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Trailer Brake Controller?


JoshT

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Building a flat bed trailer approximately 6x14 out of an old camper frame. It's tandem axle and has brakes on one axle. This will mostly be used for general purpose like hauling a motorcyle or ATV since it'll be my only trailer (for now), but will probably see occasional duty as a car hauler as well. Due to the latter I want to make the brakes functional, and need to add the necessary components to my 99 Ranger. Their may also be a camper in my future, so this is kinda preparing for that as well.

I know I need brake controller and a will be using a 7 pin plug, but beyond that I'm mostly clueless. Trailer Brakes are straight electric and I know I should have a breakaway box on the trailer.

What do I need for the truck side of trailer brakes? Recommendations on a brake controller?

FWIW Truck:
1999 Ford Ranger
4.0L auto
Extended Cab
4x4
Factory tow package
32x11.5R15
 


alwaysFlOoReD

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There may be connections under the dash for the brake controller, especially since it has a tow package. At the ass end the simplest is an aftermarket wiring harness "T" that connects into the factory wiring harness. Otherwise the brake controller will have directions.

Sent from my XT1032
 

RonD

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I would look at the Tekonsha Prodigy P2, it uses proportional braking
They have kits for Rangers so you can interface them with Rangers existing wires/connectors
 

Will

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I agree with the Prodigy rec. The cheap time-delay controllers aren't good. When you apply the brakes, they do the same thing no matter how hard you apply the brakes. An inertia controller like the Prodigy recognizes that you really want to stop right now and will zoom up the braking power when you hammer the truck brakes. There is a panic bar you can press on the time-delay controllers, but who has the third hand and mind to do that when you are panic stopping and looking for a safe place to steer the rig into?
 

LIMA BEAN

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I just put a Tekonsha P3 in my friends duramax and I really liked how it worked and all the features. He hauls a 38 foot aluminum boat with 3 axles and brakes on all three. The week before I installed a Curt Reflex on his sons F-250 for hauling his new 5th wheel trailer and it worked fine just not as many features as the Tekonsha but they are both inertial accelerometer controllers.
 

gw33gp

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I installed a Tekonsha Voyager in my Ranger and like it very much. That was at least 13 years ago and it still works well. It looks like the Prodigy P2 is more sophisticated but you pay more for that. The Voyager has proportional braking that is adjustable and has an adjustable time delay feature also if you choose to use that.

I like the compactness of the Voyager. It also has a manual sider switch for applying the trailer brakes only. This comes in handy if the trailer starts to whip for any reason. I have used that feature a few times.
 

AllanD

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I will state my opinion on the subject: that there are two kinds of electric brake controllers, Tekonsha and TRASH

yes I'm saying straight out that anything other than a Tekonsha is JUNK

AD
 

Captain Ledd

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My credo
If you're not making mistakes, you're not learning.
I put a Max Brake in my GMC and have another for the Ranger which I haven't installed yet. I'm quite pleased with it. It has a sensor on one of the brake lines and sends voltage to the trailer brakes according to how much pressure is in your brake system. It feels totally natural.

They're a bit on the pricey side, but they're basically the stand-alone/aftermarket version of Fords Tow command system.
 

don4331

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Max Brake and all the other hydraulic pressure sensing brake controller companies appear to be out of business (or migrated to inertia sensing)

Issues with reliability of the pressure sensor seems to be the Achilles heel.
 

Captain Ledd

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My credo
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Huh, well good thing I got one when I did, it's been great.
 

adsm08

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Issues with reliability of the pressure sensor seems to be the Achilles heel.
I can believe that. Ford had issues with those sensors when they were used as a backup sensor for the cruise deactivation. The Explorers in particular had problems with them leaking or failing internally and killing the CC system.

And then of course there was the whole catching on fire thing.
 

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