Brake Buddy

Bigwiz · 01-24-2009, 05:23 AM

I am going to look at a Brake Buddy today with break away switch and sensor for $400, it was used two trips and then he sold his MH. He says it it two years old. It sounds like a good price?

Also I don't quite understand how the dinghy brakes work without a connection to the MH. How does it sense your Mh brakes are applied? Could someone expain. We will be towing a 2000 Mustang 5sp.

Mike Canter · 01-24-2009, 05:52 AM

The Brake Buddy is an inertia-activated system. In other words it senses your MH slowly down and the rate it is slowing down and applies the toad brakes to match. Normallly this is done with a piezio-electric sensor or an accelerometer. They first started using this type of device in the brake controller for trailers so they didn't have to hook into the tow vehicle's braking system.

MCDDY · 01-24-2009, 06:56 AM

Bigwiz
One thing for sure a Brake Buddy is easy to test out to see if everything works without any expensive installation. If it does work as said it's a good price, normally around $800. I keep mt sebsitivity set on 3 so it only activated on fairly hard stops. Besides the braking help on hard stops it's worth it to have the beak-away feature and it's also a 1 time insurance premium against a lawsuit in the event you're in a rear ender and the person you hit has a good lawyer. It also fits our needs as we 2 different toads.
Dave

GA Cajun · 01-24-2009, 01:45 PM

One thing you want to remember is to press the test button 4 or 5 times after you stop the engine to take the "power assist" out of your toad's braking system. I tow a 2003 Acura 3.2TL Type S, and I learned the hard way that if your toad's brakes still have power assist, the Brake Buddy will slam the breaks on and all you'll see is a cloud of smoke and flat spotted tires on the toad. Expensive lesson!!

Mike Canter · 01-24-2009, 02:04 PM

Now that is a good bit of info. Never thought about that. You can also pump the brake pedal after you have shout the toad motor off when you are hitching it up. Probablem 3 or 4 good pumps would do it.

GatorDog · 01-27-2009, 02:41 PM

Funny,

We just got back from a trip to Tennessee from Florida. Saw a real nice class A with a totaly burned Honda CRV. It seems his "break buddy" decided to brake from several miles until the tires caught on fire. The back of the RV was burned real bad too.

No thanks......no buddy for me.

lthrnk · 01-27-2009, 02:55 PM

Sounds like an anomaly on the burn up. Wrong setting, not properly set up, etc. We have used the system for 2 years with no problems. Just get used to the set up and follow the same routine all the time. IMHO

troth · 01-28-2009, 04:11 AM

Quote:

No thanks......no buddy for me.

So GatorDog, what brake system do you use when towing your Jeep?

Mike Canter · 01-28-2009, 05:16 AM

I have heard of tires catching on fire if the toad was left in park or left in first gear on a manual transmission. I read where a guy left his toad in first gear with a manual transmission and then drove the MH at 65 mph. The toad motor was at max rpm until it kicked out the rods and stopped. When it did the tires stopped turning and then caught on fire. He said he couldn't figure out why everyone was honking at him.

RVThere · 01-28-2009, 12:59 PM

Bigwiz,

Make sure the BrakeBuddy comes with the remote light that plugs into your dash power outlet. It will light up red everytime the BrakeBuddy applies the brakes. ($150 on the website if he doesn't have it).

You can download the installation manual off the BrakeBuddy website.