We have a 1999 Fleetwood class A motor home and once in awhile we tow our Toyota Tacoma truck. We do not have a supplement braking system for the tow vehicle is this a must? I looked into a few of them and there quite expensive with installation.

check out your state laws & the laws of the states you travel thru/to...most require systems on "trailers" either over 1,000lbs, or over 3,000 lbs... We use the Brakemaster system with our DP / air brakes.easy to hook up, works great...

Take a look at the ReadyBrute Elite towbar with integral braking. Do a search on these forums for ReadyBrute. I think you'll find a significant number of very pleased customers. This is an aluminum towbar with an inertial braking system built in. It is quite easy to hook up and remove. There is nothing in the tow vehicle but a cable that is attached to your brake pedal. People like it because there is nothing to go wrong. I've used it on most all of our trips - Rocky Mountains, Montana Dust, New England twisty roads, and in heavy downpours with great results. They also sell a "Protect-a-Tow" which is a very heavy mesh that attaches between the RV rear bumper and the toad front bumper. It traps all rocks from flying up between the RV and Toad. It works extremely well also. Good luck to you!

Take a look at the RVi2 brake. It's easy to use, portable and effective.

I have a cruise control motor on my toad, and the cable from it pulls the brake pedal to the floor, all for about $35. I took a cruise control motor off a junkyard Nissan, it is about 3" diameter, and fits under my dash easy. I had one from a Taurus on my Honda, and it was about 4" diameter, and pulled 'to hard' so the smaller diameter is actually OK. The cable goes to a bracket on my floor, then to a clamp on the brake pedal arm. It is attached about 2" above the brake pedal rubber pad. Lower and it will give more braking effort, higher and it has less leverage, so will offer less effort. Mine is "About right" and when driving down a long grade on a 2 lane highway, I 'rode the brakes' on my motorhome, applying them just enough to turn on the brake lights, and activate the vacuum solenoid that applies engine vacuum to the power brakes on my car. At the bottom of that hill (about 3 miles at 6% grade) there is a rest area, and I checked the brake rotor temps. They where acceptable. For the car, I have a 5' section of 3/8" air hose cut off a 50' long piece, and with the 3/8" air line connection at the end, with the tool end of a quick connect air fitting. It goes to a tee, then to the power brakes where there is a check valve, then another tee, and a check valve between this point and the engine, so that the car air intake does not leak air into the line when in the towing mode, but will allow free airflow into the car intake system (for power brakes while not towing). So air must leave the power brake reservoir towards the RV when towed, and towards the car engine while driving it, but not flow backwards in either case, so that you will not lose power brakes should the engine shut down while driving the Toy. The other side of that tee is to the vacuum solenoid, and then to the cruise control motor. It must be a 3 way solenoid (got it from a junkyard car too) and it will let in air to the CC motor to release it when the brake lights are off. Power from the brake pedal (not the turn signal) goes to the solenoid. Like from the third brake light (if you have one) or from the wire leaving the brake pedal switch and going up towards the turn signal switch. When brake lights are on, vacuum is applied to the CC motor, when off, then air can enter the CC motor to release it. Check it by finding the common fitting. It not marked, you can blow through 2 ports, then when applied 12 volts through two points. The Normally open is one, that will be closed when you have 12 volts, and is the air into the CC motor. The NC will not pass air when off, but passes vacuum into the CC motor while energized. Common port goes toward the CC motor, and is open to one while off and the other port when on.Sorry DP owners, it only works on gas engine RV's or those with a vacuum source. On my gas engine, I was able to find a 3/8" vacuum fitting. I took off the cap, and installed the other side of the 50' 3//8" hose. I tie wrapped it down well under the chassis to the frame, and kept it away from hot exhaust lines. The quick connect on the RV end does not pass vacuum when the engine is on in the RV (unless connected to the toad vacuum line), so you can still drive it while going without the toad. Good luck, and write back if you need me to talk about this. You might need to send me a PM, and I will share the details here. Fred.PS: While this has worked on my RV, I am not to sure it will work for anyone else. . ..

catsgalore wrote:We have a 1999 Fleetwood class A motor home and once in awhile we tow our Toyota Tacoma truck. We do not have a supplement braking system for the tow vehicle is this a must? I looked into a few of them and there quite expensive with installation.X2 rvi2 brake

Braking System for Tow Vehicle | Good Sam Community

msmith1199
Explorer II
Jun 17, 2015
tropical36 wrote:
The heck with the laws and again, my only question ever was as to whether or not my rig would stop any quicker with a supplemental braking system and if the answer is yes, no matter how little the difference might be, then one is needed. As for my pick, the READYBRAKE beats all hands down for simplicity and cost effectiveness and is easily installed by most do it yourself types.

Your vehicle will stop faster with a tail hook and drag chute too, do you have those installed?
msmith1199
Explorer II
Jun 17, 2015
rgatijnet1 wrote:
catsgalore wrote:
We have a 1999 Fleetwood class A motor home and once in awhile we tow our Toyota Tacoma truck. We do not have a supplement braking system for the tow vehicle is this a must? I looked into a few of them and there quite expensive with installation.

