brake controller

[Rich Morrison]

What's the best brake controller?

[Jim Bennett]

The one that when properly set up, brakes the trailer properly.

That said I favour some of the Tekonsha offerings. I have the P-3, and it works great, though is even more than I really need.

[Kevin K]

Tekonsha P3 also

Tekonsha 90195 P3 Electronic Brake Control : Amazon.com : Automotive

[Thomas G.]

Look at Amazon for ratings. I settled on a Tekonsha, too, but decided their Primus IQ was more than adequate for my usage.

The really cheap controllers just have a timer, the better ones sense the vehicle deceleration rate and adjust the trailer braking accordingly.

[FlyboyTJ]

I recently installed a Tekonsha P2 That I had seen recommended here.
It was very easy to adjust and it worked great on our first trip in our Scamp.

[Eddie Longest]

I use a P-3 and swap it between two trucks and about 5-6 different trailers. It is easy to adjust for different loads and situations. With a flat bed trailer you could have from 2K to 10K lbs on the same trailer within minutes. I also like the fact the P-3 lets me know that the trailer brake wiring is OK.
If you are dealing with only your camper you will more than likely set it and forget it. Even in that case the brake check is a great feature before towing.
Eddie

[Darwin Maring]

You get what you pay for and Tekonsha is worth the money.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I use a Tekonsha P2. It's worked great through two vehicles and 7 years of towing.

[gmw photos]

In my experience, the "best" brake controllers are the factory installed built in controllers, such as the one in our F350 Dually.
However, for the aftermarket offerings, as mentioned above, the Prodigy controllers are certainly good ones too. I have a P2 in my Frontier ( the tug for my camper ) and it works well. If I were buying a new one now, I'd probably get the P3 ( it was not available at the time I bought the P2 several years ago ) because it is a little more sophisticated for just a few dollars more.

[Tim Wood]

I have the p2 and like it very much. You can get whatever you need from Etrailer.com.

[Ice-breaker]

1st post on this site. I have an Escape 19 on order that will become mine in April 2013. To prepare for our new Escape, I have a wireless Tekonsha Prodigy RF that I will not be able to use until next year. Hope this brake controller lives up to the good reputation of other Tekonsha products. Anyone here have any experience with it?

dave

[Donna D.]

Hi Dave, welcome to FiberglassRV... we're glad you're here! I have a Tekonsha P2, which works just great so I can't comment on your needs. Just wanted to you to this great all molded towable forum!

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

1st post on this site. I have an Escape 19 on order that will become mine in April 2013. To prepare for our new Escape, I have a wireless Tekonsha Prodigy RF that I will not be able to use until next year. Hope this brake controller lives up to the good reputation of other Tekonsha products. Anyone here have any experience with it?

dave

Welcome Dave,
I have been using the wireless Tekonsha for about a year now. It has been working flawlessly and installation was easy. It makes sense if you will be using different tow vehicles with your trailer. Expense is the drawback vs. using a hard wired unit.
Russ

[Borden]

Originally Posted by Rich Morrison

What's the best brake controller?

You are starting out right, brakes for any trailer of 500 lbs is a great idea of course this is a personal opinion

[zinco]

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee with a factory tow package and 7 pin connector is it possible i do not need an add on controller?

[Thomas G.]

Possible, but not likely. If there is not a controller either built in to the instrument panel or hanging underneath you need to buy one. Since it is pre-wired, you may be able to buy a plug in that greatly simplifies the installation. I'd look at etrailer and see what is available for your vehicle.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by zinco

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee with a factory tow package and 7 pin connector is it possible i do not need an add on controller?

If there's no controller in the cockpit area, either a previous owner took it with him or there never was one installed. It's a separate unit, usually mounted on the dash.

The "factory tow package" setup doesn't always denote anything more than a live connection for turn/tail/stop lights. The presence of a seven-pin connector is very common even when brake/ charge/backup light connections are inactive.
A few minutes with an electrical tester can probably tell you which of those 7 pins are "live", and which if any are "dormant".

Francesca

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by zinco

I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee with a factory tow package and 7 pin connector is it possible i do not need an add on controller?

For my 2005 Dakota all I had to do was install a brake controller and plug in a cable from the controller to a connector under the dash. Since both are Chrysler products, you can probably do the same thing.

[zinco]

Thank you! mine just has a blue wire hanging down that says trailer brakes. I should just pay the $200 but i think i can do it, if i can figure out the cold side of the brake switch, run the wires to the battery and put in a circut breaker. Any body done this themselves?

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by zinco

.......... Any body done this themselves?

Yes. Not rocket surgery, but it takes a little electrical competence. As I mentioned, you may be able to buy a plug in if most of the wiring is already there.