setting up prodigy

Nate;

I've got the Sentinel model, and I just crank up the gain till it feels like there's no trailer back there

I'dsay you need a bit more if you feel a push when braking

G

the trailer empty weighs 3000 pounds and i havent tried to haul anything in it yet. how much more would you recommend? i dont want to burn flat spots in my tires while trying to zero this thing in. ....makes me wonder if i shoulda just got the surge brakes.

you'll know when you go too far.....severe tire hop on the trailer !!!!

heh. yeah, but then i get flat spots on the tires.

nah...not unloaded

just watch the trailer in the mirror, you'll see it start vibrating before the REAL serious hop sets in

but wont i need to readjust after the trailer is loaded?

maybe a bit

my experience with the 'Sentinel' has been to adjust it just short of wheel-hop when unloaded and activating it manually (no braking in towing vehicle), than add just 'a tad' more for lite loads and a couple of tads for heavy loads

you'll get the hang of it very fast, it becomes automatic after a few days

That's what the boost function is for... just dial in a boost level of 1,

2, or 3, depending on the relative weight of the trailer. You leave the base setting (for the empty weight) alone.

In my honest opinion you would not want surge brakes, at least in the north east they are illigal in most states if the trailer is over 1,000 LBS. Just adjust the controler untill it feels right (little push or if pintle lock no slamming from the rear). I've found that no two trailers brake the same and the same trailer at different weights will not be the same.

ill be ordering the brake smart system for sure. i can always keep the prodigy for a back up. thanks,

the base setting will be fine for 3000 (empty weight) to 10000 (fully loaded)?

the 'base' setting is for 'empty'

then 'boost' adjusts for the load

Then explain why I've rented 12,000lb. trailers from the rental yards here in NJ with surge brakes?

Bad news, Nate... you'll have to adjust that one, as well. Thousands of people use the Prodigy for everything from a small utility trailer up through the 30'+ 5th wheels... it's not that hard.

? their website claims otherwise. best i can tell you get the base setting and everything else is adjusted by fluid pressure which would be more with a heavier load.

im sure i can figure it out, but im concerned about trying to teach the wifey how to figure it out.

That's what I mean... you have to adjust it for the base setting, which is what it seems you're unhappy about with the Prodigy.

Again... get it dialed in properly for the empty trailer, then just adjust the boost based on how much stuff you have in the trailer.

It's a personal thing, but I'd rather have a slight "pull" when I step on the brake.. that's the trailer slowing the truck down... I just adjusted it so that it felt natural when slowing and stopping and left it alone... you might adjust for a heavy load, in your case, but trial and error is the only way to really get it set up..

mac

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hell, Nate... my wife figured it out before I did, on our 1st short trip... like most guys, I was out-teching myself and she (not knowing how or why the controller worked), just dialed in what felt right and kept on truckin'..

mac

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