Tekonsha 902502 Prodigy® RF Proportional Trailer Brake Controller 1-3 Axles)

Proportional Braking

With a proportional brake controller, you can get heavy-duty emergency braking, general braking or slow-to-an-idle braking for your trailer automatically. The intensity with which your trailer brakes are activated and the rate at which they are applied are dependent on the deceleration of your tow vehicle. This means that, unlike time-delay controllers - which send the same amount of preset power to your trailer brakes every time - proportional controllers are able to adapt to every braking situation differently. So, if you slam on the brakes in your truck, your trailer brakes will activate with that same extreme intensity. And if you merely slow down as you approach a red light, your trailer will gradually brake in the same manner. Just set the initial power level, select a boost setting, and you're good to go.

As long as the Prodigy RF controller is mounted correctly, it will sense - via an internal inertia sensor - how your tow vehicle brakes. This inertia-based sensor responds to the deceleration of your tow vehicle as you brake by signaling the controller to send out enough power to your trailer brakes so that they are activated with an intensity that matches. The result is uniform braking across your towing setup. No push-pull action - just smooth, proportional braking every time.

Wireless, Radio Frequency Transmission for Portability

The Prodigy RF is perfect for anyone who has multiple tow vehicles. There's no hardwiring necessary. Just plug the 7-way lead on the control module into your vehicle's 7-way connector and plug the 7-way on your trailer into the port at the rear of the RF so that the braking signal can be transmitted from your vehicle to your trailer. Then plug the remote into your vehicle's standard 12-volt accessory outlet and use it to control the module wirelessly.

Because you don't have to wire the Prodigy RF to your vehicle, the trailer that you mount the module to can be easily shared among multiple tow vehicles. As long as your vehicle has a 7-way connector, you can use the Prodigy RF. This system is also compatible with vehicles that have multiplex wiring systems precisely because it does not wire into your vehicle.

Power Boost for Heavy-Duty Towing

Aside from smoother, more efficient braking, Tekonsha's Prodigy RF brake controller also offers a boost feature that gives you more initial braking power for those times when you're towing heavy loads. You can switch boost levels so that the power output to your trailer brakes automatically starts out at either 13 percent or 25 percent of the predetermined power setting.

So, if you boost the initial power so that your trailer brakes activate with 25 percent of the overall intensity at the start, the brakes will reach maximum braking faster. This is particularly beneficial if you are towing a heavy load because the intensity required to stop that load may be far greater than that needed to halt your vehicle. Therefore, sending out more initial power to the trailer brakes - and causing them to reach maximum braking faster - allows you to better control the trailer so that it doesn't push your tow vehicle before coming to a complete stop.

If your trailer weighs less than your tow vehicle, no boost is needed. But if you wish to set the boost so that your trailer leads the braking of your towing setup, you can select level B1. The following table gives an indication of when you might use the different boost levels and the power increases that they offer.

Safety Features

The Prodigy RF offers advanced safety features to prevent damage to various components of your towing setup. In addition to basic troubleshooting, this controller works to prevent problems before they begin. When the Prodigy RF is not in use, it will be in power-saving mode. If there has been no activity for 2 hours, then the system will go into sleep mode. Both of these modes are designed to drop the power draw, minimizing drain on your vehicle's battery.

When you stop at red lights, or any time that your truck and trailer are at a standstill with the brakes applied for more than 5 seconds, the Prodigy's "hold" feature will activate. When this happens, the power output to your trailer's brakes will be reduced to just 25 percent of the preset power setting so that the brakes will not overheat.

If ever there is a time that you need to brake your trailer separately from your tow vehicle - when traveling down a steep incline, for example - the manual override button is easily accessible on the remote control. Pushing this button engages the brakes on your trailer with full power. In addition, when you activate this override, the brake lights on your trailer will illuminate, properly warning those behind you of the braking action of your rig.

In addition to all of those safety features listed above, the RF offers diagnostics such as:

• Open ground
• Overload
• Output short
• Power loss
• No trailer connection

The self-leveling feature of the Prodigy RF ensures that the brake controller continues to function even as you drive up steep hills or through the mountains. Simply mount the power module, which contains the inertia sensor, on your trailer tongue or frame as indicated. Some drilling may be required.