Factors that can affect trailer braking:

DRIVER INTENT:
• What is the rate of brake application intended by the driver?  (how hard is the brake pedal pushed?)
• Are you just slowing down, like when casually approaching a stop sign?
• Or is it a “panic stop”, such as when a small child chases a ball into traffic?

TRAILER’S LOAD CONDITION:
• Is the trailer loaded or unloaded?
• Is it a heavy trailer – like a huge 5th-Wheel? (does the combined load approach the tow vehicle’s GVWR?)
• Or is it a lighter unit, such as a “Toybox” RV’s (with a large, hollow interior – without a lot of extra supplies or gear jammed into every nook and cranny

SPEED:
• The torque (force), created by a trailer’s brakes, varies with speed. (obviously, the higher the speed, the more braking force required to stop the trailer)
• Generally, the braking force required to stop at 60 mph is nearly four times that required at 30 mph.

 

BRAKE TEMPERATURE / MAINTENANCE:
• The cooler the brakes, the more effective they are, thus less brake pressure is required and less distance traveled before stopping.
• Generally, excessive heat within the brake-assembly, produces longer – more dangerous braking performance.
• Rust, oil, or other impurities in the brake assembly can affect your stopping performance.
• Quality and design of the brake hardware itself can improve or degrade actual braking performance.

 

ENVIRONMENT / ROAD & WEATHER CONDITIONS:
• Wet brakes perform much differently than dry brakes.
• Hot, windy days can also impair the trailer’s braking braking performance.
• Generally, excessive heat within the brake assembly produces longer – less effective braking performance.
• Downhill slopes obviously demand more braking power than trying to stop when going uphill.

Think about it, how can any conventional brake controller under your dash; timer-based, accelerometer-based, or hydraulic fluid-based react to all of these changing dynamics going on AT YOUR TRAILER? THAT’S JUST IT, THEY CAN’T!

That’s why nearly all conventional brake controller manufacturers today basically depend on YOU to do most of the “thinking” and “work”  for them:  manually adjusting their gain knobs; constantly recalibrating; readjusting; resetting. This is now ancient history. A new day has dawned in trailer-brake control:

The new ACUMEN BRAKING SYSTEM, with “FST” (Force Sensing Technology) - does all the “adjusting” for you - automatically – it’s like an AUTOPILOT for your trailer brakes.