Air brakes on Towed

[down_home]

Since 2006we have used the Roadmaster air brake system, with the cylinder that has to be installed an uninstalled every time you hook up or unhook.
Airraid I believe is one brand,and Air Force One is another brand of under hood air braking system, that you don't have to disconnect or reconnect anything.
Anyone comment on which one you use and of course prices?

[TS21sso]

H & E wrote:

M&G in my opinion is the way to go. As said, one air line and that’s it for brake hookup.
Also if you can take it to Athens, TX, They are 1st class all the way. We are from N. TX, drove down day before, stayed at State Park a few miles away.

Very glad to hear that. I am having their system installed at the factory tomorrow. They will also set up the lights and charging line for the battery.

Yes, we too had them do the complete set up,
Hopefully you have come away with the same positive opinion of M&G factory that we came away with.

[H___E]

M&G in my opinion is the way to go. As said, one air line and that’s it for brake hookup.
Also if you can take it to Athens, TX, They are 1st class all the way. We are from N. TX, drove down day before, stayed at State Park a few miles away.

Very glad to hear that. I am having their system installed at the factory tomorrow. They will also set up the lights and charging line for the battery.

[TS21sso]

M&G in my opinion is the way to go. As said, one air line and that’s it for brake hookup.
Also if you can take it to Athens, TX, They are 1st class all the way. We are from N. TX, drove down day before, stayed at State Park a few miles away. Following morning drove to M&G, pulled MH in one bay, towed in another. While we stayed in MH
We could watch installation as they installed Blue Ox base plate on 2017 Terrain, M&G brake system and air line on MH. In and out in about 2-21/2 hours.

[howdy35]

I have used M & G on three different cars in the past 17 years without incident. Each one has been fitted with break away system for safety. Easy to hook up and unhook. One air cord from toad to Motorhome. I have never used any other kind. They are right here where I live so are very convenient. Hope this helps. Happy travels..

[keefr]

Another option is RViBrake. It operates similarly to Brake Buddy but is more compact, it is quick-acting and adjustable for both sensitivity and toad weight. I've been very happy with mine.

[gfs1943]

way2roll wrote:

hypoxia wrote:

Executive wrote:
Why not simply get the ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute?? Nothing to add, nothing to subtract. Just hook it and go. Easiest system there is and nothing hooked to the toad..I've had mine for 10 years.....Dennis

Ready/Brute

I am not a fan of surge brakes with an engine brake. Going down a hill the Ready Brake will be applying toad brakes constantly. They will be warm/hot on a long descent when I have not touched the service brakes.

That's not really true, We have the ready brute elite and I've wondered on long descents if the toad brakes heat up with the engine brake on, so I stopped once after a downhill and checked, they were warm but not overly hot. The force required to active the brakes completely comes from stopping the MH, or quickly changing the speed of the MH relative to the car. Down a hill with the engine brake on isn't enough of a difference in speed to push the surge all the way, until you brake. Which is the way it's supposed to work. The car brakes when you brake otherwise the speed is relative to yours. In the 6 years we've been towing our CRV with the ready brute system we have not had to change pads any more frequently than not towing.

This is the correct info. The ReadyBrake does not cause my tires or brakes to get hot. I've been using this system for almost seven years, and have ZERO problems with it.
I've never had another braking system for the toad, so I can't say what's good and what's a lot of trouble. I just know that the ReadyBrute/ReadyBrake system is great.

[slickest1]

I too have used the ready brake system for 10 years and have descended alot of long hills with my exhaust brake on and never have had hot brakes on the toad. Warm yes but not hot. It does what it is supposed to do.

[way2roll]

hypoxia wrote:

way2roll wrote:

hypoxia wrote:

Executive wrote:
Why not simply get the ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute?? Nothing to add, nothing to subtract. Just hook it and go. Easiest system there is and nothing hooked to the toad..I've had mine for 10 years.....Dennis

Ready/Brute

I am not a fan of surge brakes with an engine brake. Going down a hill the Ready Brake will be applying toad brakes constantly. They will be warm/hot on a long descent when I have not touched the service brakes.

I stopped once after a downhill and checked, they were warm but not overly hot.

I'm pretty sure you just agreed with me....:C

Pretty sure I didn't. Don't cut snippets of a post that you think offers some evidence to your incorrect assumptions, read the whole post. Any brakes or wheels would be warm to the touch under most any conditions. If they were overheating you wouldn't be able to touch them at all. Don't make posts where you don't know what you are talking about and then troll the person correcting you who has real world experience. You can try and pose like you know what you are talking about but myself and thousands of others who have this system know differently. If you want to discuss the matter further, PM me. Happy to give you my number to discuss it.

