SCCAForums.com

You anyone recomment a brake controller?  Brand, style, etc...

I know there are electronic ones and inertia style ones.  Common sense would tell me that technogy has taken over and the electric one is the superior product, but what do I know? 

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Jason Frank
Bridgestone / datatoys.com / Redshift Motorsports STS Civic Si

TeamUndercoatRacing.com

I like my Tekonsha Prodigy.

http://www.rjays.com
 
Good prices and service, they sell the "pigtails" also if your truck uses one of those.. No affiliation, I'm just a satisfied customer.

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Brian "Big Enos" Burdette

I have this one:  http://www.brake-controllers-usa.com/Voyager.html and I like it.  I've been on the road in traffic and I've forgotten that I was trailering.  1500# trailer and 2600# car being pulled by a Durango. 

Although I didn't skimp on this one, my next brake controller is going to be "the best" - a Prodigy.  It's just worth it to know that you're not going to have a problem with your trailer brakes and brake controller.

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Rob Leone

'07 Solstice GXP in AS
'87 Toyota Corolla in EP
ex - '91 MR2 Turbo in SM2 <- If you can't set a good example, serve as a horrible warning.

Prodigy. I think it's worth the extra $$.

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In slow, out fast.
In fast, out backwards.

3 for 3 on the Prodigy.... 

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Jason Frank
Bridgestone / datatoys.com / Redshift Motorsports STS Civic Si

TeamUndercoatRacing.com

+1 for the Prodigy.

I spent years with an older cheapy which finally broke a few years ago.  After installing the Prodigy, it was a WOW moment....:)

DaveW

 

Prodigy...  Everybody I know that has one loves it.  Myself included.

+1 for Prodigy love...

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Tracy Ramsey
Team Blenderblaster
2000 MR2 DP Spyder

Jason,

I started my adventures in towing with a Tekonsha Envoy, which was pretty nice and worked decently enough.  The problem was you can't get the trailer brakes to work well at both ends of the speed spectrum.  It seems like you either don't have enough high speed panic stop braking, or if you do, then the trailer brakes lock up at low speeds.

I've got a BrakeSmart in my truck, and absolutely love it.  It is on the expensive side ($300+), but worth it.  The BrakeSmart puts a pressure transducer in the brake line of the tow vehicle and adds trailer braking in proportion to line pressure.  This is what all the other controllers try to simulate with programming and input from accelerometers.  It just plain works, and the trailer stops with the truck, not before or after the truck.

I have not ever towed with a Prodigy, but those on the Dodge Diesel lists that have say the BrakeSmart is better, but more expensive.

Steve

Windscreen:

Jason,

I started my adventures in towing with a Tekonsha Envoy, which was pretty nice and worked decently enough.  The problem was you can't get the trailer brakes to work well at both ends of the speed spectrum.  It seems like you either don't have enough high speed panic stop braking, or if you do, then the trailer brakes lock up at low speeds.

I've got a BrakeSmart in my truck, and absolutely love it.  It is on the expensive side ($300+), but worth it.  The BrakeSmart puts a pressure transducer in the brake line of the tow vehicle and adds trailer braking in proportion to line pressure.  This is what all the other controllers try to simulate with programming and input from accelerometers.  It just plain works, and the trailer stops with the truck, not before or after the truck.

I have not ever towed with a Prodigy, but those on the Dodge Diesel lists that have say the BrakeSmart is better, but more expensive.

Steve

Haha, Steve you never fail me.  I figured you would have something different and more expensive than everyone else.  However, that sounds like more work and money than I want to spend.

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Jason Frank
Bridgestone / datatoys.com / Redshift Motorsports STS Civic Si

TeamUndercoatRacing.com

Another vote for the Prodigy here. Replaced the (failed - 2nd time, different failure modes each time) DrawTite Activator II in Leviathan with a Prodigy earlier this year, and I'm a happy dude. Works great, smoothest brake application I've ever had. Well worth the $180 it cost me (with the Ford pigtail). Installation was easy -- spend a little time making sure it's lined up parallel to the long axis of the tow vehicle -- with the tricky bit being plugging the pigtail into the vehicle under the IP -- hand access there is tight on an F350.

