[VAC] Re: Tekonsha Brake Controllers

["Weimers" <mweimer@xxxxxxxx>]

I'm getting an idea   (my wife often says "Oh, oh" when I say that). I don't
think we need to change the tow vehicle to electric brakes. What
about a zero travel pressure sensor mounted on the left side of the brake
pedal to control the electric trailer brakes? . On my auto transmission car
this pedal is 6 inches wide. The sensor
could be mounted on the left side of the pedal. That way, the trailer brakes
could be modulated by rocking your foot side to side on the brake pedal.
Rock your foot to the left and you get more trailer brakes, to the right and
get less. You wouldn't need the quirky pendulum with this system. You could
keep the hand control also for times when you only want the trailer brakes
to work. There are a lot of innovators on the list (apparent after that
radiant floor thing). What say you about this (hare-brained)  idea?

Not knowing how the controller works in the first place, I don't know if you
can find a pressure sensor (for the brake pedal) that will carry enough
current to run the circuits in the brake controller. For instance, does the
manual slide lever on the controller carry the full current to the trailer
brakes by utilizing a heavy duty variable resistor, or is this done
electronically somehow?

If that won't work,  my next idea is a trailer brake controller that works
with my left foot so I don't have to take my hands off the steering wheel to
manually put on the brakes.

When I drive with the trailer, I use the manual (hand) control a lot. I
guess I'm paranoid that they'll quit working, so by using the manual control
I can feel that they ARE working.  It would be nice to not have to take my
hands off the steering wheel to do that!

MARC WEIMER
Punxsutawney, PA  -  Home of the Groundhog
#15767
1963 Globe Trotter
1971 Globe Trotter
http://users.penn.com/~mweimer