Supplemental Brake Systems - update 8/7/06

teofff wrote:
Pulsar:
Any review of the Tow-V-Air system????

The short answer to your question is no.

By the way, the actual name of the system is Tow-V-Aire. The company is located in Lake Placid, FL and has the following toll free number (888) 464-1105.

Among the criteria I had (have) for doing a review were (are): 1) Being able to discuss the system with someone who uses it; 2) Talking to a knowledgeable representative of the company; 3) A feeling that I understand how the system works.

I did talk to the owner of the company, but have never been able to talk to anyone who uses the system.

I will share with you the reservation I have.

The Tow-V-Aire website lists how the system doesn’t work (no mercury switches, no accelerometers, no pendulums, no surge, etc) but doesn’t tell how it does work. I think it reads the coach’s brake lights circuit and activates when the coach’s brake lights are activated. But that raises issues for a system that doesn’t claim to be proportional. If I am interpreting it correctly, the toad's brakes activate every time the coach's brakes activate and always at the same amount of force. If that force is for a "hard" stop, then the toad's brakes are being greatly over used in normal stopping. If that force is set for normal braking, then there is not enough braking (in my opinion) for a "hard" stop.

The system uses an air cylindar attached between the brake petal and the mount attached below the driver's seat. An air compressor sits to the side with an air hose attached to the cylindar. The system receives its electrical power from the coach - thus wires run between the coach and the toad. These wires provide electricity and a reading of the coach's brake lights.

There is a break-away system, but,if I recall correctly, there was no monitoring system available when I was investigating the Tow-V-Aire.

Tom