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EVERYTHING Trailer Brake Controllers

I have a Tekonsha Prodigy & love it. Easy to mount/connect & adjust. Also works well enough that the braking action with my 7500# enclosed car hauler is indistinguishable from normal driving. Longer stop distances of course, but no surging or lurching. Brain seems well suited to the job at hand.
 
My vote - Prodigy. We just purchased a trailer. After researching controllers, this one seemed the best. Handles up to two axles, self adjusting (turning on and for hills), smooth operation, self diagnostics, and cool feedback (voltage being applied to the trailer brakes). When I've rented trailers, the guys hooking things up ooh and ahhh at the thing. Of course, it is just a piece of technology (heh, let go of my PocketPC before I hurt someone!).

 
Thanks guys, I think I'll grab one later in the week.

I'll let'ya know how I like it when I put it to use mid-July.
 
Search online for prices, then check locally to see if anyone will match it. I found one local RV store that actually BEAT the cheapest online price.
 
I use the Prodigy and love it. :love:
The link below is where I got mine and couldn't be happier with the service. I strongly suggest springing for the 8.50 on the pre-made harness cable at the end of the page. There is another thread posted in regards to this subject which includes suggested installation locations and pictures. :)

 
On a side note - I like that little avatar you have Jeff... Looks like a Land Rover D90. :)

I was looking for one of them before I got the Av. When I found out they only tow like 1800lbs, and actually had a shorter wheelbase then my old Blazer - that idea was shot right down...
 
Check you fuse box under the hood in the engine compartment. My 2000 Silverado had the fuses for the brake controller plug in engine fuse box.
Ray
 
Sounds like the prodigy is you guys favorite but $125 is kind of high. What other Tekonsha enertia controllers work good? I only trailer once a month to the local Autocross and only tow 4500 lbs at most. I would get another brakemate but it would lock the trailer brakes up when the trailer was empty.
Thanks
Ray
 
I tow my camper once maybe twice a month during the summer and fall seasons. I'm really glad that I spent the extra few dollars on the Prodigy. I'll have the Av for the next 5 years, and the camper for at least that same amount of time, so the cost of the Prodigy will pay off especially with it's ease of use and functionality. ;)

 
Took my Av to the Camper dealer last thurs. and twenty minutes later I drove away with my new electric brakes. Hauled my camper this week end without a hitch, (in the brake system that is) God , what a great invention. We could have used Avalanches years ago.

Wave to the next Avalanche you see. Start a tradition..... :cool:.
 
My trailer dealer installed mine, and now I notice that I pick up ignition noise while under heavy throttle and while the radio reception is not strong.....
JM
 
spf973 said:
My trailer dealer installed mine, and now I notice that I pick up ignition noise while under heavy throttle and while the radio reception is not strong.....
JM
Click to expand...


AM or FM? The reason I ask is that most AM radios will pick up a little ignition noise on a weak channel...

I'd be surprised if it is related to the trailer brake controller.

ed
 
just started researching thisz82 harness. my basic question is when you plug in under the dash in location provided by/.....ehahn (thanks) does this energize the big plug back at the hitch?plug.. looks to me like red in big blue out so if i dont want this for brakes, ive got to go big red to big blue, and now ive got 40 amps at the hitch plug for lights or inverter without running any more wires back there...............and the brown in the harness might be for the gauge dimmer light output... i dont need electric brake control, just a bunsh of amps out back!! for me this is not a towing deal, but a mod that my av has built right in if i dont ...smoke some wires tryin.....ill report on the outcome!!
 
******UPDATED******
I have a 2003 2500 with the tow package (optional in 2003). ?It has a 30A fuse in the engine fuse block Stud #2 which the owners manual says is for the trailor brake, so I didn't have to install a fuse. ?The trailor guy says this is OK even though the brake controller owners manual says use 20A.
Also, there was no brake controller harness with the vehicle. ?They don't come with the 2003's.
All I had to do is wire the brake controller harness to the brake controller and plug it into the convienience block under the dash, second from the left on the top. (And bolt and adjust the brake controller.) :)
The problem I had was that I used a 2002 harness. NOW PAY ATTENTION. If you use a 2002 harness it is OK but, YOU MUST MOVE THE RED WIRE FROM THE LOWER LEFT SOCKET TO THE UPPER RIGHT SOCKET IN THE WIRING PLUG. Otherwise the trailer brakes come on when you turn on the running lights and not when you push the brake. :eek:
 
gstreak said:
Also, there was no brake controller harness with the vehicle. ?Did anybody get one with there 2003?
Click to expand...

Don't know if this will help, but I found mine (I have a 2002) under the rear seat on the passenger side just laying there. Have you looked under that seat?
 
IndigoBlue said:
On a similar note>

I have a trailer with surge brakes. Instead of the typical
4 wire harness of gnd, lb, rb, brk....I have on the boat
a 5 wire harness. The extra wire is a back-up light wire, which allows for the surge brakes to disconnect when the AV and boat in tow are going in reverse.

My '95 Tahoe had the extra wire taped up in the wire harness and all I had to do was go buy a 5 wire plug
and hook it up, which then mated to the boat fine.

Since, the plug that was in the center console is only a 4 wire...has anyone been to the dealer for a 5 wire plug
or done something else to incorporate that back-up light wire into their existing 4 wire plug?
Click to expand...

I have a flat 5 on my boat trailer as well. What I did was go down to the local muffler and hitch shop, they took my "round 7 to flat four adaptor" that came with the truck and gave me a brand new "round 7 to flat 5 adaptor". The truck is all wired up to work for the flat 5, just plug and play.

Most places are reasonable about this stuff, my buddy recommended that I ask someone to trade and low and behold it worked. If you cannot find one on trade, they only cost about 5 bucks or something. Hope this helps.

 
on the bottom edge of the dash in front of the brake pedal there are 2 holes.... my brake controller bolted right up.... no drilling! and is not in the way of my knees.
2002 1500 av.
 
My '03 Av didn't come with the harness either. I went back to the dealership a couple of days later, and talked to the service guys. They wrote it up as warrentee, and gave me the harness/fuse bundle. Unfortunately, they gave me a harness for an '02, which meant it came with the 40amp big blade-style fuse. The '03 uses small square-box style ones. Needed another fuse, and swap two wires for '03 vs '02. 10 minute job to install the Brake Controller. Mounted on right hand side above accelerator pedel. Works great!

Mike
 
Had my trailer dealer install the brake controller I took out of my other vehicle. Since I own an 03 AV there was a problem with the connection. They had to call Drawtite to get the wiring correct. Connector was not included with the 03 AV. Now I need a 40amp fuse too.

Bob
 
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