Alright the cheapie brake controller in my dads F150 is acting up so figure Ill upgrade both his truck and my IDI at the same time (both are time delay controllers from Uhaul as their the only ones nearby that sell controllers) but cant decide between the P3 and the Maxbrake for my truck (those 2 + factory for the F150). Any suggestions/pros/cons between the 2? The F150 will get minimal tow use (basiclly only when the IDI isnt tow worthy...like right now with blown injectors) so Im partly leaning towards the factory controller just because the dash is designed with a mounting sport for that in mind (or max brake as the controller will take same/less space). Currently have a dual axle trailer with both axles having electric brakes but thinking of eventully upgrading to electric over hydraulic disks for the trailer.

 

My thought on this one is not to overthink something that is going to see only occasional use at best. When I buy, I try to balance purchase price against usage. I know that are strong opinions against what I am about to say, but I have used quite a number of controllers dating all the way back to the old models that tee into the master cylinder and they all worked.

I would steer away from any timed controller, but other than that I am still willing to bet the majority of users, if blindfolded, would not be able to differentiate between controllers. I do, however, find the built-in diagnostics in more expensive models to be of value. I have the factory controller in one of my trucks and a Hayes G2 in the other and can not tell the difference between them when towing.

I also do not share many folks ethusiasm for hydraulic brakes. They were introduced to reduce maintenance given so few folks maintain their equipment. Unless you are having a problem with your current braking system, it just seems to me like a lot of work for questionable benefit. Are you having trouble stopping with what you have?

In my opinion, if you tow for a living or daily, top end stuff may be worth the cost and time. Otherwise, not so much.

Just my two cents worth,

Steve

 

I'm with Steve. I have been an occasional hauler for 40 years and when it comes to towing equipment I go by what has worked for me in the past. I have hauled TTs, Fivers, tent campers, boats, and the occasional utility trailer. I usually buy mid priced products from brands that I know, Reese, Hayes etc.
With brake controllers I bring the rig out to a isolated area to adjust the setting before hitting the road for the trip.
With the internet its easy to find reviews and product comparisons so check out some of the RV sites. When I bought my last controller it was the result of such an article.
YMMV
rikard

 

The factory controllers are hard and expensive to install after the truck is built so I wouldn't go that route, the MaxBrake is a truly proportional controller like the factory ones but they are also expensive but they can be moved form truck to truck, the P3 is a good controller for occasional towing and some get along with them just fine but your truck has to start and do a lot of the braking because of the way they work, they sense the deceleration when the truck brakes are applied before they do any hard braking. I use a BrakeSmart that is no longer made but it works like the MaxBrake and I will no longer use anything else but that style of controller but I do a lot of towing. I have never had a brake problem in my truck after installing my BrakeSmart so it's payed for itself over the last 10 years.

As far as disk brakes I think they are a good system and after the nightmare I just had with my electric brakes on my trailer I may be going that route next spring, the wiring inside my axles shorted out, I'm on the road and had to fix them in a CG.

Denny

 

Main reasson(s) Im wanting to eventully (probbly several years down the road) get disc brakes is for the added thermal capacity and the even braking wheel to wheel as I can never seem to get all 4 wheels adjusted equal. Itll also hopefully reduce some of the effort involved in taking the trailer to the races (1-2 a year that are 8+ hours each way) as your not compensating for the trailer pulling under braking (other reasson I want a decent controller for both trucks). Oh and for anyone thinking of towing with a F150...keep the trailer small with my current setup you definatly have to be paying attetion or youll end up in the ditch (6' bed super cab + equalizer WD hitch + 24' enclosed car trailer est at 7-8k lbs).

Now back on the brake controllers.... the factory one shouldnt be to bad to install (pull 1 panel and plug it in) most annoying part is taking it to the dealer to get the ECU reflashed but rough guess itll be $160 parts + $0-130 for the ECU reflash. I thought about the 1 brake controller for 2 trucks and just swap route but I really dont want to have to pull the dash apart every time I tow with the F150 (and that truck NEEDS trailer brakes).

