I need to buy a Brake Controller for my tandem axle car hauler trailer - (7K rating). Just curious what to buy and why?

I'm thinking about this one from www.SummitRacing.com

Curt Manufacturing, CHT-I-1760, $67.69

 

I've been pleased with my Intella-Stop made by Draw-Tite. It senses the truck's rate of deceleration and applies the trailer brakes in proportion. I like the idiot-proof nature of this design – when I slam on the truck brakes I don’t have to remember to reach for the emergency lever on the controller. It’s a bit expensive, but it came with a mounting bracket that allows me to remove it and use in my other vehicle. Another downside is that one needs to be conscious of the mounting angle under the dashboard.

 

we have a half dozen of these on the farm. All work well
http://www.tekonsha.com/tevoyagerintro.html

 

I feel dumb - in searching the "towing" section I've found lots of info on brake controllers......

So I would like to rephase my questions to does anyone have any comments on this particular brake controller? Would be nice if I can buy it from Summit when I order all my gauges and pods......

 

Any Tekonsha is the best bet.. I have used the Prodigy and the Voyager both worked great..

I also used one of those chap ones from Northern tools.. DO NOT DO THAT. it was terrible

 

A second vote for the Tekonsha Progidy, once it is set your all done, no releveling or adjusting the gain from highway driving to city driving.

 

1. Brakesmart
2. Jordan Ultima
3. Prodigy
4. forget any others

 

I have one of the real old ones that run off the brake lines, they aren't for everybody and aren't plug and play because you have to tap into your brake lines to get them to work, but the part I like about it is there aren't any pendulums or having to worry about grabbing the emergency slide, the harder you press the pedal the harder the the trailer grabs too, so once you get it adjusted good it brakes pretty nice. They don't make them anymoore but you can still find them at flea markets and ebay and such.


Chris

 

I have to agree with Bob, but about your specific question...

The page you linked to didn't provide much information, but from this page

http://www.curtmfg.com/index.cfm?eve...&categoryid=23

It would appear that it is a timer based unit. Before I knew any better, I bought a timer based unit. They only read that the truck's brake lights are activated, and you adjust the maximum current sent to the trailer, and how quickly it ramps up to that level.

It was absolutely horrible. If you set it down to where it wouldn't lock the tires up when towing in town, it would provide inadequate braking on the highway or in a panic stop.

If you were easing up behind a group of cars at a stop sign, and the car ahead went, so you ease up on the brakes, the controller would continue to increase the braking on the trailer- until the brake light switch went off, when you would then get a jolt as the thing cuts the trailer brakes.

I had used some proportional/deceleration ones before, and they weren't very smooth on bumpy roads or in circumstances where traction isn't very good (loose dirt road or snow).

Anyway, I upgraded to a Brakesmart, and will never own anything else.

The Brakesmart reads the application of the truck's brakes via a solid state sensor T'd into the brake line. Early controllers that tied into a brake line displaced fluid, and didn't work with vehicles with a proportional valve or newer anti-lock systems, but the Brakesmart's electronic pressure transducer doesn't displace fluid.

The Jordan Ultima uses a linkage to measure brake pedal movement, and once they are set up right, they work well.

The Prodegy by Technocia is generally consided the best deceleration sensing controller out there...

Like Bob said, I'd only consider those 3, in that order.

Learn from my mistake. The only thing more expensive than a Brakesmart is buying a time based controller based on someone's recommendation, hating it, and then buying a Brakesmart...

 

I would put them in the same order as FiverBob. Kinda depends on how much $ you want to spend. If you want the best, buy Brakesmart.

 

I have a Prodigy, used to have a Voyager.

The Prodigy is smooth, nice and even, not jerky nor does it hold on after you are off the pedal.

I have never driven a truck with the Jordan or Brakesmart. I respect Fiverbob's opinion on them though, with his many years of RV'ing.

If you look long enough you can get a Prodigy for about $110.00 shipped.

 

another vote for the prodigy.great controller for the price.had mine on for almost 3 years and no problems.

 

Fiverbob is definately correct on this. Im actually surprised he moved the Brakesmart in front of the Jordan

Don't bother with a non proportional controller. If you look around you can have the Prodigy for about $70 and the Jordan is not a whole lot more. The Brakesmart is the expensive one of the bunch, but if you are towing all the time it would be worth it.

 

We all have our weak moments. Actually I am just in a good mood from the game last night.

Being serious, I respect the reports I have seen and talked to people who have switched from the Jordan to the Brakesmart, especially when going to disk brakes. They have said it is even smoother than the Jordan. Kinda like me over the Prodigy - - been there, done that, have a Prodigy - - just don't use it after using the Jordan - - no comparison.

Bob

 

Yes, I have seen this mentioned over and over here...

Problem is the Brakesmart is WAY out of my budget and I'm not going to be towing that many miles per year to make it affordable. PRICE vs VALUE

The Jordan unit is also no longer being manufactured. So thats out of the question.

I'm getting ready to place an order to Summit, so it would be nice to just buy a unit from them so I don't have to pay 10% more for shipping. Yes - I'm frugal with my money... Its funny out Summit advertises it as inertia activated yet Curt says its timer actived - I totally missed that.

I do know I want a inertia one!

So how about this one from summit.

Navigator III, CHT-I-1770, $97.69

Then again - they are out of stock on that unit and for that price I can get a Prodigy shipped from ebay for that....

So whos got the best price on the Prodigy? Someone mentioned $70.... Cheapest i have seen is $88+$10 shipping