with it.

Larry