My 4wd Not fitted with Electric Brake/Controller

jimmy
Do a search on Electric Brake Controllers and have a read.
there are many Q and A on the subject.
Prodigy is a good all round unit.
Cost depends on who installs it

Regards
Geoff

prodigy is a good one, cost me about $140 + fitting, about a hours work.

cheers
keith

Jimmay, all vans have electric brakes with similar magnets in their brakes. The main difference between vans is the current drawn by the brakes. A twin axle van requires roughly twice the current and a tri-axle van requires three times. This is a rule of thumb, there will be a little difference depending on weight but there is as adjusting control on every brake controller to compensate for this. Most brake controllers will provide sufficient power for all vans, the exception is there are a few of the older ones that will only suit two axle vans.

The main thing to watch is that there ar two types of controller:

1 The proportional controllers have a sensing element in them that detects how quickly you are slowing and apply the correct amount of current to the van to match the van brakes with those of the tug. (The control element is sometimes a pendulum that requires a once only set-up and others use a self levelling decelerometer.)

2 There are some old technology controllers that are called synchroniser, timer or digital controllers. They apply a small level of current which builds up over a few seconds of time up to a maximum that you have pre-set with the adjustment on them. They do not provide full braking at the commencement of emergency stop situations. When you are coming to a gentle stop the controller will produce maximum braking (after the build up time) whether you want it or not.

I would suggest you purchase a proportional type controller and not one of the other. All current Tekonsha controllers are proportional types.

The above shows how the two types of controllers act.

Unless it is an obscure brake system, a standard electric brake controller should be fine.
Most of the basic controllers will deal with 2 axles and 4 electric drums.

what you need to make sure of is the type of plug used and that it is wired correctly.

OH and when getting the brake controller installed make sure the wiring used is, as specified, particularly the cable between the battery and the controller and the wire between the controller and the plug on the back of the vehicle.

I have heard of all sorts of butcherous things being done.....like pickinng up a supply from the ciggy lighter..and plenty of people will try and tell you the wire does not need to be as heavy as the manufacturers specify


OH and don't wast you money on a controller that is not proportional.

If an electric brake system and trailer is properly set up, you'll have to get ya Mrs to hold ya eyeballs in if you try an emergency stop.

cheers

Just one word of caution on the proportional (Prodigy) type brake controllers.
You need plenty of room between the dash and your knees.

I could not fit one for this reason and chose a non-proportional controller that could be mounted out of the way.

The Redarc Remote Head controller I fitted works extremely well and despite the lack of proportional braking as mentioned above, is efficient in its operation when adjusted correctly.

The control box is fitted away from knees, etc. and only the adjuster knob and indicator light is mounted in a convenient location.

Thank you Folk for the great views, from which I can now make some better informed judgements. It seems to me that the 2 types mentioned need to be installed diligently. More research on my part...
regards Jimmy