Community Forums

n5pht · 07-04-2014, 05:16 AM

I have the Brake Buddy Classic and have only used it from install to home (40 miles) but leaving on a 2000 mile trip in a few days. Settings?

The PSI is specified for 50 to 55 (50.0 to 55.5 on digital readout) and that is fine. But what about the sensitivity setting? It can be set from 1 to 7 with 7 the most sensitive. I asked the tech at Brake Buddy and got the distinct impression most people were using the Brake Buddy to satisfy the law and that it didn't actually activate too often!! He suggested a sensitivity setting of around 3 or 4 so I suspect it would take a pretty hefty hit on the motor home breaks to activate the brake buddy. I certainly want to avoid the brake buddy activating on bumps, etc. I am only pulling a Jeep 2 door so weight is under 4K pounds so the supplemental braking perhaps not so important.

With all that said, what sensitivity setting have you used on the Brake Buddy Classic?

Roger G · 07-04-2014, 07:03 AM

I have the same BB Classic and two door wrangler. When you hook up the BB it will automatically set to the middle setting, not sure of the number, that's where I leave mine. It will only activate under hard stops, when I say hard stops I don't mean panic braking but stops hard enough that stuff slides in the MH. In normal braking the coach brakes do the braking 99% of the time. One word of advice, when putting the BB in the jeep, don't slide the seat far enough forward that it put enough pressure on the brake pedal that it activates the toads brake lights. I did this once and I had no signal lights just constant break lights. I have a cool tech harness and I guess the toads lights were overriding the lights from the coach.

Cousin Ed · 07-04-2014, 07:53 AM

When we pulled a Cherokee (3200 lb) or Colorado (4200 lb) I set at 50 PSI and 5 on the sensitivity. With the Sierra (5500 lb) I keep it at 5 but the PSI is at 85.

n5pht · 07-04-2014, 11:50 AM

Thanks all. Sounds good. We leave in a couple days - heading to the Winnebago GNR in Iowa (from Texas)

opbart1 · 07-04-2014, 01:04 PM

I have generally have mine on 4 or 5 in an Equinox. I do a test run every once in a while when getting started on a trip and pay particular attention to it when I brake so know it is working at the level I want.

n5pht · 07-07-2014, 07:33 PM

Thanks for the input. Completed two days of toad and all is fine. The Brake Buddy activated from time to time but only if I applied the brakes quite hard (traffic light changed, etc.). Seems easy to set up and use. This is my first time to take a toad and all seemed to go well. Got in a tight spot at a gas station once but all came out ok. Thanks again to all for your input. I ended up with the default of about 5 on the sensitivity and 55 on the PSI.

**TonyDi** · 07-07-2014, 08:56 PM

I use the Brake Buddy Vantage and it has a remote for the sensitivity, I use it if I feel like I need the toad to brake sooner or later. That is basically what you are doing with the Select by manually setting the sensitivity. I tow a Grand Cherokee and go between 5-6. BTW hitting a bump will not activate the brakes the controller is inertia activated.