[VAC] Tekonsha Brake Controllers

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim,

Your posting about sliding into an intersection prompted me to write about
my experiences with Tekonsha controllers.

A traffic light changed to red more quickly than expected as I was passing
through a city a couple of years ago towing a 34' Excella with my Ford
F250HD.  I didn't get stopped until I was in the middle of the intersection.
I have been disappointed with the Tekonsha controller.  It is, at best, an
adequate compromise.

I have never been able to achieve an accurate setting and have it remain
properly adjusted for long.  Many times I have fine-tuned the controller
early in the morning when setting out for a day of travel to find that after
driving a few miles braking became too severe.  After tinkering I'll get it
adjusted to a point that it seems to work great and suddenly, when I apply
the brakes I find that braking is either too severe or inadequate.

After a couple of years of use limited to occasional towing only (and
frustration) before I retired I called Tekonsha.  The rep politely and
without any argument told me to take it to a dealer and exchange it for a
free replacement although my unit was out of warranty at the time.
(Tekonsha had extended the warranty period on later controllers)  I did but
the problems continued.  A few months later I called Tekonsha tech assist
and was advised that the '94 Ford with factory towing package contained a
ground return wire inadequate for the current load.  I installed a heavier
gauge wire from the controller direct to the battery ground post.  Initially
I thought that modification cured the problem but I still see the problem
occasionally, only less frequently.

On a trip in February '98 I had the factory service department at Jackson
Center pull all six wheels, pack the bearings, and adjust the brakes.  No
improvement in consistent braking resulted.

One of the things I don't like, and it may result from the weight of the
loaded 34' trailer, is that in spite of the pendulum in the controller that
is intended to monitor towing vehicle braking force and modulate the trailer
brakes to match the driver's brake pedal force, it is not possible to
accurately modulate the trailer brakes to match the tow vehicle or to
provide accurate control whether the driver calls for light braking or hard
braking.  That may result from the fact that it is harder to cause immediate
pendulum swing in the controller with only truck brakes with such a heavy
trailer.  The controllers may work better on lighter trailers???

I am not knocking the Tekonsha product, I think Tekonlsha is an excellent
company that produces an excellent product.  I know that tens of thousands
of their controllers are in use.  In my mind, the problem is caused by a
design necessitated by the advent of ABS braking devices on the later model
tow vehicles.  Controllers no longer tap into the hydraulic brake line down
stream of the brake master cylinder but now must use an electric signal
originated by the on/off stop light switch.

I guess part of the problem is I learned to tow travel trailers years ago
when the electric brake controller was plumbed, not wired, into the tow
vehicle's hydraulic brake line and my expectations for performance are
higher.  The Kelsey Hayes brake controllers of that period modulated trailer
braking force to nearly perfectly match tow vehicle braking.

I wrote a letter to Kelsey Hayes a couple years ago and received a polite
phone call from an engineer at Kelsey.  He told me that the old style Kelsey
hydraulic-electric controller could still be used on my '94 Ford if the
controller was tapped into the front brake line, not the rear, because my
truck has ABS braking on the rear brakes only.  He emphatically cautioned me
to use only a Kelsey specified "tee" fitting to tap into the line, have a
brake professional make the connection, etc. etc.  You know how it is in
this day of lawyers on every corner looking for a deep pocket company to
file a lawsuit against.  Kelsey publishes a spec. in a factory instruction
sheet that comes with the old style hydraulic-electric controller that
indicates the precise volume of hydraulic fluid that is required to activate
the hydraulic-electric controller when the tow vehicle brakes are applied.
The volume is so small that it will not trigger a response from ABS brakes
in later model trucks that have rear only, not front and rear, ABS brakes.
I have thought very seriously about removing my Tekonsha electric-electric
brake controller and replacing it with a Kelsey hydraulic-electric but have
not yet done so yet.

Has anyone else had related experiences?  Can anyone on the lists offer any
information or advice?

Harvey Barlow
WBCCI 1171, WDCU, VAC
'94 Ford F250HD, '93 Excella 34', '66 Safari 22'