 |
02-02-2008, 06:22 AM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ann Arbor Michigan
Posts: 783
|
I will be purchasing an auxilary brakeing device for the toad soon. I am debating on the brake buddy or the brake buddy vantage. I am curious as to how one knows how much pressure is to be set for effective braking? With the vantage I am understanding that one can adjust the pressure from the control in the coach as versus guessing with trial and error to find a proper setting. Does the light activated on the remote relate acurately as to when the toad brakes are applied?
__________________
__________________
2005 Suncruiser Banks Powerpack
Chocolate lab (Buster) 2007 Jeep Wrangler
|
|
|
 |
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
02-02-2008, 06:22 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ann Arbor Michigan
Posts: 783
|
I will be purchasing an auxilary brakeing device for the toad soon. I am debating on the brake buddy or the brake buddy vantage. I am curious as to how one knows how much pressure is to be set for effective braking? With the vantage I am understanding that one can adjust the pressure from the control in the coach as versus guessing with trial and error to find a proper setting. Does the light activated on the remote relate acurately as to when the toad brakes are applied?
__________________
__________________
2005 Suncruiser Banks Powerpack
Chocolate lab (Buster) 2007 Jeep Wrangler
|
|
|
02-02-2008, 06:28 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 2,669
|
I have an Even Brake by Roadmaster, which is similar to the Brake Buddy. It has 3 sensitivity settings, which I keep on the lowest setting.
I think most would agree that you do not want the toad brakes to actuate under light braking events, as the coach is capable of braking both units. Especially if your coach is a diesel, you do not want the toad brakes actuating when the engine brake actuates.
With my system set a low sensitivity, the toad brakes actuate under heavy braking, such as coming to a sudden stop when a traffic light turns faster than you expect.
This provides me the safety of toad braking under sudden stop situations and also provides me the safety of a break-away system.
__________________
Don
'07 Winnebago Journey 34H - CAT C7, Koni's, MCU's, SS Bell Crank, Safe-T-Plus
'07 HHR Toad, SMI AFO, Blue OX
|
|
|
02-02-2008, 06:38 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Nor'easters Club
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Mid-Hudson Valley NY, USA
Posts: 1,122
|
I have the Brake Buddy "Classic" bought before it was a classic.
To andwer your questions... The indicator light does accurately reflect the brake's usage. The pressure you should use is easily figured by trial and error and from the manual.
I do think I will switch to a true "proportional" system as soon as I can figure out which will best suit my needs, but the Brake Buddy used correctly (as additional help in a sudden stop)is certainly adequate.
__________________
Ron & Kathy FMCA F327322
2008 Marathon Coach XLVII
2019 Ford F150 Limited 450hp
|
|
|
02-06-2008, 04:24 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Nor'easters Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MAINE, The way Life should be.
Posts: 1,091
|
Please post your outcome and final decision. I too will be purchasing something very soon. I did call Blue Ox today who told me the Apollo is out of production, done, no more.
Seems BB is the least invasive system. Anxious to hear of your results
__________________
Tiffin Allegro Bus, 425 Cummins Freightliner XCR, Camp Freightliner, Acadia Denali, tow-N-4 Down, Blue-OX tow bar, TST Monitors, Seelevel II Monitors, Samsung Res Fridge, Progressive 50A-EMS, No Kids-No Pets, Full Time.
|
|
|
02-14-2008, 11:44 AM
|
#6
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2
|
I just bought Saturn Vue and am about to buy Southwind 32'.
As I get prices for braking system (and tow bars), dealers are pushing Unified vacuum system. The price is nearly double what I can get Brake Buddy for (and do limited install myself).
SOOO.... I too will be interested in you research and thoughts of others.
|
|
|
02-14-2008, 02:07 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2007
Location: El Cajon CA
Posts: 1,854
|
I set the pressure of my brake buddy per the instruction, it is by the weight of your toad. Set the sensitivity in the middle to try it out 5 years ago and have not changed it.
__________________
2007 Sea Breeze LX 8321 Ford Chassis
2004 Ford Ranger Edge
El Cajon CA.
|
|
|
02-17-2008, 09:27 AM
|
#8
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2
|
How do you get the toad brakes to be effective during long down hill sections? As I understand the system they will not engage unless the motorhome decelerating.
|
|
|
02-17-2008, 10:47 AM
|
#9
|
Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,909
|
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">How do you get the toad brakes to be effective during long down hill sections? As I understand the system they will not engage unless the motorhome decelerating. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You don't want the brakes applied constantly on a down hill run. You want them only applied when you apply the MH brakes.
If you don't have an exhaust or engine brake on the MH, then downshifting and/or periodic brake application is required.
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP

|
|
|
02-17-2008, 11:32 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Coarsegold, CA
Posts: 834
|
On long downhill runs, I will brake hard infrequently rather than lightly frequently. I brake hard enough to activate the toad brakes because I want them to do part of the work.
I keep the sensitivity in the middle also.
When setting the pressure, think of your toad's real weight as opposed to what the manufacturers say. I had my Jeep weighed at the same time as MoHo and was surpised by the actual weight being about 600 pounds more than I expected.
__________________
2001 Winnebago Adventurer, 35U, W-20 8.1
F+R Trac bars, F+R sway bars, SafTsteer, F Sumo Springs, 4 Koni FSDs
2007 Forest River Lexington Ford E450 Chassis
|
|
|
03-31-2008, 06:10 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ann Arbor Michigan
Posts: 783
|
Thanks to all who helped whit my decision makeing. I happened to luck out purchasing a brake buddy. The storage facility where I store the coach also has a lot for RV's sold on consignment. A owner who inherited a coach from his dad that recently passed away was selling the coach on consignment. He had no use for thr brake buddy and so I purchased it from him for a very reasonable price. I had upgraded to the coach from a pop up and the consignment people sold my pop up for me/ In case anyone is interested the link for the consignment facility is http://www.jpsrvs.com/custominvsearc...=usedinventory
__________________
__________________
2005 Suncruiser Banks Powerpack
Chocolate lab (Buster) 2007 Jeep Wrangler
|
|
|
 |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|