brake controller missing, what to do
 

I just bought a 93, 12V, 5sp,4x4 to tow with, and I didn't catch it until it was too late, that the guy took the brake controller out before we exhanged the truck and a cashiers check. (He was awfully fast....We made our agreement at 9 p.m., and by 10;00 a.m the next morning he must have removed it...and I told him I was buying the truck to tow with and was glad it had the same tow package my 24V did.).

I was not on the ball and didn't catch it at the time.

Rather than going over to his place and ripping his head off for being an edit, I'd just like to find another one and instructions on how to wire it in.

Guess how I found out he had removed it.....I was on my way to pick up a 24 foot car hauler this morning and noticed it was missing. NOT A GOOD THING>..

Anybody got any ideas where to get one, or how to wire it up I would REALLY appreciate it. I hope he didn't screw anything else up.

Thank you, I'm new to 12 Valve but figured that would be the best thing for a work horse that would tow well.

Tekonsha makes a good one, that's what I have and I think it cost me about $80 at an auto parts store. Should be a piece of cake to install, since the wires should already be there. You'll have pos and neg power supply, which should be protected by a circuit breaker, a wire going to the brake pedal and a wire going to the rear of the truck for the trailer brakes.

You better read up on this one. While the previously mentioned controller is better than some it is not what I would use and I tow alot, 95% of the time anyway! I would recommend a real proportional braking controller. Some will roll their eyes because the first thought is too expensive. Not if you can get a Jordan Ultima, best money you'll ever spend on a controller. And they are coming out with a new version soon, even better. I've had several of the delayed units, they suck, your always adjusting them according to the load weight, that means every time I got in the truck, truly a PITA. The Jordan is the best next to a controller that is tapped into the hydraulic system and I have two trucks that had them when I got them, a new updated version of that system is $500.00, too much for me. I bought the last Jordan for $137 ish. Find one, you will not be disappointed.

Now I have more questions. What kind is it "SUPPOSED" to have according to dodge (like they care),.

My Yukon, and my 24V both have the exact same kind of controller in them (and I think they came from the factory,,,but not sure on that).....but that is the kind this one had before it disappeared. I was surprized to find there was more than one kind on there. And I can't even see a name on my other two controller,s,...maybe it's on the bottom. They are black, and have a tiny rotary adjuster on the right side and the left, and also a single knob on the front (side to side). I can't even remember what that **** nob on the front is for. But the side ones can adjust it.

To be clear, I don't usually haul very heavy loads. I am almost always under 12000 pounds and my two trailers that have brakes are a portable sawmill at about 3000# and a 7000#rated car trailer. My controller is fine for those, but I can't speak for heavy loads.

I have never had a new enough vehicle to be able to tell you if they came from the factory installed. I doubt they did. Factory tow package doesn't necessarily mean brake controller too. Could have been installed after the fact though, I wouldn't doubt that at all. Any brake controller will work, some are junk and worthless IMO. Constantly having to dial up or dial down the power because of varying loads is not my idea of a good controller. I was constantly having to hit the manual brake actuator also, that sucks. Delayed electronic units are like that, mark my words. Proportionals are much, much better.

Mine does require adjusting for different loads.

If you hit the RV forums, and read what the big fiver haulers use, the names you will see as the cream of the crop are Brakesmart, Jordan and Tekonsha Prodigy. All three are proportional controllers, but all three work on different technology.

The Prodigy is the easiest of the three to install and works very well. Its technology is an "accelerometer." Basically, it has a pendulum like setup internal that detects the rate at which the tow vehicle is slowing, and applies the trailer brakes at an appropriate force. One nice thing about the prodigy is that you can move it between vehicles fairly easy.

The Jordan Ultima is harder to install. It uses a hard connection to the brake pedal, via a cable (it is not tied into the hydraulics of the tow vehicle). The more you apply the brake, the more the Jordan cable is pulled, the more it applies the trailer brakes. It is not at all portable, and is more expensive the the Prodigy. Among the people that have used both the Prodigy and the Jordan, it seems like a 50/50 split about which is liked better for braking.

The one comparison from the RV forums that I like is that the Prodigy is todays digital technology at work, while the Jordan is early pinball machine part technology at work. I think that comparison may be slightly over critical of the Jordan, but it gives you a good general idea of the differences between the two controllers.

The Brakesmart is relatively new to the arena, but has been very well received by the RV community at least. It is considered by many to be the best controller on the market. At the same time it commands a premium price. Along with that, it absolutely the hardest to install. There is a sensor mounted at the master cylinder that reads the pressure applied by the braking system to the vehicle brakes, and uses that data to apply the braking force to the trailer. Additionally, it reads the current required to apply the brakes to the trailer, and can automatically adjust for brake fade, etc... It is apparently completely automatic to setup, and because it measures the trailer brakes use, it can adjust for loaded or unloaded trailers, hydraulic or electric trailer brake systems, and even adjust for wet roads(thus wet brakes) all automatically. It truely is an excellent system, but it is more invasive, certainly not portable, and expensive.

For me, I would get the prodigy. But the most I pull is about 10000 lbs (for now). But considering I know several people towing triple axle fifth wheels that push 17000 loaded, and the like the prodigy, yet lots of my popup camper and bass boat friends use them as well, I think it is a good adaptable and economical choice. That said, look each up online and decide for your self. One thing to certainly stay away from is the time delay systems. They are truely awful.