Part 1 - STOPPING IS NOT OPTIONAL

Brake controllers have gone from a simple timing device to pendulums to the modern accelerometer driven devices most of us use today. The overriding theory has always been that you want your trailer brakes to engage at precisely, or slightly ahead, of the tow-vehicle's brakes. Of course, no one has invented a brake controller that can read minds (yet), so every manufacturer has had to fall back on the one common event that occurs every time a tow vehicle's brakes are applied: illumination of the brake lights.

Your car or truck's brake light comes on the moment the brake pedal is pushed, slightly before any brake pressure is actually applied. Brake control manufacturers take advantage of this by tapping into that circuit (called the "Brake Light Wire" by most) and sending a small amount of power to the trailer brakes the moment it's detected. That's how your trailer stops "ahead" of the tow vehicle.

After that, the brake controller sends a greater or lesser amount of power to the trailer brakes, depending on the input from the accelerometer, cable to the brake, hydraulic pressure, or pendulum position, depending on which type of brake controller you have.

• Part 3 - Myth #1: Brake controllers that tap into the brake line or cable to the brake pedal are the only type that can stop ahead of the trailer 

• Part 4 - Myth #2: Proportional braking is the key to smooth trailer braking 

• Part 5 - Myth #3: RVers are simply stuck with inadequate trailer braking.

• Part 6 - Ease of use and functionality 

• Part 7 - Conclusions and recommendation