ocexpress
Member
What supplemental braking system do you recommend? They are pricey so looking to your experience for the best solution. Towing 2012 Honda CRV
Toad braking
- Thread starter ocexpress
- Start date
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John From Detroit
Well-known member
US Gear unified Brake Decelerator gives you total control over the towed brakes
you can disable them (Turn Gain to zero) manually set them (press a lever) or leave 'em set for normal operation.. It's senisitive to deceleration of the towing vehicle. This unit has a "power unit" that normally installs under the drider's seat (for reasons of no room there I put it elsewhere) and uses battery power to operate the brakes by PULLING the pedal down so it remains in the car full time You just plug in/unplug No box to wrangle. It includes a tie line so the towing vehicle keeps the battery on the towed charged.. Since this system operates through the brake booster it includes a vacuum pump to maintain brake boost vacuum.
page 2.
I think it's M&G makes a system that is even more transparant to the driver of the towed. This is an Air/hydraulic system if your towing vehicle has air brakes it uses the vehicle air system. If not they include a compressor system.
This will not fit all vehicles but it mounts between the vehicle's brake booster and the master cylinder.. It is NOT affected by the booster vacuum ... And there is NOTHIGN in the towed cockpit at all.
you can disable them (Turn Gain to zero) manually set them (press a lever) or leave 'em set for normal operation.. It's senisitive to deceleration of the towing vehicle. This unit has a "power unit" that normally installs under the drider's seat (for reasons of no room there I put it elsewhere) and uses battery power to operate the brakes by PULLING the pedal down so it remains in the car full time You just plug in/unplug No box to wrangle. It includes a tie line so the towing vehicle keeps the battery on the towed charged.. Since this system operates through the brake booster it includes a vacuum pump to maintain brake boost vacuum.
page 2.
I think it's M&G makes a system that is even more transparant to the driver of the towed. This is an Air/hydraulic system if your towing vehicle has air brakes it uses the vehicle air system. If not they include a compressor system.
This will not fit all vehicles but it mounts between the vehicle's brake booster and the master cylinder.. It is NOT affected by the booster vacuum ... And there is NOTHIGN in the towed cockpit at all.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
US Gear has been out of business for several years now, though I hear the inverter of it has a new and improved version using the same concept, I have yet to see it listed for sale.
As to the OP's question, best can mean different things for different people, do you want a fully integrated unit, or do you want a drop in unit that is relatively easy to move from car to car which can be handy if you don't plan to keep the TOAD for a long time.
p.s. M&G mentioned above makes a well regarded integrated unit, and their headquarters are not that far from you, they are based in Athens Texas about 75 miles south east of the DFW metroplex.
As to the OP's question, best can mean different things for different people, do you want a fully integrated unit, or do you want a drop in unit that is relatively easy to move from car to car which can be handy if you don't plan to keep the TOAD for a long time.
p.s. M&G mentioned above makes a well regarded integrated unit, and their headquarters are not that far from you, they are based in Athens Texas about 75 miles south east of the DFW metroplex.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
They all do an adequate job of braking, so "best" usually ends up being about convenience and installation effort. A brake system that is permanently installed in the toad is more convenient to hook/unhook for towing, but its not easily portable to another vehicle and often requires substantial installation effort & cost. A portable or drop-in brake system, on the other hand, takes a bit more set-up for each use but typically little or no pre-installation and easily moved to another vehicle. Nice feature if you ever want to tow a different vehicle on your trip.
Permanent-install systems include Air Force One, Stay-N-Play, Invisibrake, M& G, and Ready Brake, while portable systems are Brake Buddy, Patriot, RVI Brake, and Even Brake. Brakemaster is kind of a hybrid of the two types, with a portable main component but permanently installed basic pieces.
Another factor is whether the coach has an air brake system or hydraulic brakes. Some of the above systems are for air brake only, i.e. require an airline connection to the coach.
Permanent-install systems include Air Force One, Stay-N-Play, Invisibrake, M& G, and Ready Brake, while portable systems are Brake Buddy, Patriot, RVI Brake, and Even Brake. Brakemaster is kind of a hybrid of the two types, with a portable main component but permanently installed basic pieces.
