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Pastordick · 08-24-2013, 12:37 PM

2012 Itasca 36L towing 2006 Jeep Commander -- Roadmaster Invisibrake -- Hook Jeep to M/H -- put Jeep in Tow Mode - Hook up all connections - 7 way, brake signal accessory wire, breakaway cable.

Have wife apply brake and nothing -- no brake application -- no turn signals on Jeep -- nothing. Recheck all connections and still nothing.

Decide to go to dealer and tell wife to drive ahead 5 feet and stop. Nothing when she applies brake to move from P to D, but MAGICALLY, when she touches brake to stop -- EVERYTHING WORKS -- Jeep brakes and turn signals.

Figure just some glitch, but it repeats again 3 days later. This is not a new unit -- used all last summer with no problem.

Can I blame her by saying that she forgot to turn on the parking lights -- or is there something else I am doing wrong??

ChasA · 08-24-2013, 01:16 PM

I believe the invisibrake is an inertial device. It needs to sense the motor home is stopping before it will pull on the brake pedal. If you car is wired correctly, the brake lights and turn signals should work off of the motor home lights and have nothing to do with whatever supplemental braking system is installed.

dons2346 · 08-24-2013, 06:26 PM

"I believe the invisibrake is an inertial device."

No inertia involved with the Invisibrake

Skip426 · 08-24-2013, 06:40 PM

Sounds like a bad ground , when the tension comes onto the tow bar , the toad grounds out through the bar, next hook up a slight bit of rust , on the hitch, stops the ground until you move the rig and scrape the rust away.
Check your, wired , ground connections toad & coach, and through the wiring plug.

BTW, Blame the DW at your own peril.

wa8yxm · 08-24-2013, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dons2346

"I believe the invisibrake is an inertial device."

No inertia involved with the Invisibrake

There are multiple issues here.. The problem may be in the motor home, the jeep or the umbicial cable.

First. inertia *IS* needed for the invisi brake to apply the brakes, but it should sit up and take notice any time the brake lights come on.

The brake lights were NOT coming on

Best guess at this point is a bad ground however there are a host of other issues that can cause this to happen as well.

Trouble shoot the brake lights, Forget the invisi brake till you get them working..

Suspescion is the Invisibrake is Working properly. problem is with brake lights. They tell the invisi-brake "Time to go to work".

dons2346 · 08-26-2013, 11:20 AM

"First. inertia *IS* needed for the invisi brake to apply the brakes, but it should sit up and take notice any time the brake lights come on."

No inertia needed for the invisibrake to apply the brakes. It is all done with the application of brakes and in some instances, depending on the coach, the application of the engine or exhaust brake.

Ray,IN · 08-26-2013, 01:15 PM

Roadmaster Inc. - Tow Bars, Braking Systems & RV Accessories It plainly states "Activates only when the motorhome’s brake lights illuminate". References at page bottom might help troubleshoot your problem.

wa8yxm · 08-26-2013, 04:48 PM

You are right Dons, no Inertia needed..

That greatly lowers my opinion of the system because without an inertia sensor it can not provide progressive braking the way I like it.

Heck, even the Ready Brake does that (provides progressive braking the way I like it) Self adjusting too.

dons2346 · 08-26-2013, 06:34 PM

If you read about the operation of the brake, you will see that it is progressive.

wa8yxm · 08-27-2013, 08:48 AM

No, the brakes just come on harder the longer you stand on the pedal, not my the system I want. (Many systems call that progressive) What I want is true purportional braking, when I lightly press the pedal, it lightlly presses.. When I stand on 'em with both feet, it does it's best to lock 'em up. Same as I'm doing.

Oh, and I will say this again. From the O/P's description of the problem it is with the brake light circuit NOT the invisibrake system.

I have a device, it is a flat 4 plug, a flat 4 socket and 3 LED's in one of the housings.. It plugs in between the motor home and the towed.. The 3 LED's are Tail Lights, Right Turn/stop and Left Turn/STOP (not sure of the order)

I had a tail light (not brake light) problem with my towed the first major trip I took.. Detector showed it was in the motor home (NO LIGHT on the LED) and sure enough, it was.

I did not see where the O/P said the brake lights on the motor home came on when the system did not work.. That would be diagnostic (Brake light switch most likely) if they did not always come on.

Pastordick · 08-27-2013, 05:15 PM

Thanks for all who responded and tried to help --

I am pleased to report that the problem is solved -- BUT I'm not sure what did the trick because I tried 3 things at once.

First, I removed and cleaned Invisibrake contacts on toad battery

Second, with first step in hookup, I made sure that the parking lights were on -- Instructs say that this activates the system that charges the toad battery -

Third -- I converted my Jeep to tow mode AFTER all other hookups were made -- this requires foot on the brake which (after 20 sec) activated the warning in the MH cockpit --

All systems go after all of this -- everything testing and working perfectly

Thanks again!!!!

Ray,IN · 08-27-2013, 06:57 PM

Glad you got it working. Thanks for posting your results.

gmadams · 08-27-2013, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastordick

Third -- I converted my Jeep to tow mode AFTER all other hookups were made -- this requires foot on the brake which (after 20 sec) activated the warning in the MH cockpit --

All systems go after all of this -- everything testing and working perfectly

Thanks again!!!!

Is this in the manual? I can't get my warning light to work.

Thanks,
Gary

YC1 · 08-27-2013, 07:55 PM

Now you have it fixed, take the ends off the umbilical cord and tighten the little set screws. I had one fall out.

I have no issues with the brake. It works as advertised.

To test my lights and brakes when connecting I turn my emergency flashers on the MH. When I plug in to the toad I hear gr gr gr and the rear lights flash thus testing those too.

Turning on the headlights supplies about two amps to the toad battery.