Community Forums

dons2346 · 06-29-2011, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M&EM

Towing Laws | BrakeBuddy - Braking systems for motorhomes towing a vehicle

This is not state law. It does not state any state code concerning the use of a breakaway system. It is something put together by a company trying to seel you a system. It applys to trailers and not towed vehicles which fall under a completely different set of laws.

Show me a state code that says you must have a breakaway for a towed vehicle.

Iron Man · 06-30-2011, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dons2346

This is not state law. It does not state any state code concerning the use of a breakaway system. It is something put together by a company trying to seel you a system. It applys to trailers and not towed vehicles which fall under a completely different set of laws.

Show me a state code that says you must have a breakaway for a towed vehicle.

Why not do the most you can to eliminate a possible accident? We had a friend who did not have a break away and the car went through a field and hit a telephone pole shearing it in two. Somebody saw the Honda hit the pole but not come loose from the motorhome and called 911. It took a several minutes for them to get back to the scene. The lady who call 911 was crying because she thought the people in the Honda were dead because no one got out of the car. She was relived to find out the car was empty. My friends were lucky that the car did not hit anything other than a telephone pole.

djScott · 06-30-2011, 01:25 PM

Hello,
We have been using the M&G system for a year and a half with two different Ford Explorers and 05' Mountain Aire. Very reliable system, great staff at M&G also great system that does not require alot of hook up complexity.

Darrel · 06-30-2011, 03:46 PM

I also have used the M&G on a 1995 Grand Cherokee and a 2003 Grand Cherokee. It is so easy to connect that I never leave home without it. (Just a thought about the brake wear on the Towed that you heard about. During the installation, it is important that a small amount of brake pedal free play is maintained before the adjustment nut is tightened.)

Have a nice day - Darrel

phranc · 06-30-2011, 06:51 PM

I believe I have premature brake pad wear on the 03 Liberty. I do tow it but not with a
aux braking system.. ( Yes I know , shame on me ). Point being , one could have premature brake pad wear on any individual auto and not have it related to an aux braking system..

jeepsrule · 07-16-2011, 09:04 PM

I have the M&G system on a trailblazer and have not had any additional brake wear. I'm purchasing my second unit for my new Jeep Liberty toad. I had M&G install the first one and they are an excellent company to work with. I'll visit them again and have the new one installed. They do offer a trade in if you buy a new toad and they may have some units that have been rebuilt from these trades at reduced prices.

Submustang · 07-17-2011, 10:35 PM

I was originally planning to get the M&G, but would have had to relocate a couple under hood electrical boxes for the master cylinder component to fit. I had a AFO installed in Eugene, OR. I liked that it came with a breakaway system and that the coach brake system was isolated in the case of a breakaway or failure. It has been an excellent system for my 5K lb toad. There is nothing to remove in the cab of the truck. Just disconnect the air and switch breakaway plugs and you are ready to go. It is every bit as unobtrusive as M&G. All that being said, I hear nothing but good things about the M&G system, so I am sure either system would work fine.

Cruzer · 07-22-2011, 12:44 PM

I have installed the M&G system on our 2002 Grand Cherokee as well as on the 2005 Wrangler. I've detailed the installation at M & G Tow Brake Installation and actually M&G even has it copied on their own website.

I now have a pair of 2012 Wrangler Rubicons on order and will definitely install the M&G units on them. The new Wrangler JKs use a different module than my Overland or TJ but M&G does have an exchange system that rebates a good chunk of the price when you return the old modules. Plus, you can use the breakaway kits over again so, while the system is 100% transferable, it isn't all that expensive to do.

I've never experienced any brake wear on either M&G equipped vehicle. The beauty is that the system is failsafe and will never affect normal braking. It's also totally proportional. There is no electrical interfaced based on momentum so the brakes are not affected by the Jake brake or when descending steep grades. The only way the will ever apply is when you step on the coach's brake pedal, and even then they will apply proportional to the coach brakes and will be modulated by the brake pedal.

Most Spartan chassis come equipped with a breakaway valve that will disconnect the air supply to the toad should the air line between the toad and RV sever. However, I've tested mine by breaking open the line and found that the air being used is minimal and the slight loss of air does not affect the coach's ability to stop or maintain air pressure.

The M&G is that it's designed for a coach with air brakes. If you have a gasser they make an optional compressor but you lose the benefits of the proportional braking and it gets expensive to buy the compressor do I wouldn't recommend it for a gasser.

The only other drawback isd that is mounts in place between the vacuum booster and master cylinder. In some engine compartments there isn't enough room to move the master cylinder forward enough and it may not be possible to fit an M&G system underneath your vehicle's hood. Fortunately the Jeep JK series works just fine.

ImagineIF · 07-22-2011, 01:03 PM

For me, the choice was easy, SMI AF1. Installation time varies with past experience with the same RV and TOAD. I probably spent 2 hours deciding where to put the controller. FWIW, the M&G system will not fit a new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

BTW, if you're not going to install and use a break away system, don't waste your money on a supplemental braking system for your TOAD. The primary reason to have one of these systems is for break-away safety. As for whether a break away system is required, it often depends on how you, or more importantly the state, interprets their laws. Many states don't spell out vehicles being towed on thier own wheels. Some therefore suggest break away brake system,s as not being required. I would suggest that if the state does not specifically spell out requirements for a vehicle being towed wheels down, then they likely do not differentiate between a vehicle being towed wheels down and a trailer.

Elkhartjim · 07-22-2011, 03:18 PM

I have an appointment in Athens, TX August 1st to have the M&G installed. I will have the break-away option installed as well.

**JohnRR** · 07-22-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzer

If you have a gasser they make an optional compressor but you lose the benefits of the proportional braking and it gets expensive to buy the compressor do I wouldn't recommend it for a gasser.

Do you have a reason in particular for that opinion?

I've been looking at essential something similar in the Brakemaster so I'm interested in your reasoning.

M&EM · 07-22-2011, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzer

The M&G is that it's designed for a coach with air brakes. If you have a gasser they make an optional compressor but you lose the benefits of the proportional braking and it gets expensive to buy the compressor do I wouldn't recommend it for a gasser.

Not true. I Have had same M&G unit on 2 MHs for 15 years and both my Jeeps are equipped with the system. The toads truly work in proportional mode to brake pedal effort in the MH! The M&G uses a trailer T fitting on the brake line of the coach. The line feeds to a modulator on the air compressor assembly which converts hydraulic brake line pressure to a proportioned air pressure. Thus same function from there on to the toad.

The unit for a gasser IS more expensive then the air brake type coach but for the cost of the compressor/modulator/ air tank.

Marty

Cruzer · 07-23-2011, 07:27 AM

I was under the impression that the gasser version used a decelerometer and electrical interface with the brake pedal to modulate air pressure to the toad. If they use a hydraulic-to-pneumatic interface that truly does offer proportional brake modulation then that is indeed a great system. In that case the extra cost of the air compressor and valving for the gasser RV would probably be the only deterent to most buyers who might consider going with the M&G.

Iron Man · 07-24-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzer

I
Most Spartan chassis come equipped with a breakaway valve that will disconnect the air supply to the toad should the air line between the toad and RV sever. However, I've tested mine by breaking open the line and found that the air being used is minimal and the slight loss of air does not affect the coach's ability to stop or maintain air pressure.

What chassis have a breakaway valve? Spartan sells an optional tank for tieing into their air barke line. Spartan will tell you not to connect to the air brake system unless you use their optional tank.