Installation of Roadmaster Brakemaster Towed Car Braking System in a Freightline

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AA4WP

AA4WP

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Posts
93
Location
Louisville, KY
I have a new toad; I would like to use a Brakemaster Air over Hydraulic braking system instead of a Brake Buddy system with it; but the manual for our Journey indicates that using such a system will invalidate the warranty, and probably be dangerous and prevent the towing vehicle's brakes to fail.  I just wonder if anyone has found a means to use one of these units in their set-up.  I previously used this braking system in our Southwind motor home, which did not have air brakes; rather, an on board air compressor provided the air required to supply the toad's braking piston.
 
Cause which brakes to fail? Toad or Freightliner? Maybe Freightliner brakes? You can't just tap into the service brakes without a tractor protection valve to shut trailer brake supply off in case of air leaks in toad or an accidental disconnect. If you developed an air leak that the compressor can't keep up with , you'd hear the low air alarm and a moment or two later the spring loaded parking brakes would automaticly apply and your foot brake would have no air because the service brake air is cut off when the spring brakes pop on.

Thats an educated guess. If you have a red and a yellow air valve I don't get the reasoning at all.

Bill
 
The Brakemaster requires an air line feed from the coach side, and that air connection should be installed in a safe manner to maintain the Freightliner warranty as it applies to the coach braking system.  The protection valve that Bill mentioned maintains coach air if the connection or air lines to the toad should fail catastrophically.  There may be a factory-installed Tee on the rear axle air line that would accommodate the Brakemaster air line - my 2004 Freightliner chassis has one, but I have a substantially different chassis that the one in your Journey. The latest Brakemaster install instructions say to connect to  an existing port on the air brake relay valve. Perhaps that relay valve has protection built in for ruptured air lines.

I suggest calling Roadmaster and asking about installation on your particular FTL chassis and see what they recommend. If they don't address the possible air loss and related warranty issue, ask about it.  You wouldn't use the compressor from your old system - the air brake lines on the Journey would supply air to the pistin in the toad. I don't know what other differences there might be in the kit for air brakes rather than hydraulic, so discuss that with Brakemaster as well.

Then, armed with the Brakemaster recommended installation,  call FCCC Customer Service and ask the same questions.

You can download Brakemaster install instructions here:
http://roadmasterinc.com/products/braking/brakemaster/brake_m.html
 
What I read was that even with a complete failure of an attached accessory (i.e., toad brakes) in the air line, the compressor would have enough CFM capacity to provide safe braking.
 
I installed this system in our Journey, works great. Instructions show you which port to tie into on your air relay valve and it only takes a few minutes to install.
 
What I read was that even with a complete failure of an attached accessory (i.e., toad brakes) in the air line, the compressor would have enough CFM capacity to provide safe braking.
Click to expand...

I suspect that is  true, or at least true enough to provide one reliably safe stop from highway speeds. But I cannot imagine any large company going on record to promise that when modifications are made outside of their control. That would be legal Russian Roulette. Sooner or later there is going to be some bizarre set of circumstances where somebody dies and there is enough reason to blame it on brake failure and file a lawsuit.
 
In the 3 Freightliner MH chassis that I have owned, all 3 have indicated that NOTHING should be hooked into the MH air system. In each case it was Freightliner making that statement, as they are the ones that supplied the air system. I don't know if it would go as far as to void their chassis warranty (possible) but I would call Freightliner and ask them if there is any doubt in your mind. 
 
Thanks, gentlemen.

I did not keep the compressor from the Southwind when I traded it in for this Journey.  Didn't think I would have a need for a second air supply.  Now I am on my second Brake Buddy (got the red one this time) and will probably keep using that unit.  My new JGCL has a different way to prepare it for towing.  There no longer is a mechanical shift shaft (ha) but rather a tiny push button under the ride preference knob which one presses after 3 earlier steps, then checks for having the transfer case in neutral, then removing the key fob (no actual key) and doing a few other checks.  My next trip out will be later this month.  Currently having new base plate installed and new BlackHawk towbar installed.  Lots of anxiety in this body.

Again, Thanks.

Wendell
 
To amend the comment about Magnusson-Moss, they can't deny all warranty coverage simply because some non-OEM equipment was installed. But, they can deny coverage for any specific repair that, in the opinion of their engineers, can be legitimately attributed to the use or installation of that device. However, I don't think that is the issue here. FTL wants/needs to avoid liability for whatever might happen if something somehow goes wrong with the chassis brake system, so they aren't going to "approve" of any such thing.

However, they ought to tell you why they are so concerned about hooking something up, i.e. why this is a bad thing to do (in their opinion). That's subtly different than asking them how to do it and is it OK. You would still have to make up your own mind whether to follow their advice or Roadmaster's.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
... But, they can deny coverage for any specific repair that, in the opinion of their engineers, can be legitimately attributed to the use or installation of that device. ..
Click to expand...
They can deny anything regardless of any law in force. If it turned into an us vs. them situation then litigation or small claims court would be the venue for resolution.
 
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