Has anyone used the TAP IMPULSE #37865 FORD Brake Controller? Is it any good? I have hear people recommend the Prodigy (?), but this one seems simpler. Before I sink $100 in one though I want to get the most for my money. Any other recommendations? I'll be towing a 35 hp ford tractor with bushhog about 70 miles one way on a 22ft trailer. Anyone think I will have a problem pulling this thing with my 05 supercrew fx4 with 5.4 and 3.73?

 

I've seen most any brake controller in vehicles since I work in trailer sales and repairs. Almost any brake controller will work. They all send an electronic signal to the brakes to be applied. The reason the Prodigy is so well liked is it's inertia sensor that mirrors your truck braking. All are simple in design and function, but any digital read-out display makes setting easier. The ones we sell the most to people off the street that need one are, Redline, Drawtite, and then the Prodigy. I think cost is the only thing that keeps most from buying it. Opinion from anyone who has used a Prodigy of course will recommend it over everything. Anyone growing up using old hydraulic/electric systems will say anything works just fine.

Towing the tractor....have at it if you are below the GCVW. Take it easy.

Good luck......

 

Thanks. I need to find out how much the tractor and trailer way. I love my truck and I don't want to tear it up trying to plow and mow some food plots for the deer and turkey.

 

I have yet to hear negative feedback on the Prodigy. There is simply no reason not to pick it. Pick up the Ford adapter as well and you'll be at 15 minutes to set it up vs. 1-2 hours for most cheaper ones. RJay's has it for $100.

 

Whatever you get, make sure it is a proportional controller, not time based. The time based ones are cheap & will kill you.

 

If it's a one time thing, then go cheap... If you intend to use it many times, get the Prodigy.... I am a convert of sorts... I had a cheapie one and yes, it did work... The Prodigy works too, but it does not 'jerk' you every time you hit the brakes... It's also a 'set and forget' setup for the most part. Plug it in. Slide the lever over to it's max. Set the volts at 6.0. Set the boost to 1. Drive about 20 mph and hit the slide bar. If it's grabbing at a decent amount, ie, it stops you or actually locks the trailer brakes, that's it. Continue on your trip! If you need more, just up the volts until it feels right.

As a side note, if you need to 'up the volts' above the recommended 6.0, then you might need to adjust the trailer brakes...

Mitch

 

Thanks for the reply's. I spoke to the guy who I hunt with and he believes his tractor weight is 4200 to 4800lbs and the trailer he believes is about 2000lbs. Based on those estimates is that more than my F150 can handle? It won't be traveling through mountains though there a couple of sizeable hills. Like I said my past towing experience was with 17 boat and the truck was my fathers truck. Its a little bit more of a concern to me with $35k of my own money pulling something heavy around. Also a little off of the brakes subject, I notice a small radiator in front of the big radiator, is that a transmission cooling radiator? Thanks again everyone.
Kyle

 

If you have the factory towing package, part of the package is an aux transmission cooler. On my 05, it sits by itself right behind the grill. There is a space between it & the A/C condensor.

 

Prodigy brake controller. Enough said and well worth the money. I founf one extremelly cheap on this site.

 

You are only towiing 70 miles once? 7000 pounds is no problem. I've doen it w/o trailer brakes for 20 miles when I borrowed my dad's smilar sized tractor. My brother has towed even more with his '97 for 90 miles. Take it slow; you'll be fine.

 

Thanks for the RJ link. I got my Prodigy today. Got the Ford wiring harness as well. So you guys think I can make it down there without tearing up my truck? I have never have pulled anything that heavy and since they tell me I drive that truck like an old lady slow won't be a problem.

 

Balance the load, you don't want more than the 600# tongue weight. Make sure your hitch and receiver are rated for the 680# tongue and 6800# gross.
You might need to get the tongue weight below 10% to keep it safe and keep the hitch off the ground.

If the front tires are in the air, it's too much tongue weight.....

 

How do I calc the tongue weight and or redistribute it? I checked the owners manual and did not see anything in there about tongue weight or I just missed it. Thanks

 

Also what kind of stress does it put on the truck and suspension if I load and unload something that heavy from the trailer while the trailer is hooked up to the truck?

 

About the only way I know to figure tongue weight is to actually measure it. Maybe someone else knows a trick I don't. As far as redistributing, if all that is on the trailer is the tractor then, moving it back or forward or turning it around (if it has a heavy or light end) is all you really have. Remember don't move stuff around to lighten the tongue weight if that is going to cause the trailer to be lighter up front than on the rear. That can cause serious handling problems. I would rather be a little heavy on the tongue weight and not have the handling problems.

You will notice that the truck and trailer are going to jump around a bit as the equipement is loaded and unloaded. For something as heavy as another truck or tractor, I usually recomend truck in neutral ebrake set and someone holding the brakes on the truck. It can be really hard on the parking pin if the trailer lurches forward or backwards. Basically the same for a manual trans. I always put a driver in the seat unless there is a real danger of the thing I'm loading running off and over the front of the trailer and into the cab. I have seen things like this happen and it is not pretty.

Sorry to keep editing but not thinking of stuff on the fly.
Another thing you can do is to set a jack or jack stands under the rear deck or dovetail on the trailer if is has one. that will help keep the back of the truck from being jacked way up in the air when the weight hit the back of the trailer. I have seen heavy stuff pick the rear wheels of the truck off the ground on a high deck trailer.

Good luck.