Brake Controllers

[6speed]

I have seen several threads discussing brake controllers, but now I can't find them. I have the Tonaska (spelling may be wrong) and I am not happy with it. When I follow the instructions for leveling and adjusting I can't get it to work. I read about other products that everyone has tried and have recommended. If you were going to purchase one today, which one. I haul a 46' gooseneck LQ trailer and I am grossing around 26K. Hope I haven't opened up a can worms with this thread.

 

[Simplysmn]

I have a Prodigy and Love it work's with up to 4 axles have it mounted just on the endge of lower dash panel by hood release and have never had any problem's with it .

 

[HBarlow]

You asked, here's my opinion. It will annoy some members.

The best brake controller available is a BrakeSmart followed closely by a MaxBrake. BrakeSmart was first and set the standard, MaxBrake is more recent using the same principle.

Both tap into the hydraulic brake line with a pressure sensor and will provide perfect modulated, proportional trailer braking each and every time you press the brake pedal. What your right foot calls for is exactly what you will get everytime, no exceptions. No additional tweaking required and no panic stops. The BrakeSmart costs $400+, the MaxBrake a little less. Either will last almost forever. My BrakeSmart is five or six years old, has been in use for 500,000+ miles, on three different Dodge Rams used for several hundred thousand miles of towing.

Everything else is a cheap substitute.

The old Tekonsha Voyager, which was one of the most common in the '90s, was the sorriest piece of crap ever manufactured and sold. If that's what you have, do yourself a favor and put it in a trashcan and buy another better controller before you whiteknuckle your way through a busy intersection against a red light.

 

[JHorst]

Max brake with a set of disk trailer brakes is a very hard combo to beat. Very smooth in operation, very strong in a panic stop. Easy to use, light years ahead of the old tech stuff.

 

[Larry Willard]

I have to agree, the Maxbrake is great.

Larry

 

[Ramtough]

I second HBarlow's opinion. The BrakeSmart is in a class by itself. All others are toys. Of the many things a BrakeSmart will do, one of the best is its ability to modulate brakes on RELEASE. It's like the Michellin commercial says, you have too much riding on your (tires) controller.

 

[MJarske]

The Brakesmart is amazing.



I had to make a panic stop when some idiot cut us off going down the backside of the Bighorn mountains last month.



No inertia brake wold have been able to work so smoothly and safely.



My wife said the BS controler paid for its self with that one stop.



From what I've seen the Max brake is very similar.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I have the Drawtite Activator II. Good warranty, easy to install, two adjustments, total braking force and speed of onset. Easy to adjust with digital readout. Modest price. My trailers are not over 6000 lb so perhaps my needs are not as extreme as some others. . .

 

[HBarlow]

I have the Drawtite Activator II. Good warranty, easy to install, two adjustments, total braking force and speed of onset. Easy to adjust with digital readout. Modest price. My trailers are not over 6000 lb so perhaps my needs are not as extreme as some others. . .

Joe, I know you well and have a deep and genuine respect for your opinions and writing. I know better than to disagree with you on any subject where you stake out a position but the key here is trailer weight which you acknowledged.

I'm not familiar with the Drawtite Activator but assume it is an inertia-based controller not the simple "on/off" "ramp" style.

On a lightweight trailer such as your Airstream inertia-activated brake controllers are capable of providing adequate braking because the truck is capable of providing initial braking upon application (or even adequate to stop the load) to swing the pendulum and activate the controller. When pulling a heavy trailer the effectiveness and safety provided by an inertial controller is severely reduced because the truck simply does not have sufficient braking capability when unassisted.

I wish BrakeSmart or MaxBrake would send you a free brake controller to test and report on. After you towed a few hundred miles with one your testimony would sell many brake controllers for them.

 

[CKelley1]

hbarlow is right on. the brake smart and max brake are the only two good ones on the market the others are worthless toys

 

[jelag]

I've got the Brake Smart and have to agree with Harvey and need to give Joe a bad time...

Joe you need to get either the Brake Smart or Max Brake and test it..... the ability to apply all the power you need, in a panic stop, is the key factor to these 2 units... under normal breaking and light trailer use almost any of those other one's will work. .

The key to me... . is that you have an infinite amount of trailer brake variation based on pedal pressure..... and that's the key... .

 

[6speed]

I was thinking that what was discussed in other threads, just couldn't find it. Ok, ya'll have convinced me on the Brakesmart and the Maxbrake. I live in the Central GA area and where would or could I get one locally. There is a Camping World in town, there is also some other trailer/coach dealers around. Now if I can find my paperwork for the plug-in under the dash for the wiring diagram.

