Got a sales flyer from NAPA in which they advertise an electric brake controller, brand not mentioned, sale reduced from I believe $60 to $30. At that price I would expect it to be pretty lean on features, but does anyone have an idea whether the unit would be worth it? I am planning light towing (hopefully under 3000 pounds) with an F100 and planned on adding the electric brake controller - and this price is definitely affordable.

 

I would guess it is a timed rather electronic controller which means stops that are not as smooth in terms of activating trailer brakes, but timed controllers have been around for decades and certainly work.

For occasional use, probably okay. If you are going to spend a lot of time towing and might tow more weight in the future, you might want to move up the food chain.

Steve

 

Actually, that 3000 pounds kinda IS the eventual plan - initially I am trying to stay under 2000 and do short trips. I have 2.75 gears and a Dana diff, so I am planning on keeping the loads down. Sounds like this controller may be a good 'entry level' item - thanks

 

I got an e-mail about it as well. Now I am sorry I didn't read it about it.


I wonder if napa is trying to increase their product line in this direction?

 

For $30 it might be worth checking out. I paid $140 or so for my first brake controller and I was pulling a small TT at 4400#.

 

Here's the skinny on that controller...sounds pretty good.

Brake-Force? Brake Control w/plug in connector

 

Look before you leap, especially when it comes to electrical components. A good deal
of their stuff now comes from China, and at that price I would bet it's imported..

 

Understand... probably should point out that among other things, pretty much all the computers we type on, smart phones, music storage devices, e-readers, TV, game systems, cable boxes, etc.... all come from China too. There's all kinds of manufacturing there, some excellent, some shoddy - just like here.

 

Man, Almost everything electrical in an RV has at least a portion of it made in China. Often folks assume because it is made in China it is of poor quality, but if a Chinese product accounts for 90% something, you will see failures much more often than the other 10% that is made here or somewhere else. They may be no more failure prone, there are just more of them.

My two cents,

Steve

 

Napa might be using this controller to get you into the store to buy something else, as long as your there theory.

 

I've got the Impulse model, from NAPA. Cost way too much but it works. Mostly. Sometimes it does not work- when you get on the brakes, then back off a bit and get on them again (because it's timed sometimes this is necessary) it does not re-activate the trailer brakes again like it should.

The numbers will go up but they will not progressively activate until BAM all the sudden they are ON. That's not cool. I have to completely remove my foot from the brake pedal and THEN re-apply for it to work properly. I THINK it just doesn't play nice with the truck because the way the truck is made- letting off the brake pedal some (but not completely) de-activates the brake lights.. meaning there is not an actual on-off switch on the brake pedal... it's progressive somehow.

Anyone know what I'm trying to say?

Edit- truck is an '07 just for reference and this problem does not always happen, just...usually.

 

That is really weird. I have never heard of that happening with a controller before. If the brakes lights on your truck are off, the controller should be off and vice versa. Put a light tester or meter on the red lead to your controller and work the brake pedal to get a better idea of what is happening.

 

To Bigredmi: This is definitely a loss leader - I went in there this weekend. The units is a NAPA-branded unit made by Hopkins Manufacturing, assembled in China. The NAPA guy was trying to sell me add-on adaptor harnesses until I told him my truck was a '78 and HAD no built-in harness -
the add-on harness would have been another $30. You can adjust the timing.


Bottom line, it is an inexpensive unit ($39.99 on sale from $59.99) and has a simple 4 wire harness - battery +, battery -, wire to activate the trailer brakes, wire to the inactive side of the brake light switch. I can splice that in with no problem. I think for my simple needs it should do OK.