[VAC] Brake Controllers

["Carol and Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have installed one of the new Tekonsha inertia (pendulum) style brake
controllers on my Chevy pickup with  ABS rear brakes.

At this point I do not have enough experience with it to provide any
intelligent observations relative to my prior Kelsy-Hayes hydraulic
controller - which worked very well.

Obviously, the hydraulic actuation provides a direct (and proportional)
signal to the brake controller as to what the DRIVER of the tow vehicle is
doing.  This is in contrast to  the inertia controllers which sense the
ACTUAL BEHAVIOR of the tow vehicle, which includes the time delay from when
the driver applies the brakes and when the tow vehicle responds.

If the folks at Kelsey-Hayes or Tekonsha had gotten a little creative, I'm
sure they could have developed  some sort of (electrical) sensor that could
determine the increase in pressure in the tow vehicle's hydraulic brake
system initiated by the driver; which doesn't require significant amounts of
hydraulic fluid, and which is not affected by the anti lock brake system.
Problem solved.

If the experiences of other Airstreamers are a bad as this forum would
indicate, such a new design is in order. Is anyone at Tekonsha or K-H
listening?

Perhaps the best solution would be for the automakers to provide such a
towing option  as an add on or integral part of the ABS system.   This ABS
system already has a computer and knows exactly what the driver is doing.
Therefore, it would be the logical component to provide the modulated signal
to the trailer brakes or trailer brake controller.

Oliver Filippi
'76 Tradewind