Towing F 150 Super Crew

[Scottybdivin]

I also checked out the "tow mode" on a 2014 and it is the same. I was thumbing quickly through the owner's manual and didn't notice the requirement to start it every couple hundre miles. What is this for? Here's The Ready Brute Elite site. There a good animation of it down the page.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by Scottybdivin

I also checked out the "tow mode" on a 2014 and it is the same. I was thumbing quickly through the owner's manual and didn't notice the requirement to start it every couple hundre miles. What is this for? Here's The Ready Brute Elite site. There a good animation of it down the page.

Here is an exerpt from the 2014 F150 Towing Section.

See item #5.

With my 2013, after I've started it, I'm also supposed to shift from reverse to drive a few times back and forth to circulate the oil through the gears.

[Scottybdivin]

I like the simplicity of the Ready Brute. I have been buying equipment trailers with surge brakes for years since they were being towed by multiple crew trucks before the days of factory installed electric brake controllers. There always seemed to be a little slop in them. Do you feel much movement when towing the F150 with the surge brakes and how does it work during hard emergency braking? Very interested in this product.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by Scottybdivin

I like the simplicity of the Ready Brute. I have been buying equipment trailers with surge brakes for years since they were being towed by multiple crew trucks before the days of factory installed electric brake controllers. There always seemed to be a little slop in them. Do you feel much movement when towing the F150 with the surge brakes and how does it work during hard emergency braking? Very interested in this product.

Personally, I can't really tell. I'm 40' in front of the Ready Brake.
I've had surge brakes on my boat trailers and they worked well. That's what made me consider this braking system. The only difference is this one is mechanical where my boat trailer was hydraulic. I've used the Ready Brute/Ready Brake towing this truck with my last coach as well as this one. It's operated flawlessly (I think). Never an issue. Simple hook up and unhook.

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by dogpatch

Congrats on the new F150!

I don't believe you leave the key in the on position. You would turn it counterclockwise towards off. The key won't turn completely off as if you could take the key out. It stops one spot before.
I don't have a charge line to my F150, but in having to start it every 2-300 miles, it charges a bit while it's being excercised.
I've never noticed it being an issue in a full day of driving and stopping for the procedure.

Thanks for that. The truck I am looking at, is almost the same as yours, a CC Platinum, but with a 6-1/2' box. I was leaning toward the RVI-2 but now I am thinking seriously about this setup. Did you DIY the install?

[smlranger]

The Ready Brute combination tow bar/surge brake looks cool for sure. However, one of the reasons I elected to avoid surge braking systems (maybe an unfounded concern) was from experience towing boats with surge hydraulic brakes. On long downhill grades, the trailer brakes would overheat due to the constant pushing of the surge brake. Is that a reasonable concerned with a toad?? The proportional systems like AF1 only apply the toad brakes when you are using your coach service brakes and with similar force.

Not sure this is a valid concern unless you will be spending a lot of time in steep mountains.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by Scottybdivin

Did you DIY the install?

Because my truck was brand new when I bought the system, I had the Ford Dealer I bought the truck from, do the install for warranty reasons. If they screwed up the truck, they bought the mess!
The Blue Ox mounts were a simple swap of the tow hooks location. One extra bolt to drill through the frame.
For the wiring, they did a diode install into the main harness under the hood. I heard and read too many horror stories of running the lights to the rear tail lights. They also did the Ready Brake cabling for brakes and breakaway.
It only took them 4.5 hours for the complete install.

Originally Posted by smlranger

On long downhill grades, the trailer brakes would overheat due to the constant pushing of the surge brake. Is that a reasonable concerned with a toad??
Not sure this is a valid concern unless you will be spending a lot of time in steep mountains.

I live in the mountains. Everywhere I go there are grades up and down. I never noticed an issue towing my boat with hydraulic surge brakes for 6 years of owning it and it was about 4000 lbs with trailer. Similarly, I have not noticed an issue towing my truck with the exception of a 15% grade that heated my coach brakes more than my truck.
The mechanical surge lever takes quite a bit of force to activate the brake pedal in the truck.
There may be better/different systems out there, but this one saved me about $800 in additional costs and it works how it needs to for me.

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by dogpatch

Because my truck was brand new when I bought the system, I had the Ford Dealer I bought the truck from, do the install for warranty reasons. If they screwed up the truck, they bought the mess!
The Blue Ox mounts were a simple swap of the tow hooks location. One extra bolt to drill through the frame.
For the wiring, they did a diode install into the main harness under the hood. I heard and read too many horror stories of running the lights to the rear tail lights. They also did the Ready Brake cabling for brakes and breakaway.
It only took them 4.5 hours for the complete install.



I live in the mountains. Everywhere I go there are grades up and down. I never noticed an issue towing my boat with hydraulic surge brakes for 6 years of owning it and it was about 4000 lbs with trailer. Similarly, I have not noticed an issue towing my truck with the exception of a 15% grade that heated my coach brakes more than my truck.
The mechanical surge lever takes quite a bit of force to activate the brake pedal in the truck.
There may be better/different systems out there, but this one saved me about $800 in additional costs and it works how it needs to for me.

Les, thanks for the info. I will be doing my own install of base plate, lights and AF1 on the new truck. I've installed four Blue Ox baseplates and the F150 looks pretty easy. I've also done the diode install for lights but have always run the 4 wires to the rear and done the connections there. Making the connections under the hood would be great but not sure I can identify the right wires. Guess that's where the dealer certainly has the advantage.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by smlranger

Les, thanks for the info. I will be doing my own install of base plate, lights and AF1 on the new truck. I've installed four Blue Ox baseplates and the F150 looks pretty easy. I've also done the diode install for lights but have always run the 4 wires to the rear and done the connections there. Making the connections under the hood would be great but not sure I can identify the right wires. Guess that's where the dealer certainly has the advantage.

