Trailer Brakes

**Iain** · 26th March 2005, 08:45 AM

As most know by now I spend some considerable time towing around a variety of mules and just after Xmas bought a new extended horse float (read heavy).
This new beast is equipped with electric brakes which would have to be the best thing since beer in cans and as my Landcruiser already had a controller fitted I was fairly happy with what I got.
Mrs had a few problems adjusting the settings to suit the load, anything from one 10 hand pony to two 700kg TBs and her braking would suffer, the controller was a basic Hayman Reece with a tiny little slide that moved just over a 1/4".
Two days ago I received my new controller, the Tekonsha Prodigy, a fully automatic sensing braking controller that applies the brakes at the same rate as the tow vehicle, now I am not one to rave about brakes but I feel this little beast is worth a mention.
It is fully solid state, no pendulum but an electronic sensor, just spend about five minutes setting the correct output voltage and it does the rest from thereon, for a heavier load it has three boost functions to allow for extra weight.
The best part, the price, $129 including GST from JMC airconditiong in Mackay Qld http://www.jmco.com.au/aircon.php this was less than half what I had been quoted anywhere else.
For anyone interested have a look at http://www.tekonsha.com/prodig.html , it is truly fantastic and anyone towing a heavy load would really benefit from this.
Sorry for the rave but towing is not an exciting subject but this unit makes it a pleasure.
Also, JMC were very prompt and efficient and charged $12 freight, locally the best price I got was $299.00.

**Lucas** · 26th March 2005, 09:45 AM

Iain

do you run a brakeaway with the electic brake set up

I'm at the stage of building a trailer for my camper ........ top is done just need the trailer to put it on and i'm going to run electic's thanks for the heads up on the controller

**JackoH** · 26th March 2005, 09:53 AM

Iain. I too have one of those Hayman Reece gadgets on my Jeep, and tow a 1500kg(loaded) caravan.The unit is pretty old and not operating as it should, Is the Tekonsha able to be wired straight in to the exsisting conections for the H.R.?

**Iain** · 26th March 2005, 11:42 AM

Jack, the four leads out are matched colour for colour, Black is +, White Earth, Red cold side of brake switch and blue to trailer.
Unlike the HR there is no delay and the display indicates the voltage going to the trailer depending upon inertia, it's a bit unnerving at first as you can't feel it kick in but it certainly is working when you pull up with 2.5 tonnes up back and it feels like just the car braking.
Have a look at the link for wiring diagram.
There is also a huge lever under the unit for over ride.
There is also on board diagnostics so if there is a coupling error it will let you know, also displays the mode you are in and when you stop at lights or whatever after a few seconds the trailer will receive a application of brakes to take the strain off the tow vehicle, great if you are stopped pointing up or downhill.
Lucas, what is break away? if it is manual over ride, yes it has.

**journeyman Mick** · 26th March 2005, 01:58 PM

Iain,
breakaway systems apply the brakes should the trailer get seperated from the vehicle. In Qld they are mandatory for all trailers over a certain ATM (aggregate trailer mass), not sure how much but it may be as low as 2.5 tonne. My mates got it on his plant trailer for his bobcat and excavator. There's a drawbar mounted battery which will power up the brakes if the switch is activated. The switch has a steel cable attached to the tow vehicle on it. If the tow vehicle and trailer seperate the cable pulls a pin out which keeps the contacts apart in the switch, battery energises brakes, trailer stops (In theory anyway

)

Mick

**Iain** · 27th March 2005, 08:44 AM

I checked Victorias guidelines (regs) on towing and it appears that the legal limit is 1.5 times the vehicle weight, so all those Landrover owners who claim they can legally tow 4 tonnes is obviously incorrect (Landrover claim there vehicles can pull this, I wouldn't) so my beast weighing about 2.3 tonnes can tow 3.45 tonnes braked.
What bothers me is watching people in a standard Falcon/Commodore towing 2 TBs with over ride brakes.
And a 3 litre Pajero towing 3 big horses in a 3 horse angle loader, I could probably just get away with it but a 3 litre, oh well, the things you see on the road.
Last weekend a local gendarme told me he pulled up a laser towing a commodore on a tandem trailer.
I checked the Tekonsha site and if you want breakaway it can be done but I think it is a function of the trailer not the controller.

**JackoH** · 27th March 2005, 09:57 AM

Iain. Generally speaking the law says a vehicle can pull 1.5 times its own weight as you state above. or what the manufacturer of the vehicle stipulates The situation is complicated by the fact that as in lots of other things the law varies in different States. :confused:
I asked a copper friend of mine to explain and he said it's all too hard, so they just tend to pull over the ones that are obvously overloaded. A year or two ago they had a blitz outside Flemington race course one saturday afternon with a portable weighbridge,and made people pulling floats with Falcons and the like, and carrying two horses, all overloaded, unload one horse and come back for the other later.
But the racing lobby in Vic is so strong that the police had to drop the whole thing. Also it tied up too much man power for too long.
However a word of warning

If you have an accident and all is not exactly right with your rig, you won't see your insurance company for dust.

By the way thanks for the info above. Electrics are a complete mystery to me and I am now thoroughly confused. :confused: I am the original auto-electricians dream!

**Iain** · 27th March 2005, 10:05 AM

I take your point but I feel that with my Hayman Reece hitch, Lovell tow bar with adjustment, ARB suspension and Polyair ride levelers all is well, probably better than most, combined with this new braking controller it is a joy to tow, the best $129:00 I have ever spent, and only took me 10 minutes to install crimping into the existing loom that HR had in, as I said the colours are exactly the same, even you could do it

The controller comes with the crimps and a tool for crimping is only about $10:00.
If I am over your way next weekend I'll let you have a look.

**Lucas** · 27th March 2005, 10:51 AM

Iain

if you have a car tandem that isnt rego'ed for 750 - 850 kg as most of the hire ones are then you have to have a breakaway system in place
still dont know how they get away with that

**johnc** · 29th March 2005, 11:04 PM

I guess of equal importance to the quality of the brakes is definately the weight of the tow vehicle, and anyone who has ever had a trailer try to take over the car will know exactly what I mean. Really it is hard to go past electric for heavy towing providing as with all braking systems they are well maintained, however with boat trailers salt water and electrical systems don't seem to mix well and I will stick to over rides even though its on a 1700kg tug behind a bog basic Falcon. Incidently I am not a fan of big motors for towing you might get up hills faster and manage to overtake the odd car but with anything swinging off a 2" ball do you really need to.

Just my two bobs worth, JohnC

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