high level intro to brake controllers?

[MattEffinCameron]

so I have a 2007 F150 with tow package and just bought a kubota b-series. I have been looking at buying a 16-18' dual axle trailer to transport the tractor with and my brother also owns an 18' dual axle (7000gvw i believe) trailer that I could borrow.

According to my research, I just need to pick up a brake controller, which will plug into a connector under the dash, put a relay into the fuse box, and I am ready to tow? Does this mean I could also easily swap the controller out in a matter of minutes to my dad's or my friend's 2006 F150s to do the same? Do I have to do anything on the trailer?

Do I need to bother permanently mounting it or can I just connect the wires and stick it under the dash for a brief haul if im going to be using it infrequently? I have seen mention of supporting 360 degree vertical rotation (specifically with the prodigy P2) but I am guessing that means it can be mounted at any angle, but it probably does need to be put in a fixed mount so it can properly calculate braking needs etc..

 

[mjw357]

You say your truck has a 'tow package', not sure what that includes. Does it have trailer plugs at the rear? For trailer brakes, it should have a 7-pin round receptacle.

Brake controllers need to be solidly mounted in the tow vehicle. As you mentioned, most have sensors that let it determine how much braking effort is needed as you stop the vehicle.

 

[oldballs]

That Prodigy P2 should work in both trucks if they are wired for it (tow package), as I understand it. I don't think that a relay is even needed, IIRC. You may need to add a fuse in the box under the hood, IIRC. But heck, I'm an amateur. Others on TBN are more savvy than I. The trailer connectors probably will work as is. IIRC, the P2 can be moved by just disconnecting it under your dash. Also, the e-trailer company can help with advice ( as just one example).

I'm assuming that all trailers have electric brakes, not surge brakes, in which case no controller is needed.

 

[MattEffinCameron]

cool, thanks.

All the trucks with tow packages (this generation ford anywya) have the round 7 pin receptacle. There is other stuff included with the tow package obviously but with relation to brake controllers i *think* it means i have the round plug at the back to work with trailer brakes and the truck is wired for trailer brakes, just missing the controller....

 

[Diamondpilot]

You are correct, you can just move the controller around if needed. On the Fords the Relay is needed as is a fuse sometimes. It no more than a 15 minute install.

The relay is used for power to charge the brake away battery on the trailer. The fuse if needed is to supply power to the controller itself.

Chris

 

[JJZ 109]

You are correct, you can just move the controller around if needed. On the Fords the Relay is needed as is a fuse sometimes. It no more than a 15 minute install.

The relay is used for power to charge the brake away battery on the trailer. The fuse if needed is to supply power to the controller itself.

Chris

With a Ford, I go with a factory controller and have the truck computer reflashed. You usually mention this as the best way to go with a Ford, Chris.

 

[Diamondpilot]

With a Ford, I go with a factory controller and have the truck computer reflashed. You usually mention this as the best way to go with a Ford, Chris.

Not available on that year F150. Super Duty only. F150 did not get the factory controller till 2011 I believe. Super Duty got it in 2005.

You are right though, it's by far the best option

Chris

 

[JJZ 109]

Not available on that year F150. Super Duty only. F150 did not get the factory controller till 2011 I believe. Super Duty got it in 2005.

You are right though, it's by far the best option

Chris

I had so many F150's from 1986 to 2013 model years until I bought a 250 last year that I can't remember which years had it and which didn't.

 

[ModMech]

The ONLY brake controller I like is one that ratios the trailer effort off the towing vehicle's brake system pressure. Unfortunately, these models are expensive and hard to find, if you can at all. On the plus side, you ALWAYS get exactly the braking effort needed by the trailer once it is set up correctly initially, no more braking and no less than needed - always.

Every other non-OEM solution uses either an operator input or some form of inertia measurement to guestimate at the correct trailer braking effort, which is almost always WRONG.

 

[MattEffinCameron]

so I got a prodigy P3...I dont plan on using it often...and I am a big guy so theres not a lot of mounting locations that are out of the way that my knee wont smash into (I have the captains chairs in the front so I dont have that space under the dash in the middle).

Any thoughts about putting it under the driver's seat?

