AirForce 1 brake system vs Ready Brake

wca01 wrote:
...You would do well to do some research yourself. Your ignorant opinions are not helpful to the OP.

You say, "The Air Force 1 system is an 'electronic box' type controller system. Meaning, it is controlled by electronics". That is untrue! There are no electronics in the Air force 1. There is just one electrical connection to generate vacuum for the break away switch

LOL, you say no electronics in it, then in the very next sentence mention an electrical connection it has. In the words of Larry the Cable guy, "Now thats funny right there, I don't care who you are!"

And yet *I* am the ignorant one that needs to do the research? LOL, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

..Thats really all I'll say. Really doesn't matter what either of us say, anyway, because this post, yours, and my previous one will soon be deleted by a moderator, since you took it to the personal insult level with the 'ignorant' accusations. Thats OK, though, like you said, the original poster will make up his own mind.

Will

willald wrote:
...Some important key pieces 'wca01' left out, in his marketing propaganda post about SMI Air Force 1:

If you would read the post from the OP, you would discover that he wanted some information on the Air Force 1/Demco combination. I have that exact system and hoped to help him with my research.

I have owned a Ready Brute system and had to send it back. That caused me to research all the systems on the market. I only report the facts -- I don't make them up. You would do well to do some research yourself. Your ignorant opinions are not helpful to the OP.

You say, "The Air Force 1 system is an 'electronic box' type controller system. Meaning, it is controlled by electronics". That is untrue! There are no electronics in the Air force 1. There is just one electrical connection to generate vacuum for the break away switch. An additional 12V circuit is powered by the toad 12V system to operate the brake pedal indicator.

You make statements about what happens if there is failure in the Air Force 1 that are false. Try to get the facts. I have!

As I read the request from the OP, he wanted facts, not opinions. I'm sure he will make up his own mind. Remember he states that he has owned a Ready Brute for several years and knows something about it. He has not owned an Air Force 1 and wants to know something about it.

Good Luck!
Wil

...Some important key pieces 'wca01' left out, in his marketing propaganda post about SMI Air Force 1:

The Air Force 1 also will cost you obscenely more $$ than the Readybrake. Since you're purchasing a new towbar as well, and can get the Readybrute Elite tow bar that comes with Readybrake, the cost difference is even more substantial - well over $1000. And thats without even mentioning the huge cost of installing the AF1, that you will not have to worry about with the Readybrake since you already have the RB cable installed on your toad.

Yes, air brakes working directly off of your MH's air brake system is nice, but is it worth paying over $1000 (probably closer to $2000 including installation) more for?

The Air Force 1 system is an 'electronic box' type controller system. Meaning, it is controlled by electronics. This introduces the risk that said electronics can fail, over-brake your toad, and do major damage to the brakes. It does happen, read around on here you'll see where it has. OTOH, due to its design, this is something that is just about impossible to ever happen with the Readybrake, once its installed and set up properly.

When the Air Force 1 system quits in the middle of nowhere and you need to repair it....Wellll, good luck with that. OTOH, 99% of the things that can break or wear out on the Readybrake, can be repaired by almost anyone with parts you can find at any hardware store for less than $20. Also, those mechanical parts on the Readybrake, you can inspect for wear and catch problems and fix them before it becomes a problem. Kinda tough (impossible) to do that with electronic stuff in the Air Force 1.

Also, one day several years from now when you trade toad vehicles....Removing the Readybrake cable and installing it on the new toad will be fairly simple. If you don't want to remove it from old toad, no problem, just buy a new cable from Readybrake for $60 and install it on the new toad. When that day comes and you're using AF1, be ready to shell out a LOT more $$ to remove AF1 from your old toad and install it in the new toad.

Anyway, this is obviously your decision, but if it were me, I'd go with a ReadyBrute Elite tow bar and Readybrake system. I would also call NSA, speak to Todd about your situation. I'll bet since you own a Readybrake now that is worn, he may well give you a very good deal on a new Readybrute tow bar, or offer to send you a new or rebuilt RB unit you can use with another tow bar. That could make the price difference between the two even MORE substantial, to the point IMO it'd become a no-brainer decision (even though IMO it already is that).

