Tow Bars

[jonlin]

We have a Phaeton motorhome and are purchasing a tow bar to pull our Honda CRV. The RV dealer we use for maintenance sells and recommends the Ready Brute Tow Bar. In the pamphlet for the tow bar it states, " The Ready Brute Elite is a multi-purpose aluminum toe bar that has our patented Ready Brake supplemental brake system integrated into the head of it". My understanding is it works like surge brakes. If this is true, would traveling in mountains present a problem with the brakes releasing when going down hill? Does anyone use this type tow bar and what has your experience been? Thanks for your reply,

John

[tropical36]

timjet wrote:
Anybody know how to "tap" into the brake light wire on a 2014 Honda CR-V. Can it be done near the fuse box below the dash or is it necessary to tap into the wire at the brake light.

Best not to, IMO and to use the third brake light to activate a mini relay. Then use it's contacts for completing the circuit to ground.

[Two_Jayhawks]

hohenwald48 wrote:
My problem with the included LED indicator light is that it lights whenever the Ready Brake lever is actuated. The Jeep brakes may or may not be activated at the same time as the Ready Brake lever.

Heck, you could even leave the brake cable disconnected and the Ready Brake supplied dash light would still indicate brake application. That's why I (and many others) wired the dash light directly to the Jeep brake light switch. A little more difficult install but a more accurate indicator.

Yea I completely agree with you. When I moved the system from old coach and toad to new I didn't reinstall that.

[timjet]

Anybody know how to "tap" into the brake light wire on a 2014 Honda CR-V. Can it be done near the fuse box below the dash or is it necessary to tap into the wire at the brake light.

[Dutch_12078]

hohenwald48 wrote:
My problem with the included LED indicator light is that it lights whenever the Ready Brake lever is actuated. The Jeep brakes may or may not be activated at the same time as the Ready Brake lever.

Heck, you could even leave the brake cable disconnected and the Ready Brake supplied dash light would still indicate brake application. That's why I (and many others) wired the dash light directly to the Jeep brake light switch. A little more difficult install but a more accurate indicator.

X2... My ReadyBrute Elite tow bar predates the "onboard" switch, so the normal installation at that time required wiring the dash indicator to the toad brake light switch. I also installed a relay that prevents the coach brake lights from also lighting the dash indicator.

[hohenwald48]

My problem with the included LED indicator light is that it lights whenever the Ready Brake lever is actuated. The Jeep brakes may or may not be activated at the same time as the Ready Brake lever.

Heck, you could even leave the brake cable disconnected and the Ready Brake supplied dash light would still indicate brake application. That's why I (and many others) wired the dash light directly to the Jeep brake light switch. A little more difficult install but a more accurate indicator.

[tropical36]

jonlin wrote:
We have a Phaeton motorhome and are purchasing a tow bar to pull our Honda CRV. The RV dealer we use for maintenance sells and recommends the Ready Brute Tow Bar. In the pamphlet for the tow bar it states, " The Ready Brute Elite is a multi-purpose aluminum toe bar that has our patented Ready Brake supplemental brake system integrated into the head of it". My understanding is it works like surge brakes. If this is true, would traveling in mountains present a problem with the brakes releasing when going down hill? Does anyone use this type tow bar and what has your experience been? Thanks for your reply,

John

We've used one, since day one and haven't had to service anything, as yet.
IMO, it's one of the strongest, simplest and the best bang for the buck on the market. We paid less than $1500 new for everything that was needed on the toad and doing all the work myself, of course.
Your question of going down hill is not a problem, with the way it works. Think of the toad catching up with the coach and not with the toad brakes being applied in any other way. So, when the coach brakes are applied, the toad obviously catches up with the coach and applies it's brakes, as well. Going down steep grades, with the coach geared down, the toad will catch up, intermittently, but as soon as it applies it's brakes, it immediately slows down and is no longer catching up with the coach, thereby releasing it's brakes.
Using the included LED indicator light, installed on the dash, will show you what's happening, at all times.
I've done some mods, as well, but that's just me, with being a gear head. I've even discussed these with NSA and they said great, but have to keep the cost down and make sure their product is ready for every application, coming out of the box.

