Brake controller install

[travelandy]

Getting ready to install my first brake controller (Never needed trailer brakes till now) and the controller comes with a short ground wire that has a ring terminal already installed. But ... the instructions say to attach it to the battery terminal. I've always thought that a good solid ground was enough and that it wasn't necessary to go all the way to the battery. Am I missing something? And why did they put a ring terminal on a short wire if they wanted me to go to the battery terminal? How have some of you folks done it?

Andy

[Old-Biscuit]

kaydeejay wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
I looked it up. According to the website the Reese Brakeman Digital 83500 is a TIMED controller.
The best advise I can give you. Is to NOT install it at all. Take it and trade it for a inertia activated proportional brake controller. Prodigy, Or P3 are very good controllers. they fully activate the trailer brakes as soon as you hit the brake pedal, and continue with the same stopping force as the TV is experiencing.

A TIMED controller. Starts out light, and applies more brakes the longer you hold the pedal. In an emergency stopping event. The timed controller will not fully activate the brakes until the event is over.

Others my differ. But in MOP. Timed controllers are useless.

I agree, timed controllers, while slightly better than nothing, DO NOT apply enough brake when you REALLY need it!
Get a Prodigy!
As for that ground terminal - my Prodigy is grounded through the harness that Tekonsha sold me. Plugs into the fuse-box under the dash.

Timed base controllers..........Fred Flintstones concept. Yaba-daba-do!

[travelandy]

Interesting info guys. Thanks.

Andy

[kaydeejay]

Terryallan wrote:
I looked it up. According to the website the Reese Brakeman Digital 83500 is a TIMED controller.
The best advise I can give you. Is to NOT install it at all. Take it and trade it for a inertia activated proportional brake controller. Prodigy, Or P3 are very good controllers. they fully activate the trailer brakes as soon as you hit the brake pedal, and continue with the same stopping force as the TV is experiencing.

A TIMED controller. Starts out light, and applies more brakes the longer you hold the pedal. In an emergency stopping event. The timed controller will not fully activate the brakes until the event is over.

Others my differ. But in MOP. Timed controllers are useless.

I agree, timed controllers, while slightly better than nothing, DO NOT apply enough brake when you REALLY need it!
Get a Prodigy!
As for that ground terminal - my Prodigy is grounded through the harness that Tekonsha sold me. Plugs into the fuse-box under the dash.

[Terryallan]

travelandy wrote:
Oops! Sorry! Like I said - I'm new to this part. It's a Reese Brakeman Digital and the TV is a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder, so no "plug and play". I've got it wired up but had not run a ground wire from the battery so I'm wondering if it's really necessary to go this route.

Thanks,

Andy

I looked it up. According to the website the Reese Brakeman Digital 83500 is a TIMED controller.
The best advise I can give you. Is to NOT install it at all. Take it and trade it for a inertia activated proportional brake controller. Prodigy, Or P3 are very good controllers. they fully activate the trailer brakes as soon as you hit the brake pedal, and continue with the same stopping force as the TV is experiencing.

A TIMED controller. Starts out light, and applies more brakes the longer you hold the pedal. In an emergency stopping event. The timed controller will not fully activate the brakes until the event is over.

Others my differ. But in MOP. Timed controllers are useless.

[travelandy]

Thanks all for the replies and tips. Time to get to work.

Andy

[TucsonJim]

Any ground that shares continuity with the negative battery terminal is okay. Typically, that would be a screw going into a metal part on the bottom of your dash.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

I would not bother to run the ground wire all the way to the battery. Just make sure that you are attaching the screw to a good and well grounded surface. Not something like a metal strip attached to the plastic dash, and nothing else.

Did they say what size wire to run? #10 wire is what I would use, because two axle brakes can use 5.5 amps per tire at 14 volts, (panic braking). If using #12 wire, then the voltage drop across all that wire length will limit the amperage due to resistance in the wire, and you might only get a maximum of say 9 volts back to the brakes. ..

Good luck,

Fred.

[donn0128]

Yes, it needs a good ground to ensure everything works properly. Usually you can find a ground connection under the dash or behind the drivers side kick panel.

[travelandy]

Oops! Sorry! Like I said - I'm new to this part. It's a Reese Brakeman Digital and the TV is a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder, so no "plug and play". I've got it wired up but had not run a ground wire from the battery so I'm wondering if it's really necessary to go this route.

Thanks,

Andy

[Terryallan]

Would help to know what TV, and what controller you are hooking up. On Ford trucks, and SUVs they are plug and play. You simply wire the controller to the Ford supplied wiring harness, and plug it into the prewired connector under the dash. Then install the supplied relay into the fuse box. Mount the controller, and good to go.
If a Prodigy. You can get a prewired harness to plug into the Prodigy and then into the truck