Your Air Force 1 (AF1)/Demco solution is the Best of the Best.

Many, including me, have gone many thousands of miles without any supplemental brake system without any problems, but for ultimate safety, a supplemental brake system is required. The Ready Brute (RB) is quite popular and many like it, but there are some important differences between it and the AF1.

AF1/Ready Brute
1. The Ready Brute is a surge brake. It operates by inertia. That means that the toad must be pushing the MH before the brake will actuate. That means that the RB doesn’t completely remove the toad braking load from the MH brake system – it’s just an aid. Even in panic braking situations, the toad adds load to the MH brake system and the stopping distance will be greater than with the MH alone.

2. The AF1 applies the toad brakes in proportion to the amount of braking action applied to the MH brake system. It completely removes the entire load of the toad from the MH brake system. In fact, in panic braking situations, the stopping distance of the MH/toad combination on my rig is less than the MH without the toad connected – that is impossible with the RB.

3. The AF1 creates the full vacuum for the toad braking system. The RB does not.

4. One advantage of a diesel MH is an exhaust brake that improves the safety of descending mountain grades and such. When descending a long mountain grade, you want to use the brakes as little as possible. Because the AF1 is only actuated when the MH brake petal is depressed, it won’t actuate the toad brakes when using an exhaust brake or changing to a lower gear to help retard the speed.

Being a surge brake, the RB may be actuated by either an exhaust brake or downshifting. My exhaust brake will maintain the current speed of the rig while descending a 6% grade – that’s a lot of braking. The RB may become activated in such a condition. If it does, it puts the toad brakes in jeopardy from over heating. If it does not activate the toad brakes in this situation, it indicates that it doesn’t provide very much braking for the toad.

5. Once installed, the AF1 never requires any adjustments – install it, hook it up and forget it. The manual cable connections of the RB may require adjustments over time and conditions.

6. All supplemental braking systems need an indicator to let you not only know when the toad brake system is activated, but also when it fails to operate. The AF1 brake indicator is actuated when the toad brake pedal activates the toad brake switch. That not only lets you know when the toad brakes are applied, but even more important, lets you know when they don’t operate. I was once alerted to the fact that I didn’t make a good connection between the MH and toad the first time I applied the MH brakes – six feet from the camp site.

The indicator system on the standard RB is actuated when the brake lever on the hitch moves forward – it knows nothing about the condition of the toad brake pedal or toad brake system. That indicator will even operate when the RB cables are not connected. In addition, that system will not indicate that you need to adjust the cables.

Demco
The Demco is unique in a couple of ways.
1. Each tow bar is independently attached to the receiver. That means that one tow bar can be connected without touching the other. Then the other tow bar can be connected. They can also be separately disconnected and stored before touching the other one. That really makes easier and faster.

2. The tow bars can be stored in three different positions – left, right, or split.

3. In addition, the customer service from Demco is the best I have ever had. They even sent a factory representative to my location to help me solve a problem that turned out to be “operator error.”

After more than 100,000 miles of towing a toad with a MH, I highly recommend the Demco/AF1 solution.

Good Luck!
Wil

Personally, I would get the Blue Ox rebuilt at the factory, and the same for the ReadyBrake.
I would not worry about the towbar being "close to" its limit. If the manufacturer says it will tow 7500 lbs. I firmly believe it will do so for any length of time, IF it is properly maintained and not damaged.
But, it's YOU, not me, so do what you need to do to feel comfortable, and go camping.

Since you are in the market for a tow bar AND a brake, get a Ready Brute Elite. It is both in one, and you will still have the Ready Brake you are used to.

You can get the Ready Brake rebuilt. Mine got bent in an accident and they rebuilt it for a few hundred. Your should be less. I don't like the idea of tapping into the air system personally.