Another factor is whether the coach has an air brake system or hydraulic brakes. Some of the above systems are for air brake only, i.e. require an airline connection to the coach.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Note we use a drop in Roadmaster Evenbrake 9400, it takes me about 2 minutes to hookup and 1 minute to remove. I do not suggest this model as it is a bit dated, is more bulky than some newer designs like the RVI brake III or the new Patriot Brake.
The Evenbrake does also require hard wiring its ICX transmitter unit to the car connecting brake switch, etc. so a bit more work than some other drop in units to install the first time.
The Evenbrake does also require hard wiring its ICX transmitter unit to the car connecting brake switch, etc. so a bit more work than some other drop in units to install the first time.
ocexpress
Member
Wow thanks for the info! No air brakes on the MH. Probably leaning towards the portable type. Not sure
8Muddypaws
Well-known member
On our previous Towed we had a Stay-N-Play. Like most of the systems that use compressed air it ran our battery flat a few times. Having a dear battery in a Honda means your nav system, if you have one, locks you out until you enter the 'owner code'. Same for the entertainment system. So find those codes and write then down before you need them. (Learned the hard way).
Personally I liked the Stay-N-Play because it was so easy to set up each time. What I didn't like, other than its power appetite, was that the connectors to the battery had to be cleaned every few months or it would just stop working. The manner in which it indicates that it's working is pretty weak. A LED in the toweds window. I wired a LED to the drivers position of our Bounder.
When we sold the Honda I removed the braking system and sold it separately.
Now we use A Patriot portable braking system. It works OK, and doesn't suck the battery dry. (It uses an electric actuator - no compressor). It has a wireless remote that allows me to see when and how much brake it's applying. I can change it's working parameters whenever I wish. I run it for several hours from a JNC Jumper battery and have never used more than 50% of its charge. We sometimes drive up to 6 hours but not much more than that.
It takes only a minute or two to set it up.
It was pricey, about $1500. And I still had to install a breakaway switch and wiring harness.
Of the two I prefer the Stay-N-Play for a Honda. The only reason I didn't install it in our current towed was because the install is much more complex and involved cutting multiple vacuum lines and a bunch of other stuff I didn't want to do.
Personally I liked the Stay-N-Play because it was so easy to set up each time. What I didn't like, other than its power appetite, was that the connectors to the battery had to be cleaned every few months or it would just stop working. The manner in which it indicates that it's working is pretty weak. A LED in the toweds window. I wired a LED to the drivers position of our Bounder.
When we sold the Honda I removed the braking system and sold it separately.
Now we use A Patriot portable braking system. It works OK, and doesn't suck the battery dry. (It uses an electric actuator - no compressor). It has a wireless remote that allows me to see when and how much brake it's applying. I can change it's working parameters whenever I wish. I run it for several hours from a JNC Jumper battery and have never used more than 50% of its charge. We sometimes drive up to 6 hours but not much more than that.
It takes only a minute or two to set it up.
It was pricey, about $1500. And I still had to install a breakaway switch and wiring harness.
Of the two I prefer the Stay-N-Play for a Honda. The only reason I didn't install it in our current towed was because the install is much more complex and involved cutting multiple vacuum lines and a bunch of other stuff I didn't want to do.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
We've been using a ReadyBrake system since 2008 and have been very happy with it. It's a permanently installed mechanical surge system that needs no wiring or connections to the tow vehicle's brake system. Once installed, hooking up only requires clipping on a steel cable to an eyelet at the front of the toad.
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PancakeBill
Well-known member
Here is a plug for the RVi. I had the 3. Very easy setup, not bulky, it even had voice reminders in setup. The full system comes with a tablet that interfaces with the system giving you info in the coach, showing the system working. There are other optional components, like tire pressure, toad charging etc.
I had an earlier Brake Buddy, it worked great but was a bit bulky, and storage was an issue, solved, but still.
When we sold our motorhome I sold the RVi3 to a new RVer along with the options I had added. Watch for used ones.
I had an earlier Brake Buddy, it worked great but was a bit bulky, and storage was an issue, solved, but still.
When we sold our motorhome I sold the RVi3 to a new RVer along with the options I had added. Watch for used ones.
