Supplemental Brake... Necessity or Preference
We seem to have a good number of discussions on the issue of the need for supplemental brakes... Unfortunately many of the discussions are not very productive in terms of giving those who have an open...
Forum Discussion
MPond wrote:lkentn wrote:
I have used the Blue Ox Auto Stop direct cable around the brake pedal on our Jeep and while driving into Yellowstone NP the cable actually broke so I abandoned that system. I went to the Brake Buddy system which I had to set up every time I towed. Since I tow a Jeep Liberty and it is recommended that I disconnect the battery while towing, I had to go to a direct from the battery connection to my brake buddy. After my most recent trip, I noticed a strange smell in my Jeep not a brake smell. I pushed the button to release the air from the BB tank and it contained no air. The Brake Buddy had failed me again and likely for the last time. It had failed me so many times previously that it probably wasn't working properly more of my driving time than it ever did working properly. I am now giving up on my second auxiliary braking system and am in a quandary as to which system to try next. Since I have probably driven as many miles without my braking system working as I have with it working, I have not noticed any advantage of my 25,000+ lb Diesel Pusher towing my Jeep with any of my auxiliary braking systems i have used. What do next?
I've heard good things about the Ready Break from Night Shift Auto - http://www.readybrake.com/
But I agree with your statement about towing a Jeep behind a heavy DP - not sure that it is really necessary, as I've never noticed a difference either.
I always thought that having an auxiliary braking system on my toad would give me peace of mind but it never has. Because I have had so many problems with braking system failures, I believe I would have way more peace of mind without a braking system on my Jeep. When we had a 26 ft. Lazy Daze class C towing a Saturn, I could feel the braking system actually helping me stop both vehicles. But, when towing my Jeep with my much heavier, more powerful, better braking with air brakes Diesel pusher, I doubt that braking my toad has much effect on my downward speed on long grades like the one going into Yellowstone or the one coming into Denver on I-70 from Dillon, CO. On both of those grades my braking system had already failed and was not working at all. I made it down without incident. I watch my speed, distance from other vehicles and how I use my motorhome brakes; I am very careful. I think most of these braking systems are very expensive and many are ineffective.
