Brake Controller Reese vs. Prodigy vs. ???

[yelbike]

And here I thought it meant "Da wife" lol

 

[jejeosborne]

Ok if we want to talk statistics, get the Maxbrake. If you want to statistically be less of a risk on the road, get the Maxbrake. I have no experience with the Maxbrake but from what I see, it is going to give the best results for emergency braking. That said, I wouldn't spend the extra dollars over the prodigy unless I towed weekly.

The prodigy inertia style are the second best. I used a prodigy for ten years in my last truck until I recently bought a new Ford with the factory controller. The prodigy performed very good and I felt safe with it.

I think they should outlaw timer based controllers I had one for a week before the prodigy and who wants to risk waiting on a timer in an emergency?

Jeff

 

[crazyal]

What about custom lines? When I switched my old Jeep CJ5 from a master cylinder under the floor to master cylinder on the firewall, I basically had to make all new lines. Of course, as part of that, I bought a double flare tool kit and benders to do it properly.

If the "T" is added properly, with correct fittings and double flaring it should not be an issue. And, pressure transducers are used all over in applications like this...

Adding this "T" and sensor, then bleeding the system is not really any different than replacing a master cylinder, wheel cylinder, or calipers.

This is not like adding a "T" and running the hydraulics to the trailer, like in the old days... No way would I do that...

All I said is I don't like to tap into a brake line. It's messy, I prefer not to mess with leaking brake fluid. I don't like to bleed the system after doing the work, that's just me.

A friend had a Max Brake type system (don't know what brand it was) added to his 2003 GMC 1 ton. He owns a sprinkler business and uses a gooseneck to haul large quantities of pipe to jobs. I'm not sure why he went with that type of controller.

What I do know is that at 8,000 miles his antilock brake system failed. If you pushed on the brake pedal too hard it would just go to the floor. While I'm sure the pressure switch had nothing to do with it GM would not cover it under the warranty. It was a simple excuse for them to say "you messed with the system so we're not covering it".

But I also don't have a wide range of trailers that I pull. For someone who does it could be a real good option. I've also never had an issue pulling an empty trailer vs a loaded one with my prodigy controller.

 

[Soundguy]

for the guy that tows a smallish trailer 1-2 per year or every couple months, the cheaper controllers are fine.. and i'd rather they have them than nothing at all!

if you don't like 'waiting' then dial down the time / up the response sensitivity. my hoppy has an adjuster.. i know some don't etc.

i like my prodigy better than my drawtight or hoppy types.. but I have hauled many many many thousands of miles all over the southeastern and south west as far as NM using a hoppy controller. had plenty of panic stops along the ways. no accidents.. didn't cause any.. still in one piece.

too many variables to paint a 1 size fits all picture.

soundguy

Ok if we want to talk statistics, get the Maxbrake. If you want to statistically be less of a risk on the road, get the Maxbrake. I have no experience with the Maxbrake but from what I see, it is going to give the best results for emergency braking. That said, I wouldn't spend the extra dollars over the prodigy unless I towed weekly.

The prodigy inertia style are the second best. I used a prodigy for ten years in my last truck until I recently bought a new Ford with the factory controller. The prodigy performed very good and I felt safe with it.

I think they should outlaw timer based controllers I had one for a week before the prodigy and who wants to risk waiting on a timer in an emergency?

Jeff

 

[RobertN]

It's not my favorite either. Icky, messes up paint, pain in the behind. In the case of the old Jeep, almost everything had to be replaced. So did it right. And, used to have to work on stuff like that working on race cars(years ago, circle track "street stocks").

Had to help the kid with brakes on his Bronco. That fluid was nasty...

I have been very happy since I upgraded from an older Tekonsha Sentinel to the Prodigy...

All I said is I don't like to tap into a brake line. It's messy, I prefer not to mess with leaking brake fluid. I don't like to bleed the system after doing the work, that's just me.

But I also don't have a wide range of trailers that I pull. For someone who does it could be a real good option. I've also never had an issue pulling an empty trailer vs a loaded one with my prodigy controller.

 

[jejeosborne]

for the guy that tows a smallish trailer 1-2 per year or every couple months, the cheaper controllers are fine.. and i'd rather they have them than nothing at all!

if you don't like 'waiting' then dial down the time / up the response sensitivity. my hoppy has an adjuster.. i know some don't etc.

i like my prodigy better than my drawtight or hoppy types.. but I have hauled many many many thousands of miles all over the southeastern and south west as far as NM using a hoppy controller. had plenty of panic stops along the ways. no accidents.. didn't cause any.. still in one piece.

too many variables to paint a 1 size fits all picture.

soundguy

The only way for ANY timer based controller to be safe in an emergency stop is to make it full on with NO delay. When I say full on, I mean the maximum gain setting just prior to wheel lock up. If wheels don't lock up, set the gain at the full setting.

