Brake Buddy vs Brake Pro vs Apollo

[Nedra]

We are looking at the Brake Pro that Camping World offers but have heard soe negative things about it. It's now on sale with free installation. We're getting our new coach next week and would like to get away from the braking system we have now. Although the M&G is a nice system we do not want to go with this unit as we will be changing cars.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a Brake Pro, Apollo or Brake Buddy to know how it is working, the ease, etc.

[Nedra]

We are looking at the Brake Pro that Camping World offers but have heard soe negative things about it. It's now on sale with free installation. We're getting our new coach next week and would like to get away from the braking system we have now. Although the M&G is a nice system we do not want to go with this unit as we will be changing cars.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a Brake Pro, Apollo or Brake Buddy to know how it is working, the ease, etc.

[wallynm]

We have a brake buddy sinece 02 and have had a couple of minor problems that have been fixed at no charge except I paid shipping. The other two system were not on the market when we bought ours and are knock offs of the BB system that was first on the market with this type of system. They made them enough different that they could avoid patent infringement. All are made by folks that stand behind their products and are installed in a similar fashion. You do have to store the brake box some where when not in use. I would buy on price and price alone.

[Allegro Happy]

Nedra we have a brake buddy that is fine. We do not have the breakaway thing. I'm not sure what Camping world will install? Maybe the brakeaway thing? There is no installation to be installed with the brake buddy, you can take it from one vehicle to the next.

[Barney B.]

We bought the BrakePro from CW. It simply would not work in our '04 Jeep Liberty. There is a lump on the floor of the vehicle exactly where the leg on the BrakePro needs to sit, and no matter what we or the CW people did, the unit would twist itself out of position and come on at the slightest deceleration of the MH and would trigger the unit to apply toad braking, even when not needed.

CW "uninstalled" it and refunded the $$

[RobAndTeresa]

We use the Brake Buddy, with the break-away to brake the toad should it come loose from the MH. Have been very happy with it so far.

[Renegades]

Barney,
I use the Brake Buddy and had a problem with my Jeep Wrangler. The unit would sit below the seat that it had to push against. I built a small wood floor that the BB would sit on and it works like it was suppose to.
How big of a bump was there? Could you have made a foot print to hold the unit above the hump? Sounds like CW didn't explore other means to make that unit work. Try to make a small foot print platform that the unit would sit on and then try that. Good luck.

Jim
RV Tech

[Richard n Shirley]

Would like to hear from those who have a chevy cavalier for a toad and what device they have. We hve 9 days till we install something in the toad.

Thansk for your replys.
R

Hi there,

I was one of the first dealers to buy a BrakeBuddy for personal use, and then sell them. There have been some great changes in the unit and the latest design is your best bet. This product is kind of like a Maytag commerical for us as a dealer, "we just don't have any problems with it" and my customers are satisfied. I wish I could say that about other products it would make our job simpler.

Tomcat F15
Do your remember what KISS means "Keep it simple stupid." I'm not refering to you, it's just a sayings!

[IrishBear]

Any one that thinks the the Brake Pro and the Apollo are just knock off's of the Brake Buddy needs to do some research. Had the opportunely to go the a product seminar on all three and the Apollo is so far a head of the others it is amazing. Just go to www.towingworld.com and look up Apollo. Or the Blue ox people are at most rallys talk to them.

[wallynm]

IrishBear these sites are pushing their own products so sure they will say they are better. I did compare and I still conclude that they are knock offs of the BB.

Wally,

You are right, but what a lot of folks don't know and realize, is that the RV Industry is made up of knock-offs. I've been in this industry since 1976 and experienced first hand how people will go down the street and start a business and copy someone elses design, add a little of their flavor and then market it.

I developed a product for the RVv Industry in 1976, while work for a military vehicle manufacturer. I also converted vans in my garage nights and weekends. One of my biggest problems was sealing windows with a good product. After consulting a friend who was a chemist in the rubber industry, I set out and designed an extruded rubber profile in the shape of a "D" and then found a company that could extrude it. Thats where it started; three years after I introduced these automotive products to the RV Industry, competition showed up at the RV Trade Show at Notre Dame Univ. in South Bend, IN.

They say, "imitation is greatest form of flattery." Well that comes without saying, right down and out copying. Our so called competitor went so far as to take my spec sheets and advertisement literature, copied it and put their name in our address block and then numbered their inferior products the same as ours. Now you talk about "KNOCK-OFFS", there is a prime example of what the RV Industry is all about.

BrakeBuddy was lucky, they had a lot more time to get their name and product recognized before the copy cats appeared with their KNOCK-OFFS.

Tomcat F15

[UPS 34]

We have to Apollo and it works fine. Blue Ox is a great co. Towed a Durango with no problems for over 7,000 miles. I have heard probelms with Brake Pro. Brake Buddy is also a great product. I have Blue Ox Tow Bar so felt like going Blue Ox all the way. Glad I did.

[RonP]

I have been using the Brake Pro for last 2 months. It is the latest unit with "advanced technology"(so the box says)and have been pleased with its performance. I have not noticed any triggering from hitting bumps,etc.and like the idea of proportional braking applied to the toad based on the units sensing the rate of deceleration by the MH. Sounds impressive anyway. Good luck with your decison-don't think you would go wrong with any of them.