Im not trying to be a 'nay-sayer'. Perhaps it has been modified. But I doubt that too. I just cant see someone modifying a $75.00 brake controller to customize it.
I just don't know now. You have brought a question of just what it really is doing to my attention.
I was at my dealership today having the oil changed, and told them about this and asked them if there was a way to look into the past ownership of the truck. They went onto some dealer site and sent a message to the original dealership it came from for records of all work done and such. There was about 4 pages of service and other items that was noted for the truck from original purchase and service work done up until he went to my dealership to trade it in 2 years later.
I know that the guy who use to own this truck was said to be "an older man who liked to do things his way". In fact, when I first bought the truck, the past owner had elected to have the 4X4 system locked out using the retaining lock on the activator which he had the dealership it originally came from put back on so it would not be able to go into 4X4 mode, and the fuse was removed. I found that out the first time I tried to go into high range 4X4, and it didn't do anything. I went back to the dealership he traded it in at and where I bought it and they checked it out and found out all that and reinstalled the fuse and removed the lock. He also had the anti-lock fuse removed as he "didn't trust those brakes trying to tell him how to stop"...lol
He installed the controller or had someone else install it after it was bought originally and towed a 33ft TT with the truck, which I am sure you know is way too large for it to have been used for. And, just 4 months from the time he traded it in, there was a record for having the transmission replaced with a brand new one.
There was a record showing replacement 3 times of all 4 rotors and disc brake pads all around during his ownership. I am sure this was because of his using the truck to tow much too large of a TT.
Now, mind you, when I bought this truck, it only had 26,000 miles on it, so I wasn't thinking anything major would have been done. But, the record said the transmission was replaced with a new one at the owners request instead of rebuilt or a remanufactured one, and he paid the difference himself. And, having the rotors and pads replaced 3 times within that many miles also tells me he really did overdo it with that TT.
I did not know all this originally when I bought this truck, and if I had known it, I may not have bought it. Seems like the dealerships don't have to tell you all this stuff anyway. Had I not requested all the information...and knew the service manager well enough that he went looking....I probably wouldn't have found this out today.
Anyway, so as not to hijack this thread, since he did all this, i'm now less certain that he may have done other things I am not aware of.
Tim
on edit....He traded the truck in for a 2500 D/A Crew so I guess he traded to stop all the trouble he was having with that large TT.
* This post was
edited 08/14/08 07:58pm by Tim from Alabama *
If I don't meet your expectations
Maybe you should lower your standards.
Wow, great discussion. Started off with a lot of misinformation, and some misinformed people on the brake controller subject. Looks like thats been cleared up, though, which is what these forums are for.
..You can count me as another firm believer in TRUE proportional controllers (Jordan, Brakesmart, Maxbrake), and one that prefers such over any inertia based controller (Prodigy, Hensley TruControl).
Like rolnroln, I'm not even going to discuss the timing based devices that nearly everything else falls under, like the Reese mentioned earlier. IMO those things are so worthless and dangerous, they oughta be illegal.
Now when I say 'proportional', I mean, controllers that apply trailer brakes DIRECTLY in proportion to tow vehicle brakes. I know that inertia type controllers like the Prodigy give you the impression that they are proportional in that sense, but technically they are not. They apply trailer brakes based on de-celeration/inertia change, NOT based on tow vehicle braking. There is a difference, and anyone thats used both a Prodigy and a proportional controller like Brakesmart will tell you that, and will almost always prefer the proportional controller over the inertia based one.
I can recall several people on here that used both, and in every case they preferred the proportional controller over the inertia based one. Dont recall seeing anyone that went the other way (preferred inertia over proportional) after using both. There is a message there.
That said, I used a Jordan for years, its a great controller, never gave me a minute's trouble. Still have it sitting in the back of the Excursion, its the 'hot spare' (left the bracket in place inside the dash, to hook it right back up if need be).
