Casey, we used to sell the Brakesmart under the Hensley name and actually used that as our baseline for developing the TruControl. We found that the hydraulic pressure braking "profile" was essentially the same, no matter the speed at the beginning of the stop. What Hensley did was create software to emulate the hydraulic profile.

We also found that true proportional braking, while an improvement over older methods, still wasn't perfect. The problem is that disc brakes and drum brakes don't react the same. Drum brakes are more efficient at slow speeds and disc are more efficient at high speeds ("efficient" may not be the best choice of words, my meaning is that the drum brakes "grab" at slow speeds, as any trailer owner can tell you).

So, we took the profile and tweaked it, taking some power away from the trailer brakes at slow speeds and adding more at high speeds. The result is a smoother stop at any speed. The automatic gain control feature simply adjusts this profile (think of a bell curve) up or down constantly as you drive, depending on acceleration, angle of a hill, and speed around curves.

The last thing we did was pump up the power. The TruControl can handle 48 Amps. Overkill for a trailer, but it will never overheat or drop off power after a few seconds. Pick up a Prodigy and you'll notice it has a steel base. That's for heat absorption. When I swapped out my Brakesmart for the TruControl, I went from 9.8 Amps (total) to the trailer brakes to 14.2. When I upgraded the trailer wiring, I jumped to 15.6 Amps (cold).

Okay, that was long, but thought I'd let you guys know that us little companies put a lot of thought into these things. Brakesmart, MaxBrake, and Jordan are all good controllers (I'll miss Mr. Jordan, too, we had a good relationship with him). I happen to think we're on to something better with the TruControl. We'll continue to fiddle with it and make it even better.

Support all those little companies out there! They're the ones who come up with the really good ideas first. And, if you call, you talk to a real person who knows real answers.

By the way, Terry (one of our salesmen) told one of you on the phone just a few minutes ago that no one from Hensley is talking on this forum. He didn't realize that I've been sponsoring this one and hanging out. I'll try to keep him up to date.

 

So Ron is upgrading the wires needed. I have what they put in the truck stock. Not sure how big of wires they use. I am asuming then I can wire this unit in same as this voyager that I have. I am not needing to tow at the moment but will be back at when the weather gets better early next yr. I would be curious to know how a brake control can know how fast I am moving.

 

Basically, most brake controls are reactionary units in which the brake switch activates the control and then a pendulum or accelerometer will try to mimic your vehicles declaration. Some manufacturers will not try to claim that their controls us this type of devise, but 99% of proportional controls do. The BrakeSmart and MaxBrake are the only controls that optimize hydraulic pressure into electric current to synchronize the tow vehicles stopping power. The next closest control to do this was the Jordan control that put a wire to the brake pedal. All other types of controls on the market aka Tekonsha, Hayes, Hensley, Valley, Drawtite, Tap, Hopkins, etc. are all reactionary type controls.

 

Reg,
The TruControl, or any other controller, doesn't know speed. It can measure acceleration over time. Essentially, the controller is adding to a gain "register." As you speed up, it adds to the register. As you slow down, it subtracts. Same with going uphill and down. So, when you're in city traffic, the internal gain is dropped to 5% or so. As you speed up to highway speeds, it increases the internal gain. It's a nice safety feature because you're never tempted to decrease your gain in city traffic and fail to increase it again for freeway.

Sorry if I alluded to the TruControl knowing speed. I really don't want to tap into the speedometer line. Let's keep it simple!

 

Well I am pretty sure I will be adding this to my list of things to purchase. I am spending quite a bit on some of the better stuff I can find in hopes paying more and buying once will work out. I am going to go the B&W hitch route as I really like the under mount system they have. I hate my controller so I will get one of yours. The second part of my question was about the wiring, not that it matters as I am sure what I need will be with the kit, hopefully.

 

Thought my Prodigy was good until I switched to Brakesmart.

Worth every penny IMO.

 

Very true, Lance. You definately get what you pay for in this business. When you buy from a small company, you're probably getting a more quality product and real customer service.