Trailer Brakes on a flat four plug

[Pete Dumbleton]

Umm, if you have 110V involved in the wiring of your brake controller, you are doing something wrong <big grinz>.

[Roger H]

Obviously, Pete... you've been out of the loop while you were on "vacation" the past couple of months. The latest and greatest is a new controller called the Prodigiously. It's a 110v AC auto/trailer brake controller. It works for up to eight brakes on a trailer, and can stop the trailer on a dime. It just requires a VERY long extension cord!

Roger

[Per Walthinsen]

Obviously you have both been out of the loop, since the latest model is the Prodigiously X2.

The idea is to have a separate brake controller for each wheel so that the brakes can be used for stability control (as in the Acura RL). The X2 model DOES require either two long extension cords, or one 220v cord. The primary purpose is to allow the operator to separately control the brakes when and if sway occurs. There is, unfortunately, a lengthy training program necessary, since clumsy actuation would quickly get your trailer headed into the adjoining county.

I understand that an X4 model is in the works. Doesn't Frederick's Fiberstream have tandem axles? This would no doubt give him the ultimate in control, and isn't that what we all want?

[Frederick L. Simson]

I understand that an X4 model is in the works. Doesn't Frederick's Fiberstream have tandem axles? This would no doubt give him [b]the ultimate in control, and isn't that what we all want?

[b]BWA-HA-ha-ha-ha-HA!
My secret quest for domination has been reveiled!

[b]However, I must now perform accupuncture on my on my connector plug! A mere [b]7 pins is not enough!

[Per Walthinsen]

Speaking of 7 pins: yesterday I replaced the 6-pin, failure-prone connector with a 7-pin Pollak setup.

I have been all bunched up in a knot about what to do with the extra pin, but all of a sudden it hit me: remote turn on of the heater (think: the snow is blowing sideways, lunch is needed, and it is time to turn on the heater BEFORE we stop).

There is a potential here for a Bullards one-upmanship thing: DUAL 7-pin connectors. Now I just have to come up with a set of plausible uses for all that connectivity. But, no problem, really. Trust me.

[Roger H]

Oh, c'mon Per... any ol' body can do a dual connector... that's a piece of cake... I expect MUCH greater imagination from you... how about totally WIRELESS??? All functions on 802.11g digital? Whaddya say?

Roger

[Per Walthinsen]

I've been running a wireless fridge thermometer for a long time already, and the rear-view camera cannot be far behind. But this is about APPEARANCES, and wireless is unfortunately out of sight.

A couple of hulking black Pollaks just positively scream "connected" and makes one beg for an explanation, which I would be more than happy to supply. Wireless is for sissies, the hardware is the thing. (Are we still on thread here?)

[Brian B-P]

I can see the logic is not trying to do something yourself if you don't really have the expertise, but at the same time it is worth understanding what is being done, since "paid to do the work" doesn't really mean "professional". Lots of substandard and even dangerous stuff is done - in many trades - by people who claim to know better than you because they "do it all the time" and they charge to do it.

For Frederick and the non-wireless crowd, I point to a legacy FiberglassRV posting - LiteHouse trailer manual - in which Dena reported that her trailer had a 9-pin connector (scroll down to posts on Jan 02, 2003). I saw a drawing of a 9-pin connector - which appeared to be a variation of the 7-way RV/Bargman design - on a web site but do not have the link at the moment. Think of what Per can control with that!

[Joe MacDonald]

the military uses a 12 pin canon connector for their trailers.??

and it can't accidentaly unplug, because the two parts screw together.