To answer your question, NO, you do not legally have to have supplemental braking on a VEHICLE in tow.
A VEHICLE in tow is NOT a trailer. If you check any state, you will see various requirements for brakes that are required on trailers.
Don't take my word for it. All you need to do is send an email to the state DOT or highway patrol, and you will get the same replies that I did. I had previously posted some of the replies that I received and the names of the officials that responded. A vehicle in tow does not require supplemental braking.
Now with that said, I do use the Blue Ox Patriot braking system on my toad and I can tell that I can stop quicker in an emergency. I also know that if my Blue Ox fails, I can still tow my toad LEGALLY to get the system repaired or replaced. I do not have to leave my toad behind.
Now that you have the facts, you can decide what is best for you.

Although your statement is mostly correct, if somebody in law enforcement told you that brakes are not required on towed vehicles then they were wrong. The statement that brakes are not required simply because you are towing a car is correct one, but there are other laws that may require them. For example in California there is no law that says a towed vehicle must have brakes. But there is a braking performance chart that your vehicle must comply with. So if you are driving a 25 foot Class C motorhome on a 3/4 ton van chassis, and your towed vehicle is a One ton Chevy extended cab dually, then I can guarantee you that your vehicle combination will not meet the performance requirements of the chart and supplement brakes on the towed vehicle will be required.

In the research I have done, most states use a performance chart when it comes to towed vehicles, versus having a law that says brakes required at a certain weight. Now I was able to find a couple of states that do have specific laws that apply to towed cars and a specific weight, but the majority don't. I can't remember which states those were now, but I'm thinking New Hampshire was one.
msmith1199
Explorer II
Jun 17, 2015
Pass42 wrote:
check out your state laws & the laws of the states you travel thru/to...most require systems on "trailers" either over 1,000lbs, or over 3,000 lbs... We use the Brakemaster system with our DP / air brakes.easy to hook up, works great...

A towed vehicle is not a trailer.
Dale_Traveling
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2015
lovervn2 wrote:
,,, I am having one heck of a hard time getting it to work properly. It appears the brakes on the Toyota are not releasing,,,
Long reply but a lot of info.

I'm on my second Ready Brake equipped car. Both installs I did myself along with the base plates. The second install on a 2005 Honda CRV I had problems with the brake pedal not retracting fully even when the CRV wasn't being towed. Turned out to be am under dash cover that the brake pedal cable clamp was hanging up on or in other words an installer error.

There are a couple of test you can try to pin down where the problem is, the 4Runner, the cable in the 4Runner, the tow bar surge mechanics or the attaching cable.

Also, if you have a Ready Stop Brake-Away kit it must be fully independent from the surge brake system provided with the tow bar.

Here is what my set up looks like. I do not have the brake away option installed at the time the image was taken.

Needed a bit more slack in the cable. First toad 1998 Arrord.

1. Check under the dash for a repeat of my error but I would have expected the brakes would be hanging all the time as mine did. The end of the cable should be bolted firmly to the fire wall. The angle of the cable from the firewall hole to the cable clamp should be as small as possible so the cable doesn't saw thru the attaching hardware.

2. At the front of the 4Runner give a tug on the brake cable. Can you pull it out maybe an inch or two? Was the movement smooth and once released did it retract all the way? Have a second person push on the brakes while you watch the cable end. Again smooth movement and full retraction? Take note of how far the cable extends out from the 4Runner.

If #1 and 2 appear OK problem isn't the 4Runner but if not then you'll need to look deeper into the 4Runner installation.

Install the tow bar to the coach and 4Runner but don't attach the cable to the 4Runner. Both tow bar arms need to be in the lock position and the 4Runner needs to be centered behind the coach just as if you were going down the road. Drive around the block if necessary.

3. Using a second person, while you watch the surge lever arm on the tow bar, place the 4Runner into drive while holding the brakes on. Slowly start letting off on the brake. As engine idle starts moving the 4Runner forward did the surge lever arm extend? A light touch of the gas pedal might be necessary to over come the bar spring and to get full movement of the surge lever arm. Place the 4Runner in neutral (may need to use reverse) and allow the tow bar to relax. Did the surge lever arm fully retract? If the lever arm is extending and fully retracting the surge mechanics in the bar are good. If not you'll need to send the bar back for repair.

Now connect the cable between the bar and the 4Runner. There should be some slack in the cable (maybe an inch or so of drop) and you should not need to pull on the 4Runner cable to connect the tow bar cable.

4. With the second person still in the 4Runner put it in drive and rerun the first part of step 3. In addition to the surge lever arm movement the 4Runner operator should feel the brake pedal drop away from their foot as the surge activates further and further. You can even give the 4Runner a touch of the gas pedal as they did in test #3 which will force the surge system to its maximum movement limit simulating a panic stop of the coach. Is there any remaining brake pedal left? If not than the 4Runner brakes are lock by the tow bar as they should. The attaching cable should be tight. If the suge arm is fully extended but there is still brake pedal movement in the 4Runner you might have more slack in the cable than lever arm movement can account for.