I have/use a Brakesmart now, and IMO it just doesn't ges any better than the Brakesmart. Braking truly feels like the tow vehicle and trailer brakes are connected together, working in complete unison. Almost feels like the rig stops better with the trailer behind it than solo, haha. Yes, the Brakesmart is expensive, but like so many other things, you get what you pay for. It has soo many features and ways you can adjust exactly how brakes are applied, you can tweak it to work perfectly for nearly any setup.
I tested the MaxBrake briefly also. Good controller, I would probably chose it over an inertia based controller like the Prodigy. However, IMO their attempt to 'KISS' (keep it simple) wound up kind of hurting the Maxbrake. Specifically, lack of a way to dial in any initial braking, really hurts this unit. If they gave it that, would be a much better controller I think.
Anyway, as already said, this is a great discussion, and glad to see its stayed 'civilized' this time. Frequently in the past, that has not been the case with this subject.
Will & Angela
2 wonderful children that love camping, Stephen & Allison
2003 Ford Excursion V10 4x4
2003 Thor Citation 33M, Hensley Arrow hitch, Brakesmart Brake Control
(wanna see? Here is a picture of it )
Several remarks have my couriosity up. A few here have mentioned a controller going bad and having a spare available... I've never heard of a contoller going bad, not working etc. (but I guess it can happen). How common of an occurance is it for a controller (whatever brand) to pack it in??? I had to replace my original Voyager, but that was my fault. I was sliding the manual lever and my thumb slipped off and it came crashing back and broke the lever knob. Dealer replaced it under warranty, no questions asked. It didn't quit on its own accord. So again, I've never heard of one just quitting. Is this something I should be concerned about?
2001 was a good year!
2001 Ford F250 Super Duty SC, V10
2001 Prowler 26H
flybaby_3 wrote: Several remarks have my couriosity up. A few here have mentioned a controller going bad and having a spare available... I've never heard of a contoller going bad, not working etc. (but I guess it can happen). How common of an occurance is it for a controller (whatever brand) to pack it in??? I had to replace my original Voyager, but that was my fault. I was sliding the manual lever and my thumb slipped off and it came crashing back and broke the lever knob. Dealer replaced it under warranty, no questions asked. It didn't quit on its own accord. So again, I've never heard of one just quitting. Is this something I should be concerned about?
Well, I have heard on occasion of them going bad, but it doesn't happen very often at all (has never happened to us). I like having a spare, though, for one main reason: Think about what it could do to you, to have a controller go out when you're on a trip. Your trailer has now become very unsafe to tow anywhere at all, until you can find an RV dealer and get a new controller. Depending on where you are, finding an RV dealer that has a controller like you'd want, could prove very difficult. Especially considering, you probably would have to drop the trailer to go looking for such RV dealer/controller. I doubt you'd want to chance towing without trailer brakes (unless its a very short distance on back roads). Could basically ruin a trip.
By having a hot spare controller with me in the truck that can be put in very quickly, you have alleviated one component from having the potential of ruining a trip. If the Brakesmart ever gives up, I can pull over in a parking lot, get out a couple basic tools, and have the Jordan controller in and ready to go in 'bout 15 minutes. Gives you at least a little more peace of mind.
Yes, there is a zillion other things that can go wrong that could be more disastrous, and you can't carry a spare of everything. However, the controller is one, small component, that you can easily carry a spare of. Thats the way I see it, anyway.
And, truth be told, a good opportunity came along for us to have such, and I couldnt turn it down. Had the Jordan, was very happy with it. When an opportunity came to get an even better controller (Brakesmart) for a very good price, I couldnt turn down the chance to step up to the ultimate controller. Only made sense at that point, to keep the Jordan handy in the truck, as a spare. Soo, thats what I do.
