An electric trailer brake controller is a device that supplies power from a vehicle to a trailer’s electric brakes when the vehicle’s brakes are applied. Any trailer with electric brakes needs a brake controller to activate the operation of the brakes. You should check your state laws to determine if the trailer you are planning to tow required an electronic controller. We’ve reviewed various types of brake controllers; time activated and motion-sensing or proportional. Here we will explore the proportional controller a bit more.
If you find that you are pulling trailers on a regular basis, then a proportional brake controller is probably your best option. These types of controllers typically cost a bit more, and depending upon the brand you choose may be a bit bulkier than a timed controller, but for smoother, more predictable stopping the proportional controller offers better design and features. The basic design includes a dual solid state accelerometer. The accelerometer can measure gravity and deceleration of the tow vehicle. These types of controller can tell up from down regardless of how they’re mounted and how steep the grade is (self-leveling). As the vehicle slows, the controller supplies a proportional amount of voltage to the trailer brakes. The more rapid the deceleration, the more voltage supplied. Voltage is supplied equally to all trailer brakes (different models specify the number of axles the controller can serve). This design causes the trailer to stop at the same rate as the tow vehicle when everything is adjusted properly. This can have the effect of making it seem as though you are stopping the vehicle by itself with no trailer in tow. One major benefit of this design is that in a situation in which the driver must apply maximum brake pressure (slamming on the brakes) a proportional controller will send maximum power to the trailer brakes immediately.
The design of the proportional brake controller provides the quickest and most even braking power and has the added benefit of causing the least amount of wear on the trailer and vehicle brakes. For these reasons and the reasons describe above you would do well to research different brands and models of proportional brake controllers.
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