5. With the brakes still locked on the 4Runner place the 4Runner in netrual and shift the second person from the 4Runner to the coach. Start the coach engine and with the coach brakes on place it in drive. Slow lift off the brakes of the coach and allow the engine idle to inch it forward. As the coach moves the pressure will come off the surge mechanics and the lever arm will retract. Did the lever arm retract completely? Did the cable return to the same slack amount as before? Did the 4Runner cable return to its normal position as noted in test #1?

If the lever arm doesn't not fully retract the problem is in you tow bar. If the arm retracted but the cable did not slacken the cable is hung up on an obstruction. If the cable slackened but the 4Runner cable did not fully retract the problem is in the 4Runner but I would have expect test #1 or 2 would have exposed such. Run test 5 a couple of times since it a dynamic test of the complete system and allows you to observe what occurs while going down the road.

Not sure about the cable attachment you posted about. Any chance of posting an image?
Effy
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2015
lovervn2 wrote:
I have the ready brake system with my Class A Sightseer 34' and Toyota 4Runner automatic with drive shaft disconnect. I am having one heck of a hard time getting it to work properly. It appears the brakes on the Toyota are not releasing. I have talked to the mfg. and they haven't been a lot of help. Said I needed the anti rattlers cuz there was too much play. That didn't work at all. I'm about ready to thro it in the ocean it has been such a hassle! Do you have any suggestions? The only thing that I wonder about is the break cable is not going down the middle thr the release lever on the top of to bar. Any help greatly appreciated!

Sounds more like an issue on your vehicle and not the ready brake. If I understand the cable pulls the brake pedal and it won't retract on it's own or did you install the break away to the ready brake in error. The breakaway will seize the cable and not let go if it's pulled (in the event of a breakaway). The ready brake itself pulls on the brake pedal and releases just like your foot. Lack of pressure in the brake system on the vehicle may cause it too although I would think that there would be problems with regular driving?
Yankee_Clipper
Explorer
Jun 16, 2015
One trip to the mountains and you'll become a believer. It took me a few years to come around, but I take the time to install it even for short trips.
tropical36
Explorer
Jun 16, 2015
lovervn2 wrote:
I have the ready brake system with my Class A Sightseer 34' and Toyota 4Runner automatic with drive shaft disconnect. I am having one heck of a hard time getting it to work properly. It appears the brakes on the Toyota are not releasing. I have talked to the mfg. and they haven't been a lot of help. Said I needed the anti rattlers cuz there was too much play. That didn't work at all. I'm about ready to thro it in the ocean it has been such a hassle! Do you have any suggestions? The only thing that I wonder about is the break cable is not going down the middle thr the release lever on the top of to bar. Any help greatly appreciated!

First I've heard of this with a READYBRAKE, so who installed the thing?
I've even heard of a would be professional who installed the optional READYSTOP breakaway for use as the braking system. Now that would lock up the toad brakes, big time and exactly what happened.
Whatever the case, I can assure you, that something is very simply, bad wrong here and you might find another setup for looking it over.
Assuming all else is correct and with this talking about being centered, the cable obviously needs to be mounted dead center on the front of the toad and if not, should be moved to that point. Mine is right under the bumper and lines up perfectly both top to bottom and left to right.
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2015
lovervn2 wrote:
I have the ready brake system with my Class A Sightseer 34' and Toyota 4Runner automatic with drive shaft disconnect. I am having one heck of a hard time getting it to work properly. It appears the brakes on the Toyota are not releasing. I have talked to the mfg. and they haven't been a lot of help. Said I needed the anti rattlers cuz there was too much play. That didn't work at all. I'm about ready to thro it in the ocean it has been such a hassle! Do you have any suggestions? The only thing that I wonder about is the break cable is not going down the middle thr the release lever on the top of to bar. Any help greatly appreciated!

Can you post some photos so we can see how you have it set up? The hook up cable should be running from the ReadyBrake actuating lever to the toad cable eye at the center of the toad grill in a straight line. When hooked up there should be just a small amount of slack in the cable.
lovervn2
Explorer
Jun 15, 2015
I have the ready brake system with my Class A Sightseer 34' and Toyota 4Runner automatic with drive shaft disconnect. I am having one heck of a hard time getting it to work properly. It appears the brakes on the Toyota are not releasing. I have talked to the mfg. and they haven't been a lot of help. Said I needed the anti rattlers cuz there was too much play. That didn't work at all. I'm about ready to thro it in the ocean it has been such a hassle! Do you have any suggestions? The only thing that I wonder about is the break cable is not going down the middle thr the release lever on the top of to bar. Any help greatly appreciated!
bluwtr49
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2015
I am in the process of installing the M&G air brake system to replace my Ready Brake (need to reduce the tow bar length) and put it in the same category as the Ready Break for simplicity.

M&G

Once installed there is nothing else to do but hook up the air line and go. No power, nothing inside the passenger compartment, nothing electric...just simple.