Unified Tow Brake - Review

[Off_Pavement]

I want to review US Gear's Unified Tow Brake(UTB)because it gets badmouthed for being "complicated" and causing problems, often by folks that don't have one, and never have... one fellow on here adamantly states he doesn't like electronic controlled systems because it's a complicated design, prefers NSA's ReadyBrake, but doesn't have a supplemental brake system of any kind for comparison. Most other folks on here that like the ReadyBrake swear by them for never having a problem and simplicity and I totally respect those opinions, but the truth is there is no perfect system out there. A simple Google search will show somebody had issues or problems of one sort or another with every supplemental brake system manufactured.

The four reasons I chose the UTB over other designs...

Every time we camp we tow our Jeep, and we usually camp numerous times per month year around. We often travel thousands of miles on a trip too, so ease of hitching and unhitching during those travels becomes more important to me as we've hitched/unhitched as many as 4 times in one day. Once properly installed, there is no easier system to hitch up... period! The same ease of hitch up is available with the Invisibrake by Roadmaster (which I had in my '97 Wrangler), but it doesn't allow adjustment of the brake system from the towing vehicle like the UTB does(see below).

Ability to adjust towed vehicles brake activation from towing vehicle. I find this feature of the UTB very handy. Braking requirements seem so different between mountain driving and city driving, and the UTB allows for more aggressive brake operation when I want it in heavy traffic. It also allows manual operation of the towed vehicle brakes which I have found extremely helpful on snow packed and icy roads.

Energized brakes in the towed vehicle. The UTB has a vacuum pump that charges the power brake system. If you have ever tried to stop your vehicle with no power brakes, you understand the brute force required to stop. I'm not an automotive engineer, so the amount of pressure put on the brake pedal by any system that doesn't charge the brakes may not be of any consequence, but it obviously puts a high stress on the supplemental brake systems that operate without power enhanced brakes. Additionally, you don't need to purchase anything else for a break-away emergency brake either as it's part of the UTB design. You also don't need a separate battery charge line, it's in the design.

Lastly, in researching brake systems, I discovered a few folks had issues with the surge brake design and mountain towing. The however infrequent issues of others, along with the fact that the UTB has what I consider to be great proportional brake operation, is why I chose the US Gear Unified Tow Brake system.

Yes, the UTB is a complicated design compared to some other available supplemental brake systems. But that is exactly why I chose the design to overcome what I perceive as shortcomings in other systems.

Here are a few photos of the installed system on our '13 Jeep Wrangler...

This is the vacuum pump that energizes the power brakes. If you look closely, you will see the check valve and "T" fitting in the vacuum line.



This is the brake activator. It is mounted on the passenger firewall well out of the way. The cable on the left side of the picture routes under the carpet to the drivers side...



This photo shows how the brake activator cable above is hooked to the brake pedal...



This photo shows the control box in the towed vehicle. In our Jeep, I mounted it on the high on drivers side under the dash...



This photo shows the towing vehicle's dash control. The lever is for manual activation of the towed vehicles brakes. The knob on the top adjusts how aggressively the towed vehicle brakes are activated. It includes warning and activation LEDs, and malfunction alarm...



How it looks ready to tow...



To sum it up, I recommend the US Gear Unified Tow Brake. It has been reliable, and it's versatility in all towing conditions can't be beat in my opinion.

[JCMSr]

Add another vote for the US Gear UTB system. When I first purchased this system I had it installed on a 2011 GMC Acadia. For reasons no one ever figure out the UTB system and the Acadia computerized Traction Control system did not get along. Never a problem while towing but once the system was disconnected the Acadia seemed to have a mind of its own and would want to apply the brakes for no reason anytime, anywhere. Once locked up it would take 5 to 10 minutes for everything to reset and it would be fine until the next time it was towed. After three or four times of this happening and no solutions found by GMC I traded vehicles and had the UTB system swapped over. That was almost 3 years ago and no problems in that period of time. I love the ease of use with the UTB system and recommend it highly.

[havasu]

I used the UTB on 2 vehicles over 27,000 miles and loved it. What I HATED was the price! Fortunately the second one was an unused kit I purchased from eBay.

These days I tow a Smart Car with an Easy Brake - it's more of a pain to install each time and I don't have the 'remote' braking capability of the USB (apply the toad brakes and not the motorhome brakes) which saved me on at least 2 occasions.

