Brake Buddy Vantage Select

[Montrealer]

Good evening folks,

Been towing our Grand Cherokee behind a motorhome for the past 4 years now without an auxiliary braking system, and I finally wisened up thanks in part to the words of wisdom shared by many of you on this forum.

Bought the BB Vantage Select today. Installation is tomorrow and our first experience with the system will be on our upcoming trek from Montreal to Naples Fl at the end of this week.

Did alot of reading about this and other systems but I would like to ask you for your experiences with this particular model and what would be some of the typical newbie mistakes you could help me avoid.

Many thanks in advance.

[Northern-Canadian]

I am having one installed this spring on my Tahoe, so I too will be watching this thread for advice and information. Good luck with your new system and enjoy your trip to the warmth of Florida, from one Canadian to another.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally posted by Montrealer: Good evening folks.

Montrealer! Bienvenue!

[Route 66]

Quote:

what would be some of the typical newbie mistakes you could help me avoid.

The most common problem is improper setup/adjustment, in particular having the sensitivity set too sensitive causing the toad brakes to applied when they should not be applied.

[doghowz3]

I, too, am interested in any comments as I will be in the market.

[Latitude]

I have been towing with the BB for about 12,000 Miles, It has worked perfectly.

Easy to set up and works as advertised!!

As Dirk says Set it up Right and you will have No Problems!!!

Rick

[Jemc02]

My only piece of wisdom is to check out the whole system before installing it. My breakaway switch did not work out of the box and I found out after I installed it. Brake Buddy was great to work with and had a new one in my hand two days after I emailed them to ask what might be wrong. The new one has been flawless the 3 times that I have towed so far.

There is almost nothing to the install and setup so you should be fine by just following the directions. Just make sure that after the test/brake bleeding is done that the brake buddy is not still pushing on the brake peddle. Having the seat too far forward will cause this and it would allow the brake buddy to ride your brakes which is going to cause problems.

[CoastieSCPO]

I have a Brake Buddy Vantage and am mostly satisfied with it. Installation of the breakaway was easy and the unit works as advertised. Selecting the correct sensitivity can be a challange.

I tow a 2002 Saturn SL2 and after the first couple of times I used it, the fuse blew so I called Hopkins Mfg and they sent the 12 volt kit free. Installation was easy. On our recent trip to Florida, the units 12 volt plug broke and caused a bad connection at the plug. I called Hopkins and they told me to send the Brake Buddy to them along with the remote unit inside the RV and they would fix it for free and make certain it is working correctly. Good people.

Bob

[soonerdave]

I am currently using the Brake Buddy Vantage Select and love it. Installation is VERY simple, the only "work" you have to do is install the break-away switch, and it's pretty simple. The great thing about the select is being able to adjust the sensitivity based on terrain and traffic conditions. I looked at several of the different "installed" braking systems but did not want to go to that much trouble. If I trade vehicles the only part I have to move is the break-away switch. For the sake of simplicity and ease of use I would recommend the Select anytime. If you go with this system be SURE you check the operation of the break-away switch just like it says in the manual. Good luck with your decision and Happy RVing.

[Ceratto's Grotto]

I have been using a BB Advantage since towing our MCS (Mini Cooper S). After being installed, I set the parameters as suggested and it works as I would like it to, applying the brakes ONLY during pretty heavy braking. Under normal conditions and normal braking I prefer the MCS brakes not to be activated at all. Again, the settings as recommended for the MCS weight and normal sensitivity performed just fine for me.

[Montrealer]

Just got back from a 3,000 mile trip and the Brake Buddy functioned perfectly. I found the system very easy to set up and to operate. I used the proportional braking and maximum sensitivity settings and, while I fortunately did not need to make any emergency stops, the system functioned as advertised under 'normal' braking conditions. The added peace of mind and security are well worth the purchase price....

Many thanks to all of you for your input and advice!

Gary & Johanne