There is a raised flat surface under the front center of the driver's seat. I could velcro it right there for easy install/removal but that might not be a fixed enough position for it to work as well as it needs to...so I could always drill in and mount it there. Issue would be that the controller would either be facing backwards or facing the correct direction but I wouldnt be able to see the front of it as the front of the unit would be facing the area under the seat....

 

[Diamondpilot]

so I got a prodigy P3...I dont plan on using it often...and I am a big guy so theres not a lot of mounting locations that are out of the way that my knee wont smash into (I have the captains chairs in the front so I dont have that space under the dash in the middle). Any thoughts about putting it under the driver's seat? There is a raised flat surface under the front center of the driver's seat. I could velcro it right there for easy install/removal but that might not be a fixed enough position for it to work as well as it needs to...so I could always drill in and mount it there. Issue would be that the controller would either be facing backwards or facing the correct direction but I wouldnt be able to see the front of it as the front of the unit would be facing the area under the seat....

You must be able to access it while driving to tune it to the load and test.

Chris

 

[RPW]

Mount the controller the way the manufacture requires it to be. If you were on the road by yourself it wouldn't be a problem. Please keep it safe. I've use the Prodigy P2 for years without an issue pulling loads between a few thousands up to 15000 plus animals. As long as I've set the controller before I pull the load works great. As far as location you can (I believe the manufacture allows this) mount on the top of the dash.

Good luck.

 

[OhioJoe]

I mounted my P2 into the cubby of my 99.5 f250 with velcro. I store in the glovebox until needed. Works great and easy to reach...jwm.

 

[Panik]

If you're concerned about room I would mount it on the dash as RPW suggested.

As far as location you can (I believe the manufacture allows this) mount on the top of the dash.

In fact that's actually what I did because I didn't want to deal with smacking my knees on my P3.



I used a large chunk of Velcro for dashes and vinyl to attach it as I wasn't sure about screwing the mounting bracket to the dash (padded dash). The controller has stayed where it was placed and has worked flawlessly since installation. That being said, I have yet to have a need to disconnect it and remove it from the dash. I really can't see the need to do that unless something is malfunctioning.

Anyways, I'm left handed and it's actually an easier reach for me than if I had mounted it on the knee boards of the dash. If I remember correctly the only major sticking point for the P3's in regards to mounting was that they needed to be level from side to to side.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you're concerned about room I would mount it on the dash as RPW suggested.

In fact that's actually what I did because I didn't want to deal with smacking my knees on my P3.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=424065"/>

I used a large chunk of Velcro for dashes and vinyl to attach it as I wasn't sure about screwing the mounting bracket to the dash (padded dash). The controller has stayed where it was placed and has worked flawlessly since installation. That being said, I have yet to have a need to disconnect it and remove it from the dash. I really can't see the need to do that unless something is malfunctioning.

Anyways, I'm left handed and it's actually an easier reach for me than if I had mounted it on the knee boards of the dash. If I remember correctly the only major sticking point for the P3's in regards to mounting was that they needed to be level from side to to side.

Why did you just get the factory unit from Ford? Even if the truck didn't come with it you can gave it installed at your dealer. Unit runs $89 and 30 minutes of labor to install and reflash the computer is about $40.

I have them done all the time.

Chris

 

[Panik]

If your refering to me it's because I have a '14 Sierra and unfortunately there's no simple retrofit for the oem controller. A bunch of people on gm-trucks looked into it and no one has been able to figure out an affordable way to do it yet.

If your talking about the OP's ford, then by all means I agree that if it's affordable he should get the retrofit.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If your refering to me it's because I have a '14 Sierra and unfortunately there's no simple retrofit for the oem controller. A bunch of people on gm-trucks looked into it and no one has been able to figure out an affordable way to do it yet.

If your talking about the OP's ford, then by all means I agree that if it's affordable he should get the retrofit.

I'm sorry, I thought you had a Ford also.

I'm surprised it's a pain on the GM and cost preventing. On the Ford's it's less or the same as a decent aftermarket controller and looks and works 10 times better.

Chris

 

[Panik]

No worries! As for the OEM controller's apparently it's a GM control thing. They are no longer allowing dealers to re-flash a truck's BCM for features that were not originally spec'd out in the RPO codes. Sucks!