For most electric controllers, I agree 100% - they are a PITA to
adjust and even worse to use on the highway.  Most controllers are a
band aid fix and IMHO totally unsatisfactory for a serious tow rig.
This one isn't junk - it's a great piece of equipment:

http://www.jordanbrake.com/

Once you learn the necessary amperage for different conditions, it's
dead simple to increase or decrease the current depending on the road
surface or weather conditions.The unit shows amperage to 0.1 amp on an
easily readable screen.

It actuates in a completely linear, predictable fashion since it is
connected directly to the brake pedal arm and doesn't rely on an
electronic timer or flakey bobbing pendulum. So a little foot pressure
gets a little bit of trailer braking and a big stab gets lots of
trailer braking. Its very transparent to the user.

When travelling down a steep, undulating gravel road, many trailer
brakes will lock when you hit a dip or depression, surge brakes
included - the trailer will shove forward on the actuator and apply
too much pressure. This behavior even occurs on paved roads - it was
most irritating to me when pulling my SeaRay 270 Sundancer down a
perforated steel ramp onto a WA State ferry at low tide - the trailer
wheels would lock up and slide since the trailer was sloping down
steeply and actuating the surge brakes. Very scary when the surface
was wet!!! I got a lot of hard looks from ferry workers. The Jordan
would eliminate that problem completely.

With surge brakes there is NO way to tap the trailer brakes
independently to stop a sway situation from worsening. You are forced
to gradually slow down and hope the trailer will settle into position.
An electric controller lets you tap the manual button to drag the
trailer into line and settle it. A properly set-up sway control will
eliminate the problem, but how many heavy commercial or boat trailers
do you see with sway controls? Maybe 1 out of 1000? Mine had one....

Then we can start arguing about equalizing hitches, which are required
for many vehicles to safely handle a very heavy tongue weight. As soon
as you reef up on those spring bars you load the surge brake actuator
at 90 degrees to its travel and it no longer operates freely - you
have to learn to over-brake the truck to get the trailer brakes to
come on, then you have to accelerate hard briefly to get the brakes to
release. The surge brake manufacturers acknowledge this situation and
even advise against using an equalizing hitch. This is one reason
heavy travel trailers don't generally use surge brakes.

Yep, I agree completely.

I have towed surge brake equipped heavy (9000 pound+) trailers many
miles in mountain terrain. I have also towed lighter (7000 pound
minus) trailers with electric brakes. I would quickly choose surge
brakes over electric for really heavy highway-only towing. I would
upgrade to stainless disc brake rotors with a free-backing solenoid
for _any_ sized boat trailer that sees salt water.

For any non-marine trailer under 3 tons that will see rough roads I
would always choose electric brakes with a Jordan controller. For off
road towing there is no choice other than electric for total control
of the trailer in sticky situations. The first time you look in the
mirror and see the trailer trying to jack knife down that steep gravel
embankment you will be glad you can dial back the current and control
the trailer brakes with your thumb.

This has been argued for decades., and it's always fun to start it up
again. Here's my present 400 pound (3000 GVW) trailer with 10 inch
electric brakes:

http://home.comcast.net/~johnedavies/Trailer_with_bikes-02.jpg

John Davies

The Defender is heavier, and has more substantial axles and a much stronger
box section chassis, more akin to the Wagoneer in size.However, it still
has the same short wheel base as the Jeep, higher ground clearance and a
less powerful engine. It probably comes down to a less litigious attitude...

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