Community Forums

noserider · 05-11-2015, 09:53 AM

I have my toad all ready to tow except for the toad charge line. I have a Brake Buddy Classic I'll be using. I have read up on all the charge line options. Someone mentioned they were using a battery booster that sits on the seat next to the braking unit that you just plug in to. I like the fact that you don't need to worry about drawing to many amps through the cigarette lighter and possibly blowing it's fuse. I also like the thought of having a battery booster around if needed. Do most battery boosters come with a 12v adapter you can simply plug the brake buddy in or would I need to add that? Also any brands/power ratings you guys recommend?

dpinvidic · 05-11-2015, 10:44 AM

I would suggest that this is too risky. It will work fine, but for how long.
You are limited by the battery capacity. and actually a battery booster has less capacity than a wet cell battery.

A lot of braking will drain it faster. Do you have a low battery warning on the Brake Buddy? If not, then you don't know what is happening.

Since you already have a cable for the toad, adding a charge line should be easy.

Regards,

Dan

UsualSuspect · 05-11-2015, 10:47 AM

I have read where some use one, but I have 2 toads, and have never had a dead battery on either one, and have driven in Los Angeles rush hour traffic where braking is the norm, and creeping down the lane at a snails pace is considered fast. I would imagine if your battery dies, it is either weak and needs a new one, or you have something on that is draining it that should not be.

krivanj · 05-11-2015, 10:51 AM

I and three friends have used this system for a few years. We went all the way to Alaska and back with it in 2012. 13000 miles and it worked great! My battery booster came from Harbor Freight, and is still going strong.
Charge it every night or every other night.

wa8yxm · 05-11-2015, 01:26 PM

I do not have that type of brake system.

A good car battery can easily handle the brake system for a day or two and still start the car but as the battery ages it looses capacity.. When this happens it runs down faster and you can not start the car.. Run it down some more and the braking system malfunctions.

My suggestions are two fold.
First: I would rather you NOT use a "Box in the driver's seat" type system like Brake Buddy Classic, APOLO, Even brake..But rather an INSTALLED system.. Many reasons but I've typed them elsewhere.

Second: US Gear, on their Unified Brake Decelerator system,, Includes a charge line for the towed so you actually use MOTOR HOME power to run the brakes.. This worked out very well for me on my first major trip when I pulled out like 3am and found the lead for the tail lights was not sending power to the towed. (I simply turned on the towed parking lights and let the aforementioned lead keep the battery up).

There is also an system called Towed Charge.. You can order it online.

My new towed has a different brake system But I still replaced the US-Gear towed charge plus I added a front of the motor home connection as well for charging when parked all week in a campground.

LongDogRanch · 05-11-2015, 02:16 PM

We have flat towed three different toads behind two different motor homes over the last 8 or 9 years and have never used a charging device or a power line from the coach to the toad. We have also never had a dead battery after towing. We're no different than anyone else, no better and hopefully no worse, and simply try to follow the vehicle manufacturer's instructions for flat towing the toad. We use the RVI2 removable brake system and have been quite pleased with it. If I get a sense that the battery in my toad is starting to fail in terms of holding a charge I'll replace it rather than try to squeeze every last amp out of it.
If you feel that a dedicated charge line is what will give you peace of mind then certainly go for it. That's the great thing about this adventure, we're all different and we all follow the path a little differently. As long as we do it safely we'll all be fine! Safe travels!

noserider · 05-11-2015, 09:40 PM

Thanks for all the info guys. I bought the Brake Buddy and Blue Ox tow bar from the previous owner of my coach. A new and better unit would be a significant investment so I'll give this one a go for now. The battery in my Jeep Liberty seems good but it just passed 3 years. You never know with the automotive batteries. As much as we spend on these RV's it's a drop in the bucket for a $80 toad charger..a new automotive battery or a battery booster sooo I'll most likely opt for something along these lines. The previous owner used a dedicated #10 wire from battery to battery run through the harness plugs with a 30 amp fuse on each end.

UsualSuspect · 05-12-2015, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noserider

Thanks for all the info guys. I bought the Brake Buddy and Blue Ox tow bar from the previous owner of my coach. A new and better unit would be a significant investment so I'll give this one a go for now. The battery in my Jeep Liberty seems good but it just passed 3 years. You never know with the automotive batteries. As much as we spend on these RV's it's a drop in the bucket for a $80 toad charger..a new automotive battery or a battery booster sooo I'll most likely opt for something along these lines. The previous owner used a dedicated #10 wire from battery to battery run through the harness plugs with a 30 amp fuse on each end.

I have 2 toweds, and while some don't like the brake in a box, it works for me, and I am not investing what they think will work best in 2 vehicles, use what you can afford and works for you. Instead of a fuse, you may want to use a circuit breaker. A buddy just switched his out from fuses, had an issue with corrosion on the coach side, and he said that solved it and no more issues. he also added a small LED so he knows the line is hot and charging before the battery goes dead.