Brake controllers

[Lloyd]

This topic is about as bad as tires.
Need some input on the subject. On our resent trip to TX. my controller started acting up. I noticed it most when applying lite pressure on the brake pedal and hitting bumps, at least one of the wheels would apparently lock up. I could hear it squeal when the bumps would jar it.
Question, Is my old controller giving up the ghost, over do I have another problem.
I've been thinking about upgrading for awhile just haven't gotten around to it. This has got me on the subject again
Which controller works the best for you guys?

[rcflyer]

It

would help if we knew which Hayes Brake controller you have. They have

made many different models. It sounds like it is a pendulum type and they have

no damping. I use a Prodigy P3 and do not recall any problems like you

describe.</span>

[danskool]

Mine original one was a old one. When it died it would be "on" full voltage or "off" No in between, No mercy.. I ditched it and went with the P3 "prodigy p3" I could not believe the difference. So smooth with brakes coming on and easy to use

[anaro]

My original brake controller was a time delay draw tite. Ditched that one quickly for the prodigy P3. Loved it, only sold it because the new TV has an integrated brake controller. The P3 had good diagnostics, worked well with the truck and trailer, easy to set up, very easy install (if you get the TV brand specific wiring harness), and best of all tekonsha was great to deal with when my unit malfunctioned. They sent me a new one and a prepaid envelope for the old one immediately no questions asked.

[Lloyd]

Originally Posted by rcflyer

It

would help if we knew which Hayes Brake controller you have. They have

made many different models.</span>

#81745----- ENERGIZE XPC

[rcflyer]

Originally Posted by Old Farmer

#81745----- ENERGIZE XPC

I did a search on your controller. Could not find much in the way or reviewer comments. You do have a proportional, acceleromter type of brake controller. I suspect from your comments your controller may have gone south. Most accelerometer types have some type of electronic damping to sudden impacts such as bumps etc.</span>Check your mounting and make sure it is solid. If the controller can move in its mount you can have the problems you describe. If you replace I recommend the P3 and the P2 as a second choice. I like the current meter on the P3.</span>

[speedster]

Ditto on the P3 Prodogy, I've had many different controllers over 30 plus years but by far the P3 is the best and most stable and reliableand I never have any jerking problems or tires squeeling etc.... the boost features are great as you can set them bythe speeds on the type of roads you drive on.

[KennyB]

Not to hijack Old Farmer's thread but can anyone give advice on correctly adjusting my P3? Apparently I didn't have mine adjusted correctly as I warped the front rotors on my TV going down a very long steep hill.
I thought I had them set correctly, in fact they seem a little "grabby" when going really slow.

[rcflyer]

Originally Posted by KennyB

Not to hijack Old Farmer's thread but can anyone give advice on correctly adjusting my P3? Apparently I didn't have mine adjusted correctly as I warped the front rotors on my TV going down a very long steep hill.
I thought I had them set correctly, in fact they seem a little "grabby" when going really slow.

If you are talking about the trailer brakes being grabby then I suspect they have been grease soaked. Once brake shoes have grease on them they are no good. They will at first be grabby but as they heat up from a heavy braking action they will become slippery and have no braking action. You can not clean the grease off of the brake shoes. They have to be replaced.
A very common cause is blown grease seals from EZ lube systems.

As for properly setting the P3 you need the brakes adjusted correctly then follow the instructions in the P3 manual. Make sure you have no boost when making the setting adjustments.

Warped rotors can be caused by improper braking procedure. One thing very important is do not stop at the bottom of a hill. Continue to drive until the rotors have had a chance to cool. Stopping does not allow the rotor to cool evenly. The area under the pads can not cool thus the rotor will warp.

[NH Horseman]

Nobody mentioned this but, if it is only one wheel grabbing, I would not suspect the controller.

[danskool]

p3 manual -&gt;http://www.caravansplus.com.au/pdf/tekonshaP3.pdf

Page 2 (top left) shows how to set up the power based on the trailers weight.. If that set up don't show the result your looking for, Might be time for a trailer brake maintenance day, With beer.

[KennyB]

Thanks for all the tips. I do believe I use proper breaking procedures and even downshift on really long grades. I thought I had the P3 set correctly but will check it again the next time we head out. The trailer is new and I doubt the brakes are greasy and I don't have an Easy Lube system, but I'll check.
Hopefully with the new high performance rotors on my TV and rechecking the P3 set up things will be OK in the future.
Thanks for the help!

[rcflyer]

Originally Posted by KennyB

Thanks for all the tips. I do believe I use proper breaking procedures and even downshift on really long grades. I thought I had the P3 set correctly but will check it again the next time we head out. The trailer is new and I doubt the brakes are greasy and I don't have an Easy Lube system, but I'll check.
Hopefully with the new high performance rotors on my TV and rechecking the P3 set up things will be OK in the future.
Thanks for the help!

You need to find out why the brakes are grabby! From what you have told us your trailer brakes are not doing their job. Your TV is doing most of the braking. If the trailer is correct the TV should not see any more braking duty than if the trailer was not there.



Do not bet on the brakes not being greasy.

When My Cruiser was new I was having grabby brakes when I was trying to

set up my P3. I pulled the wheels and three of the four had a lot of

grease on the shoes. I had not towed the trailer more than 100 miles.

