D90,
Opinions are like belly buttons... Everybody's got one. Here is mine:
I want a brake controller that uses pedal position, brake line pressure, or inertia to determine how large a signal to send to the trailer.
Most controllers today use a simple timer, increasing the trailer brakes the longer you have your truck brakes applied, no matter how hard you are pushing on the pedal. I don't want that type, because it will not: 1. smoothly release the brakes and, more importantly, 2. apply full trailer braking the instant the truck pedal is depressed. It should be obvious how this could be a real problem if you need to stop in a hurry.
It is virtually impossible to find brake controllers today that tap into a brake hydraulic line and use that as the signal for trailer braking strength. This is a good thing. That system could mess up your anti-lock truck brakes as well as provide a new set of fittings to leak. The one I had in my 1967 pickup (bought new — does that give you an idea of my age?) leaked onto the cab floor for all the years I owned it.
There is a controller available that uses pedal position, but I can't remember the name of it. Drivers who have tried it have liked it, but it had a couple of drawbacks to me. First, it is not popular, so service, parts, and advice would be hard to find. Second, it seemed to be a cumbersome installation. My general philosophy is that simpler is usually better.
An inertial controller measures how fast the truck/trailer combination is decelerating and sends a higher current to the trailer brakes when the deceleration is higher. These controllers are adjustable for maximum current (to allow for towing a flat-bed trailer empty as well as loaded) and sensitivity, which sets how much signal is commanded for a given deceleration.
The two inertial controllers I have used are the Hayes Micro Control and the Tekonsha Sentinal. Both of these controllers have the adjustments mentioned above and both will control from one to four axles. Most other inertial controllers are made for either 1-2 or 3-4 axles, and you have to choose which to install. I wanted more flexibility. Of the two, my favorite is the Tekonsha. It is quite a bit easier to set up and has the bonus of continuously testing your trailer brakes. This controller discovered a problem with one brake on a brand new trailer that would have otherwise gone unnoticed until something drastic occurred.
I'd recommend the Tekonsha Sentinal for the above reasons, but that's just my humble belly button... . I mean opinion.
Loren
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2000 Quad Cab, 4x4, short bed, six-speed: U. S. Gear exhaust brake, MileMarker Select Drive viscous coupling, Velvet-Ride spring shackles, Painless Wiring circuit box, Optima yellow-top batteries, Super-Glide 5th wheel hitch, Reese folding ball gooseneck hitch, Drawtite front hitch receiver, Tekonsha Sentinel brake controller, Westin nerf bars, Clarion sound system
1995 Standard Cab, 4x4, long bed, automatic: Firestone Ride-Rite air springs, torque converter lock-up switch, 4" cat-back exhaust, Reese 20K 5th wheel hitch, Reese gooseneck hitch, Hayes Micro Control trailer brake controller, 100 gallon bed-mounted fuel tank with 12 volt electric pump & fill nozzle, Swiss Cap fiberglass cap
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