Best Trailer Brake Controller ??
 

I'm a little out of date, and as I said earlier, I'm shopping for a trailer to retire in.

Seems like I read many times about the Jordan being the best controller out there. Do y'all agree ?? Which model should I look at ??

As I recall, the controller should just plug into the wiring harness up under the dash. Is this right ??

Thanks much. Appreciate any answers. Lar.

I don't Jordan is around anymore are they?

I've got a Prodigy by Tekonsha. I've been running it for about 5-6 years now. Its a great unit,and you'd have to find a hell of a controller to be better than a Prodigy IMO.

Its easy to set up and works very smoothly.

Yes,most controllers can be installed with a simple plug under the dash.

Prodigy has worked great for me.

Brakesmart hands down

Hayes Genesis works great easy install. Got it form Southwest Wheel 2nd day air and free shipping!

I like the Jordan and think it is the best one out there. However, I hooked up to a trailer that had the battery hooked backwards and it fried the controller. Good news is that Jordan fixed it no charge. In the mean time I had to put another controller in and I think it is the Prodigy.
I have the Jordan, brand new, in a box here at home.
I did a search for Jordan and I can't find their link; they might have gone out of business.

I like my Prodigy much better than any of the other controllers I've ran but if I was pulling a big 5ver I would be willing to try out a Brakesmart to see if I liked it better than the prodigy.

I had a Jordan, was sold on it's simplicity, the more the cable attached to the brake pedal is pulled out, the more the trailer brakes come on.

One day last year on our way on a trip I was snubbing the controller to heat up the brakes so I could adjust the Jordan, they were just starting to come in when all the sudden the trailer brakes locked up. I thought I pulled the break away and ran back to check, it was still in. When I got back to the truck the Jordan was smoking.
That's when I found out Mr Jordan had sold the company and the new owners were in the middle of re-designing it and had none in stock. They did refund me for the controller. I see now they're STILL working on it:
http://www.bestbrakecontroller.com/

I put in a Tekonsha P3 and am very happy with it so far, can't see any reason to spend the big bucks on a Brakesmart.

I also use a P3 for my travel trailer. Works very well for me and have no complaints about it.

I use the Prodigy too. Upgraded when I got the new truck from the older "Voyager" model.

I've never towed with a Brakesmart or Jordan, though I hear they are the best. For $116.00, the Prodigy has worked absolutely flawlessly for me.

Just upgraded to Prodigy myself and so far I really like it. Seems to work really well.

Loved my Prodigy, love my P3 even more not because of it's function(same as prodigy) but it has more things to fiddle with:)

Everyone says that Brakesmart is the best, but for 4X's the price my Tekonsha's have never let me down!!!

Also, Tekonsha customer service is second to none!!

Chris

When you look into how brake controllers work, the "timer" based units get their only input from the brake switch, and the operator sets how many amps max the controller will send to the trailer and how quickly it will ramp up to that level. The problem is they provide the same braking whether you are doing a panic stop at freeway speeds, or easing up to a line of cars at a light at a walking pace. They can also continue ramping up the trailer braking, even though you are easing off the pedal, until you ease off enough to shut the brake lights off, when the trailer will jolt forward when it kills the brakes like you shut off a switch. The only positive thing I think you could say about this type is that they are cheap and simple, and meet the legal requirement of having brakes.

Up from there are the controllers that measure deceleration either with an electronic sensor or a pendilum, and apply trailer braking in proportion to the deceleration. Some apply an initial braking current to the trailer when the brake lights come on, so as not to rely only on the truck's brakes to provide the initial decelartion for the controller to sense. Sometimes controllers of this type seem to react to a bump with a surge of juice to the trailer brakes, jolting things around. They sometimes also seem to reduce trailer braking to very little if the operator is dragging brakes down a hill (since there isn't a deceleration to sense). The Technocia Prodegy seems to be the most highly regarded in this class, and friends who have bought one on my recommendation have been happy.

A third type measures the application of the tow vehicle brakes directly, and applies trailer brakes in proportion. The Jordan Ultima uses a linkage to measure pedal movement. They are reported to be very smooth.

Brakesmart (and now apparently maxbrake) measures brake fluid pressure with a sensor that T's into the master cylinder. I suspect fluid pressure is more liner and directly proportional to braking force than pedal movement, plus it seems more elegant. Older controllers measured fluid pressure, but were not compatable with anti-lock systems or proportion/balancing valves of modern vehicles. The brakesmart's solid state sensor doesn't displace fluid, so it doesn't have any of those problems.

Anyway, I feel the Brakesmart is the best performing controller on the market, if cost isn't an issue. Maxbrake is a little cheaper and seems to work on the same principal, but without some of the extra features.

If cost is a factor, I always recommend the Technocia Prodegy.

I have been out of it for a while. It's Jordan still available?

It looks like their web page says they aren't available at this time, but they are working on getting parts...

Brakesmart used to have a back order when I bought mine, but the company appears to have changed hands since then.