So yes, if you can afford it, the UTB is nice piece of kit and does what it says on the tin - but there are other options out there that do the same job adequately.

[Flasho]

When I started towing a car 10 years ago, I went with the US Gear UTB. No problem, ever.
Once it's installed its the simplest to hook up. My hookup is a six pin connection, 4 for the lights, 2 for the UTB. One cable does it all. Everyone has their favorite system, the UTB is mine.

[Aughra]

I got the unified brake system back in April and have towed 3 different times now and I like it. My only issue is with the dealer who did the worst wiring job ever on my jeep.

[DogPatch]

We have had the UTB for the past 7 years and almost 100,000 miles. In that period of time, we have had two toads and two Motorhomes.

Highly recommend the UTB

[Wayne_Dohnal]

Agree 100% with the review. I've pulled a UTB equipped Honda Fit for about 18,000 miles. For me, there are only 2 "cons":

1) It was very difficult to "fit" it into the Fit, which has very little hidden space available. This is of course a non-issue for some other cars.
2) I'm scared by the prices I've seen posted for replacement parts.

Now that it's installed and nothing has broken yet, I can't think of a better setup. The steps to get it ready to go are: Plug in the umbilical cable and drive away. There's positive feedback that it's operational, and if I ever question that, just pushing the manual operation lever verifies that it's working. When starting out every morning I do a test while creeping a few mph. It's nice to know that it's really working.

[willald]

Off Pavement wrote:
I respect your opinion willald, but I wonder why you don't start a thread about how great the ReadyBrake is?.........It seems that nobody ever starts a thread about their ReadyBrake... they just jump in on other threads to proclaim ReadyBrake superiority... It's cheaper, it's simpler, it's better!

Well, for me at least, I prefer not to start a thread specifically to proclaim the merits of the products I prefer. I've found in the past, that doing such tends to make people think you're affiliated with that product or being a 'mouth-piece' for it.

JMO, but I find that advice on many subjects is more respected and taken better if its only given when specifically asked for. Thats why I at least, don't bring the subject up unless someone asks, or when I see misinformation or misleading information that needs to be clarified.

My review was not a comparison to ReadyBrake beyond my stated reason that a factor in my decision to go with the the UTB was because of reported "infrequent" issues by others. The fact is that there are numerous internet threads you can find that speak to ReadyBrake problems and issues with dips, bumps, and mountain driving... urban legend or not.

...Yeah, if you look long and hard enough, you can find internet threads speaking to problems with ANY and EVERY system out there, including UTB. The challenge is in determining which to believe, and which to take with a grain of salt. 🙂

Like you said, any system can eventually have issues. The key is, like I alluded to in my previous post, issues with Readybrake are not usually as catastrophic as what electronic systems can do, and are much simpler, easier, and cheaper to fix. That is the main reason why I prefer it over any electronic system.

Heaven knows, there is ALREADY waaaay too many electronic systems on a MH that can fail and mess up your trip, I don't want yet one more. 🙂

I'm glad you like your ReadyBrake, and applaud you for having a supplemental brake system at all... it seems a majority of people don't see the need for any type system.

Indeed so (although thats getting into a whole 'nother issue there, haha).

Will

[Off_Pavement]

I respect your opinion willald, but I wonder why you don't start a thread about how great the ReadyBrake is? Or better yet, a comparison thread of ReadyBrake to everything else?

My review was not a comparison to ReadyBrake beyond my stated reason that a factor in my decision to go with the the UTB was because of reported "infrequent" issues by others. The fact is that there are numerous internet threads you can find that speak to ReadyBrake problems and issues with dips, bumps, and mountain driving... urban legend or not.

edit: I reread my review and I see I made another comparison to ReadyBrake and that is the need to purchase a separate break-away unit (ReadyStop).

It seems that nobody ever starts a thread about their ReadyBrake... they just jump in on other threads to proclaim ReadyBrake superiority... It's cheaper, it's simpler, it's better!

I'm glad you like your ReadyBrake, and applaud you for having a supplemental brake system at all... it seems a majority of people don't see the need for any type system.

[willald]

Nice review, and glad to see UTB works good for you.