I found the grease seals were torn. I suspect when the factory

assembled the axles they were not careful.</span>



The dealer wanted to clean the shoes and

install new seals. I told him where he could go and bit the bullet and

replaced the brakes with complete new assemblies. The price difference

was small between just shoes and the complete assembly with backing plates.

Now I have some spare parts if needed in the future.</span>

[NH Horseman]

I did the brake adjustment with my P3 as described in the instructions. There is no way I could get any trailer wheel to "lock up" at 10 or 15 mph no matter what setting I set the P3 on. Even at max, they won't lock up. I brought the trailer and Tow Vehicle to a Camping World Service Center and paid an experienced person who tows and adjusts brakes and we went for a ride. He did a very minor adjustment to the controller and it works fine but, no way will it lock up a wheel at any setting. He told me that "Grabbing" was when the trailer brakes were adjusted too hard, in other words, breaking too much. So, take this experience for what it's worth. This is my first trailer with brakes, I've had motorhomes for 20 years.

[Dayle1]

Originally Posted by Old Farmer

This topic is about as bad as tires.
Need some input on the subject. On our resent trip to TX. my controller started acting up. I noticed it most when applying lite pressure on the brake pedal and hitting bumps, at least one of the wheels would apparently lock up. I could hear it squeal when the bumps would jar it.
Question, Is my old controller giving up the ghost, over do I have another problem.
I've been thinking about upgrading for awhile just haven't gotten around to it. This has got me on the subject again
Which controller works the best for you guys?

I can't comment about brake controllers, I'm still using a Jordan 2020 unit. But about the trailer brakes, if a single wheel squeals when all four tires have equal traction, then the other wheels may have several problems. Grease on the shoes, glazed shoes or even badly pitted magnets that reduce clamping force. That is assuming it is the same wheel squealing all the time. But if the problem happens going over bumps, meaning reduced tire traction, then certainly the wheel should lock up and then squeal when traction is restored. In this case, worn shocks, uneven loading or other suspension issues can cause a single tire to bounce more than the others. One other issue might be corroded electrical connections causing reduced voltage to the other magnets.

[Hamops]

Originally Posted by NH Horseman

I did the brake adjustment with my P3 as described in the instructions. There is no way I could get any trailer wheel to "lock up" at 10 or 15 mph no matter what setting I set the P3 on. Even at max, they won't lock up. I brought the trailer and Tow Vehicle to a Camping World Service Center and paid an experienced person who tows and adjusts brakes and we went for a ride. He did a very minor adjustment to the controller and it works fine but, no way will it lock up a wheel at any setting. He told me that "Grabbing" was when the trailer brakes were adjusted too hard, in other words, breaking too much. So, take this experience for what it's worth. This is my first trailer with brakes, I've had motorhomes for 20 years.

I've never been able to get the brakes to lock up at 15 to 20 mph with my Prodigy, but I have been able to set up the controller so that it applies the trailer brakes so that the trailer smoothly stops at the same rate as the truck with no extra effort on the brake pedal. Because I have a 5vr, I have the Prodigy set to Boost 1, to initialize the brakes quicker, but it doesn't tug the truck or trailer.

[Lloyd]

Originally Posted by rcflyer

It

would help if we knew which Hayes Brake controller you have. They have

made many different models. It sounds like it is a pendulum type and they have

no damping. I use a Prodigy P3 and do not recall any problems like you

describe.</span>

I should not have stated that one tire would squeal. I don't know that for a fact, plus it would probably be impossible to tell from the truck cab what was going on back there for sure.
I did a little research on my controller. It's a magnet and pendulum type. I can see now how it might react when going over bumps with your foot on the brake. Any bouncing on the brake pedal could probably make the pendulum react drastically resulting in what I was experiencing. Also I found the gain wheel had been advance just about to the max. Whether I did it or not, I don't know.
I think it might be worth while to do a little more checking before deciding it's shot.
Addressing what Larry stated--I haven't pulled the drums to check anything inside just yet. I installed new bearings and seals before the TX. trip and adjusted the brakes. Which were very much in need of adjustment. No grease inside the drum at that time, magnets were in good shape, tires are all wearing good, suspension is OK, and last but not least, definitely not over loaded.

[Dayle1]

Originally Posted by Old Farmer

I did a little research on my controller. It's a magnet and pendulum type. I can see now how it might react when going over bumps with your foot on the brake. Any bouncing on the brake pedal could probably make the pendulum react drastically resulting in what I was experiencing. Also I found the gain wheel had been advance just about to the max. Whether I did it or not, I don't know.
I think it might be worth while to do a little more checking before deciding it's shot.

Lloyd,
Splurge a little bit and get a better controller, you will be amazed at how much better the stopping experience can be. The Prodigy is probably the most cost effective unit on the market today, although I've never used one.

[Lloyd]

A big thank you to all who shared feedback, thoughts, and ideas.
Prodigy P3 is on the way.

[Dayle1]

Originally Posted by Old Farmer

A big thank you to all who shared feedback, thoughts, and ideas.
Prodigy P3 is on the way.

Lloyd,
No thanks needed. I mean after all, w/o your coffee my brain would still be asleep right now.