As long as you drive with this uncomfortable whiplash setting then you are as safe as the prodigy inertia type. My bet is that you don't operate that way or you would look like a bucking bronco coming up to the stop light. I know because that is how I drove mine with my family in the truck. I would lightly touch my brake and the rv would aggressively stop my rig. Remove my light pressure and it felt like we got rear ended. Repeat this process all the way to the red light. Forget the DW giving you the WTH look. Turn down the gain to make it comfortable, and you've reduced the emergency maximum too and put my family at risk.

The prodigy types allow you to set the maximum gain but doesn't use it unless needed. The not much cheaper timer units are on or off with a little preset ramp (which should be zero for emergency). For little money savings why risk lives and allow them on the roads?

I am glad that no one was hurt during your panic stops but believe you would have stopped even sooner with the prodigy type controller. I have made panic stops with no trailer brakes and survived as well. I guess we are both lucky.

I still believe that there are no variables in any timer types I have seen and that they are all unsafe unless operated in a very uncomfortable fashion.

Jeff

 

[Diamondpilot]

When I did it I lost less than a oz of fluid. I put a lid from a spray paint can under it and only got a drip. The brake line lost no fluid and got no air in it since it was higher. Simply put the T in and leave the sending unit a little lose and then have someone pump the brakes and tighten. Done in less than 5 minutes...

Takes longer to run the wire though the firewall and mount the controller.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

I am glad that no one was hurt during your panic stops but believe you would have stopped even sooner with the prodigy type controller. I have made panic stops with no trailer brakes and survived as well. I guess we are both lucky.

I don't disagree. a better controller would have been better.

I still believe that there are no variables in any timer types I have seen and that they are all unsafe unless operated in a very uncomfortable fashion.

Jeff

I got one in my truck.. has a 2nd dial on the side. controls speed the brakes apply. dial it down and hit the brakes and watch the numbers slowly climb. dial it up and hit the brakes and the numbers quickly climb. at max up, and you hit the brakes it pretty much jumps to 10 with perhaps 1 number briefly flashed inbetween so fast you couldn't see it. on lowest setting, it REALLY takes it's time like maybee 2 or 2.5 seconds for full on.

you also have the panic switch available to punch and go max immediatly reguardless what the brakes are telling it...

just saying. not everybody needs a sledghammer to put in a thumbtack.

if a guy is gonna avoid hooking up his brakes becaus ethe only 'allowed' controllers are hundreds of bucks, OR he's gonna have some level of brakes because he can buy a 50$ cheaper controller... I WANT the guy to have SOME brakes!

think real world here. you make it too hard.. and a good section of the population will ignore it completely. you make it easier to comply.. or stepped levels of compliance.. and you will get more participants.

all or nothing thinking usually gets you nothing.

soundguy

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree, not everyone needs the best. This is true with all things. I have a relatively cheap trailer, tractor, ect.

My 06 Ford F-350 4x4 Powerstroke has the factory brake controller in it. Its pressure driven and is by far the best controller I have used and I have used a bunch, maybe 25 or more different ones in all types and makes of vehicles.

In my 08 Titan I just have a cheap Reese WalMart version. It works for no more than I tow but its by no means as nice as the Ford one but it was also about $75.

The Max Brake is by far the best aftermarket controller in my experience but if you don't want to spend $350 then the P3 by Prodigy is a good buy at around $130 and will do everything one needs but for that matter so will the $50 one from WalMart.

Chris

 

[timswi]

I agree, not everyone needs the best. This is true with all things. I have a relatively cheap trailer, tractor, ect.

My 06 Ford F-350 4x4 Powerstroke has the factory brake controller in it. Its pressure driven and is by far the best controller I have used and I have used a bunch, maybe 25 or more different ones in all types and makes of vehicles.

In my 08 Titan I just have a cheap Reese WalMart version. It works for no more than I tow but its by no means as nice as the Ford one but it was also about $75.

The Max Brake is by far the best aftermarket controller in my experience but if you don't want to spend $350 then the P3 by Prodigy is a good buy at around $130 and will do everything one needs but for that matter so will the $50 one from WalMart.

Chris

Agreed...The cheaper ones just take more playing around....A few trucks ago I had a hand-me-down controller that was probably 15 years old...Did just fine with a 30' travel trailer, once I figured out it's behavior...The OEM on my GMC needs virtually no adjustments once the tow load is established..The factory ones are top notch.