What is the Jordan 2020 Ultima Brake Controller and do I need one?

[Doc Tinker]

My trailer brake controller works pretty well if I fiddle with it for a little while at the beginning of the trip. I see Jordan now has one that uses a cable attached to the brake arm. Is this really better than the pendulum type controller?



Doc

 

[Boldt's Wagon]

The Jordan is better than the old pendulum controller. The new Prodigy with an electronic accelerometer is also better than the old pendulum controllers. The Jordan vs Prodigy debate is almost as good as the transmission wars.

 

[RustyJC]

Doc,



Here's Jordan's website. Take a look around - especially the brochure:



http://www.jordanbrake.com/id19.htm



I've used the ramped single output controllers and the inertial controllers - you couldn't rip my Jordan Ultima 2020 out of my truck with a team of wild horses!



Rusty

 

[BGDUMMY]

LUV MY PRODIGY

I love my Prodigy, no comparison to other controllers.

Have not tried the Jordan, though. Like Boldt's Wagon said, Brake Controller war could erupt. If your set on a Jordan, www.wwcd2.com has a group purchase going on the Jordan.

 

[BPINE]

I installed a Prodigy in a friends truck last night and was very impressed. It was very proportional and adjustable, I might just get one today.

 

[John]

Hey Doc, the Jordan Research Ultima 2020 trailer brake controller is not new. In fact, I have had mine installed in my Ram for 2. 5 years now.



Not only does it work extremely well, it is backed by a warranty that exceeds that what is written (at least it did in my case). Mr. Jordan replaced my unit even though the warranty expired, with a newer, even better performing unit for FREE!



..... and my "old" unit still worked almost perfectly when I returned it. [it seems there was a glitch with some of the first generation units once they were out enmasse, so they felt they could best rectify this by unit replacement]

 

[LarryB]

Biggest reason I could think of for going with the Jordon?



It's the only one that works correctly with an E-brake. If you use an e-brake with any of the inertia/pendulam types, the controller will "feel" the braking from the E-brake and apply trailer brakes, defeating half the reason for having the e-brake. I want my e-brake to carry most of the braking load and then the service brakes to come on when I tell them too, and not before.

 

[Chipstien]

Larry, I have a ancient Voyager that is a pendulum style and it will not activate till I apply the brakes. Though if I wired it differently (wrong) I could get it to work like that.

 

[LarryB]

Chipstien





OK, say you're coming down a hill using the e-brake. You want to slow from 65 to 60. You slightly touch the brakes, just enough to light the brake lights and activate the controller. The controller now "thinks" you are applying lots of brake but in reality the e-brake is doing most of the work. The controller tries to do it's share, according to the pendulam, and over applies the trailer brakes. Now the trailer brakes get hot because they are doing more than their share instead of allowing the e-brake to do it's max. Since you cannot smell your own trailer brakes you think, "boy this combination works great".



I'm not a brake controller expert so I could be overlooking something here, But it seems to me the inertia/sensor cannot determine how much work is being done by the e-brake and how much is being done by the pedal. The Jordon takes it's que from the pedal and applies the corrisponding abount of brake regardless of e-brake action.

 

[Chipstien]

Ahhhh, thanks for the clarification. I see your point now.

 

[Doc Tinker]

You make a pretty good point LarryB. I hadn't thought about that. I think I like the apparent proportional capabilities of the unit, better than the pendulum type controller.



Doc

 

[cscott]

Rusty



Did you install your unit yourself.



How hard was the install?



I have been thinking about a new controller for a while this sounds like it might do the trick.

 

[merryman]

LarryB

In well over 30K miles of towing with E-brake and inertia contorller, I have yet to experience that hypothetical problem.

Vaughn

 

[LarryB]

Vaughn



How do you know? Do you have the sensitivity set down on your controller and letting your truck do most of the braking.



It maybe hypothetical to you but I have experienced it with both inertia controllers and especially surge brakes. Do some experimenting next time and then stop and see how warm your trailer brakes are.



Larry

 

[T-Ricky]

I have talked a dozen guys at work into the Jordan just by giving them a ride and no one will return to a pendulum type. One of the guys had an electrical problem and smoked his unit (trailer brakes were the problem) and Jordan FedExed a replacement the minute he called no charge.

Rick T.

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by cscott

Rusty,



Did you install your unit yourself?



How hard was the install?

Yep, it was a Saturday morning project. My install was very easy because I located the controller at the bottom edge of the dashboard directly in front of the brake pedal - there is even a screw location for the dash kick panel that can be used for one of the Jordan's mounting screws. This gave me a straight cable run from the controller to the brake pedal arm.



The downside - it's hard to read or reach the controller in this location. The upside - I never need to.



Rusty

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

wwcd2

Originally posted by RustyJC

Doc,



Here's Jordan's website. Take a look around - especially the brochure:



http://www.jordanbrake.com/id19.htm



I've used the ramped single output controllers and the inertial controllers - you couldn't rip my Jordan Ultima 2020 out of my truck with a team of wild horses!



Rusty

..... Congrats on going into 4 figures (again) on the Post Counter Rusty and if that was not reason enough, right now they're on "special" - IOW, talk to Carl

 

[BPINE]

I am not trying to discredit the Jordan brake controller but here is how I use the inertia controller in conjunction with the exhaust brake. While going down a steep grade 7% + I use the exhaust brake and when needed ease in a little brake for a very slight bit of time then release the brake and wait for the speed to come up and ease the brake again and so on. I use very little brake pressure and for a short period of time, in the past all I had to go by was the little light changing from green to red and it didn't appear it was using very much brake to the trailer.



Now that I have the Prodigy I will let you know how much it is applying for sure. I also have electrolic disc brakes on my 5th wheel and the are very smooth and work much better than drum brakes. I am not sure but wouldn't the brake controller take into consideration the rate of slow down before the brakes are applied? The Prodigy has an accelerometer in it I believe and that is totally different than a pendulum type.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Hey Blair good to hear from you again... . How's that monster of a 5th wheel (Automate) doing? I'm thinking of trading up at some time..... the wife needs more space now that I've got the (useable) power to tow it



JMc

 

[LarryB]

Originally posted by BPINE

I am not sure but wouldn't the brake controller take into consideration the rate of slow down before the brakes are applied?

Good point Blair! If so then you will only have this problem if you step on the brakes first, then activate the E-brake.



Any type controller that works for you is great in my book. I was just trying to point out a small problem. Probably just splitting hairs.