Combo: '99 F350 CC, SWB 4x2, 7.3L TD, auto trans, towing a Classic 26' enclosed trailer with Dexter 5250-lb axles and brakes on all 4 wheels. Truck's about 7200 lbs empty, trailer all-up is about 9500 lbs.

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AutoJim
ESP #65 '99 Mustang Cobra

I'm a big fan of the prodigy.  It saved me and my rig from a couple of nasty crashes and instead ended up in a full, straight on 8 wheel lockup to a nice quiet stop.

I bought a cable that connected my prodigy directly to the wiring harness on my 05 Tahoe, so the installation is EASY..

love it.

Brian

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1987 Chevy IROC Z/28
#68 ESP
ARSCCA

Like Steve I use a Brakesmart brake controller and also think it is superior to acceleraometer-based designs. I use it with an F250 PSD towing either a 4k lb (loaded) open car trailer or a 7k lb. (loaded) 2-horse bumper pull trailer. It gives excellent control of the trailer's brakes.

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Joshua
1993 CSP/HPDE Miata

Thanks to this thread I bought the Tekonsha Prodigy for my F150. Some kinda luck had the pigtail and relays needed in a bag in the glove compartment on my newly aquired used truck. Works great!

 

PS: I paid $136 for mine. I've seen them online for as low as $99.

My Prodigy is on it's second tow vehicle. Very nice unit ...

Recently, I had a problem with the controller dropping voltage to the brakes after it's inital ramp up. It wouldn't hold the voltage steady and the trailer brakes would slowly release.

I discovered this at a most inoppurtune time. Thank goodness the lane to my left was clear ... I digress.

I contacted Tekonsha and explained what happened. My motive was to get the controller replaced or repaired, thinking it would be on my nickel.

The Tekonsha rep asked if there was a Tekonsha dealer nearby and to take it to them and get it replaced ... free of charge.

Skeptical, I went to my local RV shop, explained the problem and what Tekonsha had said. Without hesitation, they pulled a new unit off the shelf, pulled out the brain and exchanged it for my old one.

 Wow!

I'm replacing my brake controller.  Don't remember the brand but for some reason when I got home the other day, I looked out at the van and the brake lights were on.  Went out to see what was going on, hit the brake pedal and it went off.  Went back inside, the brake lights come on and flash.  Went back out, the controller was clicking and the brake lights were coming on and off.  Strange and weird I thought, so I diconnected the battery, reconnected it and no improvement.  I finally just snipped the power wire to the controller and I'm getting a Prodigy.

Jim

SpyderVenom:

Although I didn't skimp on this one, my next brake controller is going to be "the best" - a Prodigy.  It's just worth it to know that you're not going to have a problem with your trailer brakes and brake controller.

 FYI, since I wrote the above, I replaced my old controller with a Prodigy. 

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Rob Leone

'07 Solstice GXP in AS
'87 Toyota Corolla in EP
ex - '91 MR2 Turbo in SM2 <- If you can't set a good example, serve as a horrible warning.

I bought the Brake Smart controller as I like how it measures the line pressure from the master cylinder.  It's pretty cool to look down at the controller and see a bar graph of how much brake force you're applying.  I especially like how it doesn't lock up the tires when I'm towing an empty trailer like other accelerometer based units I've owned.

I've never used/owned a Prodigy though. 

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2007 Mazda MX-5 MRS (C-stock)

Another vote for the prodigy.   Took a little bit to get it dialed to my particular trailer (18ft Sloan Kwikload open car trailer), but now I can fairly easily (and quickly) swap between "right" settings for the 3 configurations my open trailer sees :

• Trailer only (around 2K lbs)
• Trailer with the STS 93 Acura Integra on it (around 4500 lbs car + trailer)
• Trailer with the (barely into ) CP 96 Chevy Impala SS on it (around 6500 lbs car + trailer).

 

 

I've also got a Prodigy. Usually, during the competition season, I may use two or three different tow vehicles, of differing model years/platforms. Having the ability to use the Prodigy by simply using a different harness/pigtail is really convenient for me.

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Al Chan