Couple of questions on trailer brakes (I've never used the electric kind before). 2000 Lariat 4X4, Off Road, V8, AutoTrans, Tow Package.
1. Is the electrical plug (just beneath the dash in line with the gas pedal) for a Ford brand trailer brake controller?

2. Are all electric trailer brake controllers the same? What's the best unit?

Joel

 

I can't answer your 1st question but I don't think Ford makes a trailer brake controller.

For your 2nd: All Electric Brake controllers are not the same.
I have a Tekonsha Commander and am happy with it. There are different manufacturers and different controllers - depending on how many brakes are on the trailer. The Tekonsha Commander will control up to 4 brakes (2 axles).

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1999 F-250 XLT Super Duty Crew Cab Long Bed
V-10, Automatic 4R100, 4.30 Limited Slip.
GVW = 6700# Towing Capacity = 13,300#
4 Wheel ABS disks + Reese 15K hitch
Dark Hunter Green. Ford Running Boards.
Grey Rhino-Liner. Captain's Chairs. CD+Tape
Polished Stainless Steel Wheel-well Molding http://members.home.net/jchartier/jnctrk.html

 

I have an Escort Sensor II. My camper dealer likes em and he also likes and sells the Tekonsha brand. I don't know what wireing you are referring to the only thing I can think of where you are talking about is some diagnostic hook ups. I do know that you should have a bag with wires and plugs and things in your glove box for hooking tow wiring stuff up.

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97 F-150 SC Lariat, Styleside, White over Gold, 4.6L (Windsor), Automatic, 3.55 rear end, electronic 4X4, w/ every option of Lariat and ORP packages except the 17" wheels (I even got the OR decals now!) MOD's so far: K&N air box mod, Gibson Super Truck, clear Bugflector II, Leer TSC 600 hard cover, Bridgestone Dueler OWL ATP 265/75 R-16's, TrailMaster Invader N7 shocks, Smittybilt step bars, Ford moulded mud guards, "White-white" head lamps, Cloud Rider Design's SS Grill and bumper opening, Bosch Platinum + 4's, Hayden 30K+ Tranny Cooler,Class III Reece load distributing hitch system, full wiring including trailer battery charging system, Escort Sensor II Brake controller, Superchip

 

If you bought the truck with the tow package then like cphillip says, there should be a bag with wires/fuses for the braking system and trailer lights.

On my 98 truck the dealer had installed the fuses but not on my 99, I realized it when I had no lights and found the fuses in the glove compartment.

There should be an adapter with wires, one end plugs into the electrical plug underneath in line with your gas pedal, the other end should be exposed ends that attach to your brake controller so no cutting or splicing into the original is needed.

I to have the Tekonsha also and it works fine.

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99 F250XLT Supercab LD
5.4L 3.73 LS
White/Silver
Graphite interior
6 CD changer/Captain's Chairs

 

Jhorie
I am VERY familiar with electric trailer brake systems. As far as differences with controllers, there are two very different types. The first is what is called an inertia, or pendulum type. It gets these names, because it has a pendulum switch inside that moves due to the inertia of the tow vehicle during a stop. This type is the best, because it applies the trailer brakes proportional to how hard you are braking. It is a little more involed in setting corectly than the next type and it is not solid-state, but it gives superior performance over the Digital, solid-state, or "Time-Ramp" type controllers. These controllers apply a set amount of braking everytime you apply the brakes. this becomes aproblem, if you apply the brakes softly on wet pavement for example. In this case, the trailer brakes would more than likely lock up. As far as brands, I have never had a problem out of Several Tekonsha models, with excellent performance.

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BigBunnell

98 F150 4X4 XLT flareside V6 5sp K&N Flowmaster and some other goodies

 

jhorie,
the electrical plug is the wiring that comes with the trailer package and is not brand specific.

There are, like BigBrunnell indicates, two kinds; the electric type and the hydraulic(surge) type. You want the electric type because they are much advanced than the 'old' hydraulic type.

I think like everything else, alot of folks may have a bias on brand/type. I have used both Kelsey/Hayes and Tekonsha (the Voyager type) and have had no problems with either.

Hope this helps a little.

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1999 F250SD, XLT, 4x2, SC, V10, 4.30, LT235x85x16R, Longbed, Diamond plate mud flaps,Trailer tow Pkg, Class IV hitch, Camper special, sliding rear window, rear privacy glass, Ford rain gutters, Line-X, Lund wind deflector, Banks Trans Command, Banks tranny temp guage with Auto Meter single guage pod. Reese 15K fifth wheel hitch

 

Thanks for all the help guys. I found the plug with wires in the glove box and "female portion of the plug under the dash board. A friend gave me a Drawtite brake controller as a present. I'll still shop the inertia types though, they sound like the way to go.

Joel

 

F250Nut
The 2 types of controllers I described were 2 different types of electric brake controllers. They do not use hydraulics at all. The inertia type uses a microswitch inside the controller to sense the braking of the tow vehicle. Surge brakes are something completely different. They involve hydraulic brakes on the trailer controlled by a special coupler on the trailer. this System is completely independent of the tow vehicle. Hope this clears things up. BTW in case y'all were wondering, I don't do my towing with my truck shown in my signature. we have several duallies at work that we pull serious trailers with

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BigBunnell

98 F150 4X4 XLT flareside V6 5sp K&N Flowmaster and some other goodies

 

Big Bunnel, got ya'. I thought you were talking about hydraulics vs. electrical. I didn't think about 2 electrical ones - sorry.

 

In the horse business, everyone I know (including me) uses electric brake controllers--not surge type brakes.

I have a DrawTite electric brake controller. Nice because it gives a digital readout of the power being applied. The control gives me the ability to set the max force I want the brakes to have in addition to how fast the brakes will reach that max force after the brake pedal is applied and held. VERY nice. I have never had a problem with lockup on wet pavement--just make sure the control is set for gradual onset and is not set too tightly for the pavement and the trailer load. Takes some trial and error on a wet day in a safe place with the actual load you intend to carry, but no big deal.

I swear by the DrawTite control with the digital display. Very nice. I have had three of them now, in three different trucks, with no problems.

-Mike

 

The best and most reliable method for controlling trailer brakes is with the hydraulic tap into the master cyllinder. It's a moot point, since you can't do that any more.

I am pretty happy with the Teconsha Sintinel model electronic module for several reasons:

It does not require the series (spring) resistors.

It uses a combination inertia (pendulum) and programmed (timed ramp-rate) pulse-width modulated approach that is fairly repetitive and close to normal feeling.

The balance threshold control is front-panel mounted, and uses a dual-color LED for fine-tuning for the truck level and/or on-road tweeking for road-level tuning.

A hand lever is included for manual trailer braking.

4 LED's show the relative amount of braking being applied.

Lastly, and most subtle of the features is a front panel thumb-roller "Gain" control which allows for tuning on-the-fly the braking power (balance) between truck and trailer. This is most important, since you tune the balance for normal braking (cold) -- and if/when you start down a long grade and heat or overheat your trailer brakes, having the ability to tune in more maximum braking to the trailer brakes can be a life-saver.

Brake balance between truck and trailer is usually tuned for a 'normal' stop -- and none of the controllers that I've used have properly maintained a good balance throughout all of the light to heavy brake applications -- and having these two (manual apply - and gain) on the front panel is quite a benefit to the non-technically-challenged.