ButchW
Well-known member
Does the RVi put much of a drain on your TOAD's battery? Or did you use one of their charger systems too?...
Butch
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
With a hydraulic-brake motorhome you can still use a permanent install system such as the Demco Stay n'Play Duo or the ReadyBrake. Neither of those depends on external compressed air sourced from the motorhome.
Laura & Charles
Well-known member
We had an RVi 2 and, first time out, our toad battery was dead. Added a charging wire from coach to toad (via umbilical) and had no issues after.
To OP: we got the SMI Stay-in-Play duo when we replaced our toad. As the name implies, it’s not portable. The RVi 2 was an easy-to-install portable. I know it sounds odd considering the RVi 2 went in or out in a matter of three minutes tops. But I sure do appreciate the new system… just flip a couple of switches. (We still had our first coach with hydraulic brakes when we replaced that aux brake system. That system still works fine on this coach with air brakes.)
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Be aware that some (many?) modern cars can draw substantial battery power while under tow. If the ignition has to be in the ACC position or if you have to activate a special mode for towing, the car may be powering some of its internal control systems, e.g. a "body computer" or electric steering assist. I towed a GMC Acadia that was drawing over 10 amps (none of that for the toad brake system) until GMC finally figured out that I could & should pull one of the major fuses while towing. That dropped the power demand to a bit over 1A.
Old_Crow
Well-known member
I've towed my Jeep behind my motor home for many miles without brakes but was never really happy about it.
At one point, I ended up purchasing the Demco system that Muddy Paws pulled out of his Honda and installed it in my Jeep. The first trip out with the system installed, I had some fool in Texas cut in front of me at an intersection and brake check me at a green light. It had been raining and when I stabbed the brakes on the coach I felt the ABS kick in. About 1/2 second later I felt the brakes on the Jeep come on, and I'm totally convinced that that slight bit of additional braking kept me from rearranging the idiots back bumper.
My vote is for the Stay and Play.
At one point, I ended up purchasing the Demco system that Muddy Paws pulled out of his Honda and installed it in my Jeep. The first trip out with the system installed, I had some fool in Texas cut in front of me at an intersection and brake check me at a green light. It had been raining and when I stabbed the brakes on the coach I felt the ABS kick in. About 1/2 second later I felt the brakes on the Jeep come on, and I'm totally convinced that that slight bit of additional braking kept me from rearranging the idiots back bumper.
My vote is for the Stay and Play.
ButchW
Well-known member
Fyrflie
Well-known member
I have a Brake Buddy Classic. I cannot recommend it.
It partially applied my brakes and did not release, burning up brakes, rotors and hoses on my Jeep. Brake buddy fixed the unit, but it never seems to apply the brakes evenly at all times. Sometimes you can feel it and other times you feel nothing. The activation light in the coach hardly ever works. Even with the Brake Buddy extension. I have tried multiple settings and unit adjustments all with the same poor results.
I hope that whatever you choose works well for you.
It partially applied my brakes and did not release, burning up brakes, rotors and hoses on my Jeep. Brake buddy fixed the unit, but it never seems to apply the brakes evenly at all times. Sometimes you can feel it and other times you feel nothing. The activation light in the coach hardly ever works. Even with the Brake Buddy extension. I have tried multiple settings and unit adjustments all with the same poor results.
I hope that whatever you choose works well for you.
zulu
Well-known member
x2.
Just remember that a braking system like Demco's Stay-In-Play (non-air system) or Air Force One (air system) is only as good as the installer.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
One of the thigns I DO NOT like about the "Box in the driver's seat" systems like Brake Buddy is that though they advertise "No installation" the fact is you install them every time you tow with them.
And every install is a chance to SCREW IT UP
When the dealer installed the system on my car (An installed system) They proved that every install is a chance to SCREW IT UP and... Like you.. I had to totaly redo a nearly new brake system. Pads. Rotors. Drums and Shoes.
LarsMac
Well-known member
Yeah, our Saturn was like that. We killed its battery on our first run to Texas.
I had a switch inserted that cuts power to the major circuits. (basically imitating pulling the Fuse)