[hypoxia]

way2roll wrote:

hypoxia wrote:

Executive wrote:
Why not simply get the ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute?? Nothing to add, nothing to subtract. Just hook it and go. Easiest system there is and nothing hooked to the toad..I've had mine for 10 years.....Dennis

Ready/Brute

I am not a fan of surge brakes with an engine brake. Going down a hill the Ready Brake will be applying toad brakes constantly. They will be warm/hot on a long descent when I have not touched the service brakes.

I stopped once after a downhill and checked, they were warm but not overly hot.

I'm pretty sure you just agreed with me....:C

[RLS7201]

bjbear wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
My buddy has the Brake Buddy. Install is easy, just plug it into the power outlet, hookup and he monitor/control box in the MH, watch that it connects and your all done. It's a simple system and you can easily move it between vehicles, unlike you system that is only for the 1 car. I'm planning on getting a newer vehicle and will then have 2 available toads. ThenBrake Buddy will be perfect for that.

As I said good if you have a "Fleet" (2 is a fleet though in the example I think I used 20) .

But every time you put it in the driver's seat that is an install and if you mess up it can total the car's brakes (happened to me on a different system the dealer messed up the install on.. When will I learn to do it or at least check it myself).

and over time that is a lot of work. plus I've spoken to folks who confirmed they said "Oh forget it" for a short trip.. Murphy's law says that's when someone will run out in front of you and SPLAT.

With the M&G or the US-Gear system I had or any of the other fully installed leave 'em in place all the time you just plug it in (if that) 1-2 seconds and it's live.. Some of them you don't even do that.

Mark me down as another Brake Buddy fan. Have been using it for close to 10 years. Very easy and straight forward to install. You would have to be totally incompetant to mess it up. Never felt like leaving it off, even for short drives. Have changed towed vehicle 3 times and the switch over was easy (had to run light setup anyway so adding a 12V charge line and breakaway was not difficult).

X2 bjbear

Also the Brake Buddy does not install in the seat (geesh!) is sits on the floor in front of the driver's seat. No wonder you had a problem.

[way2roll]

hypoxia wrote:

Executive wrote:
Why not simply get the ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute?? Nothing to add, nothing to subtract. Just hook it and go. Easiest system there is and nothing hooked to the toad..I've had mine for 10 years.....Dennis

Ready/Brute

I am not a fan of surge brakes with an engine brake. Going down a hill the Ready Brake will be applying toad brakes constantly. They will be warm/hot on a long descent when I have not touched the service brakes.

That's not really true, We have the ready brute elite and I've wondered on long descents if the toad brakes heat up with the engine brake on, so I stopped once after a downhill and checked, they were warm but not overly hot. The force required to active the brakes completely comes from stopping the MH, or quickly changing the speed of the MH relative to the car. Down a hill with the engine brake on isn't enough of a difference in speed to push the surge all the way, until you brake. Which is the way it's supposed to work. The car brakes when you brake otherwise the speed is relative to yours. In the 6 years we've been towing our CRV with the ready brute system we have not had to change pads any more frequently than not towing.

[bjbear]

wa8yxm wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
My buddy has the Brake Buddy. Install is easy, just plug it into the power outlet, hookup and he monitor/control box in the MH, watch that it connects and your all done. It's a simple system and you can easily move it between vehicles, unlike you system that is only for the 1 car. I'm planning on getting a newer vehicle and will then have 2 available toads. ThenBrake Buddy will be perfect for that.

As I said good if you have a "Fleet" (2 is a fleet though in the example I think I used 20) .

But every time you put it in the driver's seat that is an install and if you mess up it can total the car's brakes (happened to me on a different system the dealer messed up the install on.. When will I learn to do it or at least check it myself).

and over time that is a lot of work. plus I've spoken to folks who confirmed they said "Oh forget it" for a short trip.. Murphy's law says that's when someone will run out in front of you and SPLAT.

With the M&G or the US-Gear system I had or any of the other fully installed leave 'em in place all the time you just plug it in (if that) 1-2 seconds and it's live.. Some of them you don't even do that.

Mark me down as another Brake Buddy fan. Have been using it for close to 10 years. Very easy and straight forward to install. You would have to be totally incompetant to mess it up. Never felt like leaving it off, even for short drives. Have changed towed vehicle 3 times and the switch over was easy (had to run light setup anyway so adding a 12V charge line and breakaway was not difficult).

[hypoxia]

Executive wrote:
Why not simply get the ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute?? Nothing to add, nothing to subtract. Just hook it and go. Easiest system there is and nothing hooked to the toad..I've had mine for 10 years.....Dennis

Ready/Brute

I am not a fan of surge brakes with an engine brake. Going down a hill the Ready Brake will be applying toad brakes constantly. They will be warm/hot on a long descent when I have not touched the service brakes.

[JoeH]

I've been using a M&G for the last 5 years. Initial installation took me an hour or so. after that, it's just hook up the air line and go.