Not sure I'd go out and buy two new controllers right off the bat, that would be kinda expensive. But, if/when you decide to spend the $$ to upgrade to a nicer controller, I think its a good idea to keep the old one with you when you travel, as a backup.
flybaby_3 wrote: Several remarks have my couriosity up. A few here have mentioned a controller going bad and having a spare available... I've never heard of a contoller going bad, not working etc. (but I guess it can happen). How common of an occurance is it for a controller (whatever brand) to pack it in??? I had to replace my original Voyager, but that was my fault. I was sliding the manual lever and my thumb slipped off and it came crashing back and broke the lever knob. Dealer replaced it under warranty, no questions asked. It didn't quit on its own accord. So again, I've never heard of one just quitting. Is this something I should be concerned about?
Flybaby_3: The odds of a controller going belly up are very, very small. However, it is a "mission critical" device. I may be somewhat biased as mine died recently, so the experience is fresh. I was faced with a problem with no good solutions. I travel typically with wife and 3 cats. Towing a TT (esp a heavy one) without TT brakes is both illegal and downright unpleasant. The illegal is not a big deal to me in an emergency. However, being unsafe is a big deal. Trying to control 18K lbs with just the truck brakes is bad news. It will do it, but I don't recommend it. So, if you are at a campground and somebody else is waiting to take your site, what do you do? You can't move, you can't go home, you can't leave the family on the side of the road somewhere while you go looking for a controller. The controller you find may not be set up to use the same wiring you have in place. Beggars and all that. Even if you find an RV store, is it open at 8 PM on a Sunday? The bottom line is that losing a controller is a major bummer. So, one can live with the tiny risk of a controller kicking the bucket and the attendant problems, OR spend $100 for the insurance of having a known controller that will plug in and be up/running in about 10 minutes or so. Having gone through it recently, it is not a hard decision for me. If you have lots of time and such, perhaps it won't be worth it. I carry a spare serpentine belt for the engine and spare hoses. I change all that every few years and rotate the replaced ones into my emergency kit. I also carry a new wheel bearing and race packed in grease with seals, spare tires (of course) and fuses/lightbulbs. If this makes me nuts, then OK. My old truck was a gasser and I used to bring an old distributor and coil set up. I used it once too. Makes you look like a wizard to your SO. :-).
rolnrolnroln wrote: I did inquire about what happens if the amount of braking commanded by the driver is less than the IBC. I was told that if the amount of pressure in the hydraulic line calls for less current than is already there with the IBC, nothing will change. The trailer will continue to get the fixed amount set by the IBC. The next thing the tech said, I'm not sure I believe: I asked if the IBC drops out if command pressure is greater than the IBC current. He said no, that whatever amount of current is commanded by the hydraulic pressure will be ADDED to the existing IBC, throughout the range from 0 to 100% braking. I don't have enough info on the Tekonsha stuff to know if this is how they work as well.
willald wrote:
I tested the MaxBrake briefly also. Good controller, I would probably chose it over an inertia based controller like the Prodigy. However, IMO their attempt to 'KISS' (keep it simple) wound up kind of hurting the Maxbrake. Specifically, lack of a way to dial in any initial braking, really hurts this unit. If they gave it that, would be a much better controller I think.
Have either of you two checked the to see if the IBC stays constant like the tech told roln? I checked with the fellow I know that has a Brakesmart and in our "testing" it did appear to be added to the pressure sensor.
This seems like an even stranger avaliable adjustment than I thought to begin with. Perhaps it has to do with being able to fine, fine tune the gain as it (the gain) appears to be adjusted in steps (62.5 psi according to the online manual) on the Brakesmart?
Hypothetical; if the IBC is set to provide 1 amp, and the gain provides 3 amps at 400 psi.......why cant the gain just be set to 4 amps at 400 psi?
Of course now Im COMPLETLY baffeled as to why willard could not achieve his desired braking control with the Maxbrake.
My DrawTite Activator II...if I hit the slide, it applies FULL brakes.
Not how mine works, I have the same unit for about 11 years now. I have it set on 4.5 and if I move the slide it will only go to 4.5. I think the slide eliminates the time delay but I am not sure without checking.
Tim
"Okay, I admit it, the only thing I'm really good at is being me."
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