Brake Controller
- Thread starter dman22
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
threeful
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2005
- Posts
- 358
I have a Reese that I bought on-line and instaled myself. Has a digital control and it works fine. I was talking to a technician the other day and he said he likes Prodigy the best. Easy to install and only one step to adjust the brake.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Tekonsha Prodigy, hands down. Second choice is Tekonsha Primus (for smaller trailers). Easy to install and use, too.
Yak
Member
Brake-Smart or the new Tru-Control, both expensive. Next would be Ultima 2020 not to bad price wise.
N Smock
Well-known member
I'm pn Gary's side. I've owned several different controllers and the Prodigy is the best.
Nelson
Nelson
rbell
Well-known member
My vote is for the Prodigy also. I had one from Reese before, I can't remember the model though. With it you had the fiddle around to get it set each time I hooked up. With the prodigy you just hook up & go, no adjustments. The proportional braking is excellent also. I just returned from Fla. and had 1 panic stop on the trip. It did it's job and I didn't get rear ended. It's also very good in the hills.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I've never met or heard from anyone with a Brakesmart controller and would like to get some first hand feedback. The Prodigy has nearly all the same features as a Brakesmart but does not use/require that a sensor be added to the tow vehicle master cylinder, which makes installation easier. But I can see where Brakesmart could get some (small?) advantage by immediately knowing the TV brake output rather than waiting for an accelerometer to sense and kick in. Whether it is worth the price and install effort is another issue. But I & many others know a Prodigy works smoothly and efficiently.
Most of Brakesmart's claims are relevant to only to competitive low end controllers. High end controllers like the Prodigy and Primus have the same capabilities.
It is true that you do want proportional braking and you don't want pendulum-based technology (which is old stuff these days), but several controllers offer those advantages now. Avoid controllers that modulate braking by increasing brake pressure over time, i.e. the longer the brake pedal is down, the stronger the trailer brakes are applied. This has undesirable results in traffic or slight downgrades and other scenarios requiring light braking. The older Reese/Drawtites did this. They claim the newer Digitrac models have solved this problem, but I don't have any first hand experience to evaluate how well it works.
Most of Brakesmart's claims are relevant to only to competitive low end controllers. High end controllers like the Prodigy and Primus have the same capabilities.
It is true that you do want proportional braking and you don't want pendulum-based technology (which is old stuff these days), but several controllers offer those advantages now. Avoid controllers that modulate braking by increasing brake pressure over time, i.e. the longer the brake pedal is down, the stronger the trailer brakes are applied. This has undesirable results in traffic or slight downgrades and other scenarios requiring light braking. The older Reese/Drawtites did this. They claim the newer Digitrac models have solved this problem, but I don't have any first hand experience to evaluate how well it works.
I have a Brake Smart and love it. I've not had anymore issues coming down the Sierra Nevada's with the trailer brakes locking up on one turn and not applying at all on another. My old controller was most likely about 10 years old (not sure it came with the truck).On the last trip with that controller I had finally got out of the mountains and on flat land I told my wife that was the last trip with that controller. It had me nervous. The Brake Smart is very consistent and smooth I wouldn't change it for the world. It is more expensive but I figured after buying a diesel and a fifth wheel, spending an extra $200 for the controller after my previous experience would be worth it if it did what I wanted. Turns out it does. I've not tried the Prodigy from all I've read they are probably a good controller. I did try the Jordon and didn't really like it.
I was coming down an easy grade today and coming around a corner there was a horse and buggy crossing the road I stepped down on the brake rather hard and quickly. There was no jerking or anything at all that made me feel nervous (aside from the fact that there was a horse and buggy right in front of me) it all felt like one unit stopping. That is one of the situations I bought this unit for and today it passed perfectly.
I imagine there are other controllers that can and do just as well. I've not tried enough to say. But I can say not "all" do.
I was coming down an easy grade today and coming around a corner there was a horse and buggy crossing the road I stepped down on the brake rather hard and quickly. There was no jerking or anything at all that made me feel nervous (aside from the fact that there was a horse and buggy right in front of me) it all felt like one unit stopping. That is one of the situations I bought this unit for and today it passed perfectly.
I imagine there are other controllers that can and do just as well. I've not tried enough to say. But I can say not "all" do.
sierramann
Well-known member
i've been using a prodigy and love it. was easy to install and very easy to operate.....
Yak
Member
Try this link guy's
http://www.mobilesuitesrvclub.com/CK3.htm
http://www.mobilesuitesrvclub.com/CK3.htm