However, I think there's some points that need to be clarified here, in your comparison of UTB to other systems.

the truth is there is no perfect system out there. A simple Google search will show somebody had issues or problems of one sort or another with every supplemental brake system manufactured

Indeed, any system can break or have problems, eventually. However, there's 3 key differences with a system like Readybrake vs any 'electronic' box type system that needs to be kept in mind when it comes to malfunctions:

1. You cannot inspect electronic systems for wear and tear, and correct/replace a part before it becomes a problem and ruins a trip. You can do just that with mechanical systems like Readybrake.

2. When parts do wear out or break with a system like Readybrake, in most cases it can be repaired with parts found at any hardware store for less than $20. Doesn't have to be sent off or special ordered from the manufacturer and cost several hundred $$ like is the case with electronic systems.

3. Because of the way Readybrake is designed, once it is installed and set up correctly, it is just about impossible for the system to ever malfunction in a way that would over-brake your toad and damage its brakes. The same cannot be said for many electronic systems.

in researching brake systems, I discovered a few folks had issues with the surge brake design and mountain towing.

LOL, this is one of those 'urban legend' things that just will not die.

Surge brake systems from 20 years ago or so, indeed had problems with dragging the brakes when going down inclines with a heavy trailer. There are folks that remember those issues and for that reason just propagate the myth that surge systems are bad news. Thats probably the folks you 'discovered' in your research.

However, like anything else, they have come a long way with these things over the years. Modern surge braking systems typically do NOT have that problem. This (over-braking in mountains) is simply NOT an issue with NSA's Readybrake unit. I've seen and verified from personal experience, that even with a 4600 lb minivan being towed down a steep mountain pass, that Readybrake only engages when I hit the brakes on the MH.


One other thing to keep in mind as well with this comparison: The UTB system and other electronic type systems will cost you anywhere from $1000-1400. A Readybrake system costs about ONE THIRD of that. If you buy the integrated ReadyBrute Elite tow bar, the Readybrake costs you almost NOTHING - it is included with the tow bar (which costs 'bout the same as what you'd pay for a comparable tow bar from Blue Ox).

Yes, the featurs UTB and other systems offer are cool, but are they REALLY worth paying over $1000 more for, when a system like Readybrake gives you very similar performance, and does so without any electronic components that can fail and over-brake and damage your toad? For many of us working stiffs that are not independently wealthy, the answer to that is an emphatic, NO.

Anyway, like I said, I'm glad you are happy with your UTB system. Definitely something to be said for what it does. Understand, though, that there are also some very rock solid, good reasons why many of us want absolutely nothing to do with electronic systems like that.

[rk911]

othertonka wrote:
I have the unified brake system for 10 years and it works as described, and guess what, no box to install and remove each time you need to use your toad and the front seat is not broken down due to a "box" applying pressure during a brake application. I too recommend Unified brake but I do not care if anyone blasts my choice or runs down the Unified brake system, I have been pleased fr 10 years and that's all that matters.

couldn't agree more. when we were getting setup to start towing our jeep wrangler back in 2003 we looked at all of the available aux braking systems then on the market. the Brake Buddy was very hot then but we quickly realized that we had no place to put it when the jeep was disconnected. the wrangler had no trunk, the BB was far too large to fit in any of our exterior storage compartments and the hassle factor of having to move it from spot to spot inside the MH was way too high. add to that having to rely on a cigarette lighter type plug for power quickly forced the BB off our list. once we reviewed the information on the UTB we quickly realized that this was the aux braking system for us.

[anconn]

When I got my first class A last year my service mechanic said the USGear was the best and easiest so I went with it. 25,000 miles later I am still happy.

[othertonka]

I have the unified brake system for 10 years and it works as described, and guess what, no box to install and remove each time you need to use your toad and the front seat is not broken down due to a "box" applying pressure during a brake application. I too recommend Unified brake but I do not care if anyone blasts my choice or runs down the Unified brake system, I have been pleased fr 10 years and that's all that matters.

[rk911]

I completely agree. we have the UTB in our '03 jeep wrangler and towed it for 7-years with only one problem that had nothing to do with the UTB (diodes in the lighting system). we likes the UTB so much that when we bought a 2010 jeep liberty for my wife we had a second UTB installed in that so we can tow either jeep. power to the control module in the MH is via an unused wire in the electrical umbilical cord. hooking up and unhooking is a snap. and I much, much prefer the progressive and proportional braking the UTB provides rather than simple brute force.