Aside from the difficulty running the wires to the rear tail lights, I was always leery of a few issues that came with it. Unless you use the diode install at the light harness by the rear tail lights of course.

The system I speak of is the added dedicated light install to the rear tail light lense.

- The tail light lense is curved which doesn't make for a solid connection. This can lead to moisture in the lense or worse, the light assembly falling out. Also leaves plastic filings inside the lense.

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by dogpatch

Aside from the difficulty running the wires to the rear tail lights, I was always leery of a few issues that came with it. Unless you use the diode install at the light harness by the rear tail lights of course.

The system I speak of is the added dedicated light install to the rear tail light lense.

- The tail light lense is curved which doesn't make for a solid connection. This can lead to moisture in the lense or worse, the light assembly falling out. Also leaves plastic filings inside the lense.

I did one of the 'add-a-bulb' light installs and only one. I had to use foil tape to keep the added light in the hole I drilled in the tail light assembly. After that fiasco, I wired my next two toads with the diodes. It was really easy to do and lets you use the existing bulbs.

[Luckiest Dreamer]

I tow a 2012 F150 extended cab.The set up that I use is the Road Master 10,000 lb tow bar with the Road Master Invisa Brake. There are at least three reasons that I chose this set up.
1. The tow bar with a 10,000 lb capacity exceeds the weight of the Ford and will allow me to carry additional loads in the truck bed.
2 The tow bar has enclosed channels attached to it that allows the wires and safety cables to route through, ensuring they will not become dislodged and drag on the pavement. (had that happen once and it cost me above $100 to replace the wires and also tow several miles before finding a replacement)
The brake setup was totally hidden (under the back seat) because it uses a cable to apply the brakes and there is no need to splice into the air brake lines as it is applied by the brake lights.
3. The invisa Brake system has a built in Battery trickle charger.
It has a dial on it that may require some adjustment to find the right tension that you want for braking, but once that is done it is hands free.
When the dealer installed it he ran a separate wire that is attached to the coach and I was expected to attach that every time I hooked up. However. with a wire harness using only 4 wires I quickly used one of the unused wires and made it so that was no longer needed as it now was connected when I plugged in the lights.

The biggest negative that I have found about towing the F150 is that it was heavier than the 2004 Explorer and the MH fuel mileage has dropped by at least 1/2 mile per gallon. Of course I can now easily carry my Kayaks and bikes without dealing with them hanging off the toads bumper!

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by Luckiest Dreamer

I tow a 2012 F150 extended cab.The set up that I use is the Road Master 10,000 lb tow bar with the Road Master Invisa Brake. There are at least three reasons that I chose this set up.
1. The tow bar with a 10,000 lb capacity exceeds the weight of the Ford and will allow me to carry additional loads in the truck bed.
2 The tow bar has enclosed channels attached to it that allows the wires and safety cables to route through, ensuring they will not become dislodged and drag on the pavement. (had that happen once and it cost me above $100 to replace the wires and also tow several miles before finding a replacement)
The brake setup was totally hidden (under the back seat) because it uses a cable to apply the brakes and there is no need to splice into the air brake lines as it is applied by the brake lights.
3. The invisa Brake system has a built in Battery trickle charger.
It has a dial on it that may require some adjustment to find the right tension that you want for braking, but once that is done it is hands free.
When the dealer installed it he ran a separate wire that is attached to the coach and I was expected to attach that every time I hooked up. However. with a wire harness using only 4 wires I quickly used one of the unused wires and made it so that was no longer needed as it now was connected when I plugged in the lights.

The biggest negative that I have found about towing the F150 is that it was heavier than the 2004 Explorer and the MH fuel mileage has dropped by at least 1/2 mile per gallon. Of course I can now easily carry my Kayaks and bikes without dealing with them hanging off the toads bumper!

I hear you on the fuel mileage and expect to notice some difference with the F150 with 900 pounds of golf car in the bed. Fortunately my Blue Ox tow bar is rated for 10,000 pounds. I'm thinking the F150 with fuel is going to come in at about 6,000 pounds.

In any case, it is going to be more of a tug than my little CRV

[walt2137]

On all of our Brake systems that pushes or pulls the toad brake pedal every time you mash the brakes the toad brake light will cover up the signal light if you are making a turn unless you install a brake relay or have the coach signal and brake light in a separate area, for instance on the Kia Soul I just got through rigging up with doides I used the Yellow turn light compartment for my coach brake and turn so when I mash the coach brakes ( I use Roadmaster Brakemaster sys ) the toad brake lights comes on but does not cover up my turn signal. I also do all of my and the Kia was one of the simplest install (Roadmaster Brackets) I have ever done and I have done over 15 .

[Scottybdivin]

So I have been installing towing gear to our new 2014 F150 all weekend. I have run into a few obstacles. I purchased a Hopkins Diode Kit and was about to install it. It is plug and play, no cutting wires. I now realize that my brakes are active even with the key off so as mentioned by walt2137, the F150's brake light will override the MH's turn signals when the brakes are applied. Dogpatch, has this been a problem for you or what did you do to resolve it? Did you have a brake light relay kit installed. It looks like a PITA to install up under the dash at the brake light switch.