My biggest issue with the P3 vs Maxbrake is the P3 relies on the truck starting the slowing process wich (once again escpecially in the 1/2 ton) could be minimal at best, even with decent pedal pressure due to grades/conditions (like going down the Rockies...) but the P3 has the advantage of not being tapped into your brake lines which while a slim chance is still a chance for brake leaks/failure (no more so then a normal brake though) P3 is also cheaper then the Maxbrake and easier to come by but...

Now that Ive refreshed my memory on prices for the factory controller for the F150 Im thinking Ill just get that for it (100% electronic version of Maxbrake that intergrates with ABS/stability/sway control) as that also means itll be under the trucks warrenty as a just in case. Still not 100% on the IDI but am honestly leaning towards the Maxbrake.

 

The Prodigy has a 3 level initial boost setting that sends a pre-determined voltage to the trailer as soon as the brake light wire powers up. This feature eliminates the initial push you used to get with a conventional proportional controller before the inertia mechanism took over.

 

As does Hayes G2 and perhaps others.

Steve

 

Steve, you're right as usual. I didn't mean to imply that the Prodigy was any better than its competitors you mention. I was answering in context to the original question which pitted it against the Maxbrake. My intent was to make the case that it wasn't necessary to have a pressure driven system (which of course involves tapping-in) to have very good proportional braking and no perceptible lag time. On a side note, I researched the absorption fridge issue and was surprised to see there's more to it than I expected.

 

I didn't think you were. I was just expanding.

Absorption fridges, yeah, they are a trip alright.

Steve

 

Lets get one thing straight the only way you get true proportional braking is with a controller that is directly connected to your truck braking system. Using a timed voltage when the brake lights come on is not proportional braking and a inertia mechanism is also not proportional braking. Proportional controllers have to react at the same time with the same amount of braking as the tow vehicle. If you ever used one you would never go back to a inertia style controller.

Denny

 

Denny,

I have used the old proportional controllers and they did work very well, and I agree with your summation in terms of the action.

My reality, however, is I can not tell a bit of difference between those and my current controller. The action is simply so seamless I can not feel it, but having had to rely on it in panic stops, as well as day-to-day use, I continue to be impressed.

I am skeptical the average user could tell the difference in action and am doubtful the average user would gain enough benefit to justify the cost or added installation time. Other than with timed controllers, I just don't run across owners complaining about their brake controllers.

Just my opinion,

Steve

 

Steve we spend most of the year living in our RV among other RVers and I find a totally different persepetion on controllers , at the Rally we were at last month we had a person selling Max Brake and they were busy replacing P2 & P3 controllers with Max Brake because the owners of the Prodigies were not happy with them. I have one sitting in my tool box as a spare just in case but it was replaced because I was not happy with the way it worked. I came form a time when we had controllers worked off the master cylinder with a line coming into the controller it was the first true proportional control and I was never happy with any of the time base or inertia style that replaced them. All the new trucks have the option of proportional controllers for a reason.

Denny

 

I guess its different one place versus another. Not really arguing for or against. I just haven't seen that kind of demand. Maybe its not widely enough known.

Steve

 

I did quite a bit of searching on the Internet tonight on the Max Brake, as Denny peaked my curiosity.

It looks like it is well received by owners and there are several who have commented they felt it was an improvement over the Prodigies that they owned. It is pricey at $349 on eBay and some discussion as to whether it is worth the the extra money for the occasional user. I think that is up to the buyer.

I could only find a single negative comment and that was not about the Max Brake, but about a dealer who would not cover an brake issue that should have been covered under warranty because a Max Brake was installed. I agree with the owner in this case that the dealer should not have denied coverage as the Max Brake should had nothing to do the problem.

Overall, if you have the bucks and the interest, a Max Brake looks like it is worth looking into. The installation looks pretty simple using only basic hand tools. I did not find reports of problems with installation, operation, or reliability. Others may find additional information. If anyone in this forum changes over, please post on your impressions.

Just my two cents worth,

Steve