Brake Controller advice needed

[Monterey]

I just purchased a 2003 Coleman(Fleetwood) Monterey.  I will be towing it with a 2000 Dodge Durango with a 5.9 and tow package.

My question is, the connector that is part of the tow package is a 7 pin.  One of the pins is labeled for the brakes.  If there is already a connection for the trailer brakes, why do I need a brake controller?

And if I do, which I am assuming to be the case, I was planning on getting the Tekonsha Prodigy as I have read here that it is a very good choice.  

The Prodigy had an optional wiring harness that is supposed to fit the Durango.  Can anyone tell me how hard it will be to install this using the optional harness?  I am pretty handy with some things, but have never attempted anything like this before.

Oh, did I mention that this is the first trailer for me?  :confused:   Moving up from a test and looking foward to it!

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

[chasd60]

The wire in your 7 pin at the bumper gets it's signal from the brake controller. Near the left side of your steering column, there should be a connector (I think it is light blue) that will plug into the Prodigy with the correct adapter wiring.
 
In my Ram, I removed the ashtray and installed the brake controller there. It is a simple hookup to the wiring harness, just plug it in.

[Monterey]

It is a simple hookup to the wiring harness, just plug it in.

Now that's what I wanted to hear.  Guess I'll go ahead and order the Prodigy and the wire harness.  Thanks!

[zamboni]

And the reason you need a controller, is your vehicle's 4 wheels are all part of the same system - when you apply the brake, they all 4 brake the same amount (or, the amount they are supposed to).

However, you can't just plug a trailer into a wire that says "hey, I'm braking now", because the trailer needs to know how much brake to apply, and the device that sends it that signal (Prodigy, etc), needs to be calibrated to know what %% power to tell the trailer to brake to be appropriate to the TV's braking.

On the other hand, I don't quite see why they don't build a calibratable brake controller into vehicles with a "tow package" -- but, if they did, they would use the cheapest system and we'd still have to buy after-market Prodigy controllers!

[aw738]

On the other hand, I don't quite see why they don't build a calibratable brake controller into vehicles with a "tow package" -- but, if they did, they would use the cheapest system and we'd still have to buy after-market Prodigy controllers!

Ford does on some F350s

[mbopp]

Ford does on some F350s

Rumor has it that Ford uses the guts from a Prodigy in their controller.

[TroutBum]

I just purchased a 2003 Coleman(Fleetwood) Monterey.  I will be towing it with a 2000 Dodge Durango with a 5.9 and tow package.

I have an 02 Dakota with the 5.9 and towing package (same chassis and engine as you) and a heavier-than-the-average PUP and Prodigy controller. Calibration is easy, and you can switch easily from strong (braking from highway speeds) to light (great for stop and go traffic on CA 29 through Napa Valley)

The whole rig drives like a dream,  I didn't even need a swaybar.  That 5.9 had no trouble towing up Donner Pass.

[Monterey]

The whole rig drives like a dream, I didn't even need a swaybar.

I was planning to hold off on the sway bar until I pulled it for a while to see how it handles.  The good news is that our first trip isn't scheduled for a few weeks so I'll get to go out and "practice" with the pup behind the Durango.  I live close to the PA Turnpike so I should get a good idea of what the trailer is like in traffic.  

So if you are on the PA Turnpike and see a blue Durango pulling a PUP, watch out!  :yikes:

[wynot]

I was planning to hold off on the sway bar until I pulled it for a while to see how it handles. The good news is that our first trip isn't scheduled for a few weeks so I'll get to go out and "practice" with the pup behind the Durango. I live close to the PA Turnpike so I should get a good idea of what the trailer is like in traffic.
 
So if you are on the PA Turnpike and see a blue Durango pulling a PUP, watch out! :yikes:

Personal opinion - The PA turnpike is no place to find out you should have just paid the $100.00 and gotten a swaybar.  Look at a swaybar as insurance or seatbelts - you only need them after it is too late.

[Monterey]

The PA turnpike is no place to find out you should have just paid the $100.00 and gotten a swaybar.

I wasn't planning on going out and running warp speed during rush hour.  More like a cautious "feeling out" of how the trailer pulls.  This would be done at night with very little traffic at no more that 45 or 50 mph.  Where I am, there are two exits that are only 5 miles apart.  Besides, other than I-95, that's about the only place that has straight road and no stop lights around.  

I appreciate the advice and concern.  Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to find out if the trailer is going to sway before shelling out for the sway bar.  For me, budget IS a concern at this point.

[GuzmanGang]

I would definitely add the sway bar. It is WELL worth the money. We can pull our pup without a sway bar, but it is a lot more secure with it. We can drive faster without swaying, and we don't have to cringe when we hit high winds :yikes: !!!

[AustinBoston]

Rumor has it that Ford uses the guts from a Prodigy in their controller.

If they do, that would be an expensive way to go.  All they need to do is sense how much pressure is in the truck braking system, way cheaper than an inertial sensor.

Austin

[mike4947]

Austin, Ford does indeed use the Prodigy "technology" in the intragal brake controller used on the Super Duty trucks.

Ford & Tekonsha developed the technology that uses both the proportional control along with sensing the brake pressure on the TV.
It "marries" the technology of a Kelsey Hayes/Brake Smart pressure type controller with that of a true proportional electronic controller.
The controller is said to be "responsive" (don't ask me how) to ABS braking on the TV and using it to "control" the trailer braking.
I've tried one towing a HUGH TT and it does work better than A Jordan mechanical,  the Brake Smart, or Prodigy controller.
 
But it is only available as a from the factory installed option on new Ford Super Duty trucks.

[zagles]

I would try it without the sway bar first.  I have a Dodge Dakota, pretty much a durango with a bed.  I doubt you will need the sway bar, I go anywhere from 70-80 without sway bar, and have very little sway and can be controlled with the brake controller.