R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > Non-pod Discussion Forums > Mods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Brake Controller
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedBrake Controller

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123>
Author
Message
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Brake Controller
    Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 10:59am
 On our way down to Florida our brake controller malfunctioned it is a Tekonsha  Prodigy P-2. We pulled into a rest area I checked wheels and they were very hot and there was a humming sound coming from the wheels apparently the brakes became engaged by the malfunctioning brake controller. It is in shop now having bearings repacked and brakes checked for ware or damage. The service tech said there is a pendulum that swings in the brake controller and for some reason swung and got stuck he removed the brake controller and shook it and reconnected it and started working normal again. Has anyone heard of this happening before? I finished the rest of our trip with brake controller turned off about 200 miles without trailer brakes keeping a safe distance from vehicles in front of us. Now I am deciding if I should take the chance of it happening again or replacing controller with a new one. We have had our current brake controller since about 2009 when we bought our 2009 r-pod.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 12:21pm
The P2 and P3 are pretty much the standard, and don't fail often. I don't know that they have a pendulum, I thought they had accelerometers. Since they are not expensive, I would probably replace it.
Back to Top
StephenH View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6283
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 12:34pm
My Hopkins InSIGHT Flex-Mount controller has performed very well. Since it separates the manual control and display from the control unit, the control unit can be placed where it won't be kicked and the other parts put where they make sense for the driver.

StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 1:26pm
Originally posted by furpod

The P2 and P3 are pretty much the standard, and don't fail often. I don't know that they have a pendulum, I thought they had accelerometers. Since they are not expensive, I would probably replace it.
  I just picked up camper and the brakes were checked and they are OK thankful for that, another tech gave me the same answer about the pendulum when I was picking up camper. Perhaps they are both wrong I don't know they do a very big trailer business that's all they do. The second tech said he has known it to happen before. So if it has a pendulum or not it is working now. I am thinking perhaps I should buy another brake controller to be safe. My first thoughts when it happened was what if they caught on fire and the trailer caught fire they were hot and had a burning smell. But I think it must of just happened as I was approaching the rest area I think I would have felt the brakes on if I was driving down the interstate. Campers seem to have more problems than automobiles but yet campers are less complicated. Everything is working now hope it stays that way for a while.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
GlueGuy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2017
Location: N. California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2624
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 1:39pm
If there is a moving part in the controller (I don't know, I'm speculating), the controller needs to be mounted horizontally to prevent it from "sensing" deceleration. If it's mounted in such a way that you might push it up with your knee or something, it might be fooled into thinking there is deceleration.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 1:55pm
 I did a internet search and the Tekonsha P-2 does have a Pendulum and I think GlueGuy you are maybe right and I have it mounted at too much of a angle never had this problem before and maybe I did hit it with my knee and the pendulum got stuck. I don't know but it is mounted in a fixed position maybe a jolt caused the pendulum to get stuck. It seems strange after several years this happened I may need to replace it like Furpod said it is not worth the risk of something serious happening.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
GlueGuy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2017
Location: N. California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2624
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 7:51pm
One of the reasons I like the OEM brake controller in our F-150 is because it doesn't care about level. It is tied into the OBD-2 system, and gauges brake pressure directly by how hard you're pressing the brake pedal. You can watch it on the trailer status display when you're sitting still, in park. As you press harder on the pedal, the trailer brake increases gain.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Nov 2019 at 4:42am
Originally posted by David and Danette

 I did a internet search and the Tekonsha P-2 does have a Pendulum and I think GlueGuy you are maybe right and I have it mounted at too much of a angle never had this problem before and maybe I did hit it with my knee and the pendulum got stuck. I don't know but it is mounted in a fixed position maybe a jolt caused the pendulum to get stuck. It seems strange after several years this happened I may need to replace it like Furpod said it is not worth the risk of something serious happening.



Where did you see that the P2 has a pendulum? That is very old tech, I can’t imagine it would use that, it costs more and is less reliable. Everything I’ve seen indicates that the P2 uses a solid state accelerometer (like your smartphone has). It is capable of being mounted in any position as long as it is kept level side to side. That indicates that it can measure accelerations in two axes (along its length and depth but not it’s width). I use a P2 and nave it mounted nearly vertical, work fine.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Nov 2019 at 6:07am
   I found the information on e-trailer from a 2011 answer from one of their techs. He said the P-3 uses a inertia accelerometer activated by a pendulum circuit. If that is the same thing the technician was referring to that repaired our trailer I don't know. If it does not have a pendulum of some sorts and the our brake controller malfunction because of some faulty electronics then I think it should be replaced. Our P-2 brake controller is about 10 years old don't know if the technology changed but I am thinking it is the same as the P-2 controllers built today. I think for the correct answer I would need to call the manufacturer. I am thinking about the P-3 the price is about the same as a P-2. One thing for sure I am not a electrical engineer.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Nov 2019 at 8:13am
I found a couple of e trailer responses stating that the p2 has an accelerometer. So, I think you're on the right track to call Tekonsha and ask to speak to a tech about it to get a definitive answer. I called them once on how their electric over hydraulic mode works and they were very helpful.

Pendulum or accelerometer aside, probably you do need a new controller, that's a lot cheaper than replacing cooked brakes and bearings. In the meantime you can keep an eye on the voltage output reading on the P2 and stop if it shows anything other than zero when you're not using the brakes. I don't think there is any practical difference between the P3 and the P2 unless you tow multiple trailers and can make use of the P3's memory functions. 

Electric trailer brakes are 1950's technology, so sure they're simple but not very reliable and need a lot of maintenance and adjustment by today's standards. Hydraulic disk brakes with active (antilock) technology on modern vehicles are worlds better. Vehicles are far more complex yet last much longer and need much less maintenance now than they did 60 years ago. And it doesn't help that our trailer brakes and axles are made as cheaply as possible either. 
 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz