Invisibrake by Roadmaster

In response to cochise49's original post ..

I have a F-53 and a 2013 CRV and in setting up to tow I learned ...

1.) The late model F-53's all come with one "standard" wiring harness that has a 12V positive spare wire from the Interior Dome Light switch on the dash that runs all the way to the rear in the wiring harness. It's blue and has a small ID tag on it and it is curled up in the harness and taped back. When you rotate the dome light switch up it will not only turn on the dome light if you have one ( I do not ) but also puts a 12V on the spare blue wire. Thats obviously what the installer used but neglected to explain. I chose to run a dedicated 10 gauge wire from my coach batteries to my CRV toad vehicles battery and fused it with a in-line 30 amp fuse.

2.) AWD with Navi have a constant electrical drain as long as the key is in the tow / Assc position. Pulling the fuse helps but does not stop it completeley. Only solution is running a hot wire from RV back to toad battery. Poor design considering they say to pull fuse when towing.

On checking with Roadmaster I received the following from Technical Support:

"As for your vehicle battery running dead. Does your Honda owners manual require you to remove any fuses? If so, then you may consider purchasing the Fusemaster part# 76511. This should help, with the battery draw. The Fusemaster takes the place of the fuse that needs to be removed. If you would like to see how it is installed, then simply go to YouTube and type in Fusemaster and you will see the Fusemaster installed in a Honda CR-V.
To diagnose if your charging feature is working for the Invisibrake, then simply, with the CR-V connected to the motorhome, disconnect the red wire & black wire from the battery of the CR-V and turn "ON" the headlights on the motorhome. You should have 12 volts & 2 Amps going to those wires. The Invisibrake is set up to maintain the battery not fully charge it. If your draw is greater than 12 votls & 2amps, then the charging system will not be able to keep up. Hope this helps, good luck and have a great day."

My CRV has the NAV system and the screen cannot be switched off except by pulling the fuse. The draw from the NAV display may be greater than can be replaced by the charge wire from the RV. Now looking for a Fusemaster.....Anyone have experience with those?

Cohise49:

In case you haven't, you can check out the wiring diagram in the installation instructions or its available online here. Red fused wire to toad battery positive, black wire to negative post? Are the toad tail lights on when the MH parking/headlights are on (when hooked up, of course)?

I fall into the half-smart category but I was able to install Invisibrake on our 2010 Corolla and have had no problems, either towing or driving the Corolla.

If all the wiring appears to be as intended, here's what I would do:

- Hook up the MH/toad umbilical
- Disconnect the red wire at the toad battery. Or you could just open the inline fuse and stick the tester probe in the part toward the IB controller. If you test for current with the red wire attached to toad battery, you’ll just be checking that battery.
- Make toad ready to tow: key on? Etc.
- Turn on MH parking lights.
- Put a test light on the red wire from IB controller, ground the test light, but not to battery negative post.
- If test light does not light, double check the wiring: The plugs on back of IB controller; also the brown wire connection at the wire harness to the 6 or 7 pin plug on the front of toad.
- If test light lights, you’re getting power from the MH. This is where that half-smart comes in. Seek professional help as to why your toad battery is not being charged.

Good luck!

Well...when arriving at home yesterday, the toad battery was dead. All wires were connected and headlights were on since quartzsite (200 miles). Does anyone know how to determine if a current is moving through the charge wire. I have a multimeter. I think the red wire with the glass fuse inline attached to the battery is the wire. The fuse appears unbroken. Just red from multometer to red wire and black on MM to battery ground? Trying to avoid dragging the RV and toad to camping world 40 miles away.

If all else fails, one could just read the instructions.

From InvisiBrake Owners Manual, page 2:

Preparations for towing
1. Connect the monitor wire patch cord
2. Connect the break away cable
3. Turn the motorhome park lights on
4. Enjoy your travels.

cochise49
Thanks for the info, I will be getting my invisibrake system installed next week on a 98 Honda Accord. Will ask how the charge system works before we leave and if they say, keep your light on that will be the wifes job to tell me. (turn on the lights)
JR

You can run with your parking lights on if you don't want your headlights on. I have this system and it works well.

That's their (Roadmasters) design. Works just great until you forget to turn on your lights.

I would be having a conversation with the install shop. That configuration seems weird to me.
Vic

I don't know why they connected the charge line to the headlights? You need to keep your battery charged to activate your toad braking system. Do they have some crusade to make RVers drive with their lights on? In any case, it seems like it's a bad practice to require you to do one thing that has nothing else to do with the other thing just to make it work.

You might look into the Toad-Charge which is a no brainer way of keeping your CRV battery charged.