[olfarmer]

I really like my Ready Brake. I too have a pilot light on my dash that is connected to the Jeep brake light switch. I like to know when the brakes are on and it helps me to know how tight to adjust the cable. I have had the cable get a little corrosion or dirt right at the end of the cable on the front so I periodically spray a little lubricant in the housing. I have never had it seize up but it seemed a little stiff a couple times.
Ed

[hohenwald48]

doc brown wrote:
I used the system on my Wrangler but the cable seized in the housing, had to replace the line twice in 4 years. I guess it was just bad luck for me. I went to Air Force One.

I've heard this said before but for the life of me I can't figure how a stainless cable in a plastic housing could possible seize up. Maybe a pretty sharp bend in the cable or perhaps some off roading in a lot of sand might cause it.

I pull the cable by hand everytime before hooking up just to make sure things move freely. Additionally, I installed a light on the moho dash that is connected to the Jeep brake switch so I can see exactly when the Jeep brakes are active. I don't use the switch that comes installed on the ReadyBrute because it only indicates when the ReadyBrute "thinks" the Jeep brakes are active.

[Gjac]

johnwalkerpa1 wrote:

Gjac wrote:
This system seems to be the simplest of all the braking systems. Do you have to disconnect it from the brake somehow before you drive the tow car? or does it just stay in place?

You just have to unhook the cable from the front of the tow car. Nothing else for the brakes..that is what is so nice..

With practice, you can easily hook or unhook the tow car in well under 5 minutes..

That is nice, my friend has the Brake Buddy and detachable tow lights and it takes a while to set up.

[timjet]

Two Jayhawks wrote:

timjet wrote:
Another happy Ready Brake Elite user except for one thing. I have had some difficulty getting the tow car aligned properly with the tow bar. Once aligned the tow bar "snaps" into position. Anybody have the secret to doing this easily?

After I connect the tow bar & reverse the car to lock the arms and I rarely get lucky enough to "lock both arms". Usually one side locks & that is just fine. I turn the wheel of the CAR one revolution toward the unlocked tow bar arm and finish the rest of the set up. When I pull away with the coach it always locks the unlocked arm right away. I also have a day glow marker that attaches to the top of the steering wheel of my toad so I can watch the steering wheel come around to center in my back up camera as I pull away.

Thanks Bill, I'm going to try that method.

[Dutch_12078]

doc brown wrote:
I used the system on my Wrangler but the cable seized in the housing, had to replace the line twice in 4 years. I guess it was just bad luck for me. I went to Air Force One.

50,000+ towing miles so far with our original cable installed on two different toads, and it still works as freely as it did on day one. When I was transferring the cable/housing from the old to the new toad, I did pull the cable out and wipe it down with silicone grease before reinstalling it though. That was around 20,000 miles ago...

[doc_brown]

I used the system on my Wrangler but the cable seized in the housing, had to replace the line twice in 4 years. I guess it was just bad luck for me. I went to Air Force One.

[Georgew48]

Use this system for my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited and over 10,000 miles no problem. Just got back from a trip to Colorado and it worked perfectly.

[Two_Jayhawks]

timjet wrote:
Another happy Ready Brake Elite user except for one thing. I have had some difficulty getting the tow car aligned properly with the tow bar. Once aligned the tow bar "snaps" into position. Anybody have the secret to doing this easily?

After I connect the tow bar & reverse the car to lock the arms and I rarely get lucky enough to "lock both arms". Usually one side locks & that is just fine. I turn the wheel of the CAR one revolution toward the unlocked tow bar arm and finish the rest of the set up. When I pull away with the coach it always locks the unlocked arm right away. I also have a day glow marker that attaches to the top of the steering wheel of my toad so I can watch the steering wheel come around to center in my back up camera as I pull away.