 

[mberry]

I have a Jordan 2020 unit and it does work quite well, that is until the bracket bends during stops when you go beyond "normal" brake pedal foot pressure. At that point the bracket on the pedal bends and you lose a significant amount of braking force due to the cable not applying appropriate force to the controller box. It's a great idea to me and was far less expensive than the Brakesmart or Maxbrake units, but the parts are too small and weak in my opinion. On my next truck I'm investing in the Brakesmart controller technology hands down. I guess you get what you pay for. Now that I have 2 kids, it's easy to justify the expense to get that margin of safety.

 

[HBarlow]

BrakeSmart was manufactured by a Texas company in Weatherford, IIRC, and could be found in google under "brakesmart brake controller" or "dr performance. "

The MaxBrake can be purchased rather reasonably from SouthWest Wheel, a TDR advertiser and one of my personal favorite suppliers for all things trailer. SWW has an excellent website.

 

[DennyDay]

It's a Question of Safety!

EForbes - - You haven't been around very long if you think Tekonsha has been around for a long time. Tekonsha is a relitive newcomer, with Kelsey-Hayes being the leader, starting in the late 40's and early 50's with an electric reostat that was about 12 inches in diameter, that was clamped to the steering columm and operated by a big handle. Then came the one that every manufacturer has tried to emulate, the one that used a 'T' tap on the brake line coming off the master cylinder. That one was as good as it got, until the government demanded split master cylinders. On top of that, the new disc brakes used so little brake fluid the old K-H didn't cut it. The Tekonsha stuff came along in the 70's and were passable, but didn't work very well, and yes I've used most of the Tekonsha stuff over the past 30 years, but I miss the dependability of the Kelsey units. These new units, MAX Brake and Brake smart come as close to the dependibility of the K-H units as any have.



As a correction, these units are "Not just for commercial hauling" but for anyone who values safety when towing. I've seen more than my share of accidents involving RV's, and feel if safety is required, then it costs $$ - - This is the ony reason I operate with a Hensley Hitch. I don't haul for hire, but am a full time RVer.



Denny

 

[HBarlow]

max brake and brake smart are for those who tow for a living, im not paying 500 dollars for a controller that sits unused for 7 months out of the year. tekonsha has been around before some of these other companys where even thought of, if you know how to set them up, they work fine. They can slow or panic stop a 15k 5er without a problem, if set wrong, then we think they are junk. prodigy is good as well, every manufacturer has there claims, just use what works for you, don't follow the hype on a specific product. But im not saying brakesmart and the others don't work, they may work great, its what works great for you and your family. remember, a brake controller is to slow your trailer, not to stop your truck at every light. the primus IQ is self leveling, and has a 15 year warranty.

EForbes,

I don't tow for a living nor do most of the BrakeSmart/MaxBrake owners I know personally.

Tekonsha Voyagers do not and never did "work fine. " They were a poor design, poorly executed. They were so poor that Tekonsha replaced them with a later version they claim is improved but is still based on the poor compromise of an inertial sensor.

The real key to you discussion of the BrakeSmart and MaxBrake controllers is contained in your statement: "they may work great. " You have no idea how well they work compared to all others because you have not owned one or towed with one.

If you like the Tekonsha, feel free to praise it. You may know about it but you know nothing about the pressure sensing controllers.

The OP pulls a very heavy commercial trailer. A pressure sensing controller is the only controller that will provide him with precise, measured, proportional braking. An inertial controller will be a total failure on a heavy trailer like his.

An inertia-based controller is probably a great controller... ... for those who don't know any better.

 

[Dutch & Di]

We have been using the Max Brake since January. We wouldn't use any other. I was a Jordan Ultima girl and thought I would find no other that compared til now. We full time RV and it is the best out there. Diana

 

[DennyDay]

EForbes,



An inertia-based controller is probably a great controller... ... for those who don't know any better.

This sez' it all!!:-{}





Denny

 

[DennyDay]

Ha Ha that's funny cd day, you must be real old ha ha

Hmmmm - wonder what he's been smokin'?



Well since you asked, I was moving mobile homes in 1961 after I got out of the service, and yes, they had electric brakes on them there trailer houses. (We were refered to as 'Shanty Shakers' on those new 21 channel CB's)





Denny

 

[HBarlow]

Hmmmm - wonder what he's been smokin'?

Well since you asked, I was moving mobile homes in 1961 after I got out of the service, and yes, they had electric brakes on them there trailer houses. (We were refered to as 'Shanty Shakers' on those new 21 channel CB's)


Denny

I think he may have learned very quickly that if you disagree with or post criticisms of products other member's are familiar with and recommend (which you can't back up) on the TDR website you can expect to be publicly challenged.

He was comfortable disagreeing with us but apparently doesn't like for anyone to disagree with him.

When I was a young sailor and one of us young guys complained about something the old chiefs told us "life is tough and then you die. "