Community Forums

Hubbard · 06-14-2019, 11:09 PM

Ok, not a newby to Class A, however a newby to towing, brake buddy and tire pressure monitors and Garmin Trucker / RV Nav... Retired on a budget and just ordered a Blue Ox towing system complete with "wired" brake lights. Can get a brake buddy system used from a friend. (been told they really aren't necessary for towing a Jeep Wrangler, *from many folks*,) and have been advised a tire pressure monitoring system and Trucker NAV is a must. *From a 18 wheeler trucker friend that has a class A*

Would love any and all assistance with all of these concerns. I do not want to go broke outfitting this Class A if some of these are not necessary. I am thinking about purchasing the Good Sam Tire and Wheel protection plan as well.

Please advise and assist with any and all opinions! If you have favorites in any of the technology items, "Nav," etc., please share! I thank you all in advance for taking the time to read this and look forward to any and all replies! The Blue Ox should arrive by the end of this month and we are planning a trip north from South Alabama at that time.

vsheetz · 06-14-2019, 11:38 PM

Toad braking likely required in your state for a wrangler. Requirements vary by state.

TPMS, very good to have. But not a must have.

RV navigation system not a must have. We have traveled tens if thousands of miles using Google NAV/ Maos on a 8" Samsung tablet.

Sonic · 06-14-2019, 11:42 PM

Laws vary by state, but many states require a supplemental braking system (based on the weight of the towed vehicle). Some states require a braking system for towing more than 1,000 pounds, some 2,000 pounds, some 3,000 some more, while certain states don't require a braking system.
The law is applicable when you're traveling in that state and not based on the state in which you reside, so if you plan to travel throughout the U.S. you will need a supplemental braking system.
A trucker NAV or nav that allows you to enter the height and weight of your vehicle is a nice to have, but you can also use Google maps and double check any questionable roads with a truckers atlas. If you use trip planning software like RV Trip Wizard, it will show bridge clearances.

I consider a tire pressure monitoring system to be a must have. As you know, a shredded tire can cause a lot of damage and even be life threatening, so anything that will generate warnings when pressure drops or temperatures become excessive is key. I use the EEZ Tire TPMS which works well.

Cacique · 06-14-2019, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hubbard

Ok, not a newby to Class A, however a newby to towing, brake buddy and tire pressure monitors and Garmin Trucker / RV Nav... Retired on a budget and just ordered a Blue Ox towing system complete with "wired" brake lights. Can get a brake buddy system used from a friend. (been told they really aren't necessary for towing a Jeep Wrangler, *from many folks*,) and have been advised a tire pressure monitoring system and Trucker NAV is a must. *From a 18 wheeler trucker friend that has a class A*

Would love any and all assistance with all of these concerns. I do not want to go broke outfitting this Class A if some of these are not necessary. I am thinking about purchasing the Good Sam Tire and Wheel protection plan as well.

Please advise and assist with any and all opinions! If you have favorites in any of the technology items, "Nav," etc., please share! I thank you all in advance for taking the time to read this and look forward to any and all replies! The Blue Ox should arrive by the end of this month and we are planning a trip north from South Alabama at that time.

Whith a friend like that who needs enemies? Towing without a brake system wow!! Just let us know where and when he is on the road towing so we can go somewhere else

hewebb · 06-15-2019, 07:00 AM

Watch what pressure system you get. I have one that will not adjust below 58 pounds. I cannot use it for the toad.

Crasher · 06-15-2019, 07:02 AM

Even if an aux brake for the toad was not mandatory in many states, it is foolish not to have one. One time descending a mountain or having to make an emergency stop without help stopping the toad can be very expensive or fatal. The Brake Buddy is a dependable unit although, I prefer one with proportional braking. The TPMS aren't mandatory, but are very useful in knowing what the pressures are when you start the day, but they will also alert you to a leak or low tire that can save thousands in costly repairs to the coach. They are kind of like "Tire Pressure" insurance that you only pay for one time. I've traveled for 20 years in a motorhome without Trucker Nav and have not hit a low overhead or fell through a bridge. It's not needed.

ThePowells · 06-15-2019, 07:36 AM

Hubbard, in case you haven't found this yet, the MH-General Discussions & Problems - iRV2 Forums Towing / Toads forum will have everything that you need and extremely current answers as your question is only second to the Jeep death wobble issue.

MN_Traveler · 06-15-2019, 07:46 AM

The only thing i will add is i have found the garmin RV gps very helpful. Not for low clearance heights, but for the “up ahead” feature. It tells you how far ahead on your route the nest gas station(s) is, ditto for rest areas. Not always accurate, but very helpful.

funmoneypit · 06-15-2019, 08:36 AM

In my opinion a TPMS is a requirement. I used to be on the fence about them.

I have been driving for 43 years and I have never had a blowout driving on the highway but I purchased a TPMS for the MH and toad thinking it couldn't hurt. Our last trip we were returning home to Michigan from Gulf Shores. Going down the highway at 65mph the TPMS alarm went off showing rapid deflation in the toads back driver side tire. Pulled over as soon as I could, sure enough, flat tire. Tire was damaged but no damage to the wheel or toad. Who knows how long I would have driven before I would have realized we had a flat.

Brake system is a requirement for us too no matter what the state laws are.

marjoa · 06-15-2019, 09:05 AM

Don't know what type of MH you have...but Jeeps are fairly heavy tow vehicles. Probably around 4,500-5K lbs or so. And that's with no gear stuffed in it. If your going to be traveling through the states just set up your tow and braking system right in the beginning and forget about it. It's just the cost of doing business. Some states also require an emergency break away cable. So I'd install that along with a braking system. So absolutely braking system. There's also been some alarming evidence shared here that the safety cables usually provided with tow bar systems can be very inadequate with heavy tow vehicles. Many—like me—have switched to chains instead of safety cables.
Here's a link to a thread that covers this and much more (read the whole thread):
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/truc...rv-427146.html

NOTE: When I was talking to my Insurance agent a while back about MH and Toad rates she said, "we get a lot more Toad claims than MH claims". A lot can happen back there behind the bus, that's why I say just do it right up front and eliminate a lot of possible hassles and issues.

We wouldn't travel without a TPMS. We use EEZ and love it. It's on the Toad and MH...10 sensors and nice large monitoring screen and had to put a repeater in the back bathroom. Our toad tires require 32psi and the EEZ system has no problems with that.

When traveling my wife is the navigator.
• She plans the trip with Trip Wizard. It cost $39/yr. and does all the planning on her tablet
• She makes all the reservations too
• Once on the road we use our Garmin RV 770 GPS to help guide us, show us POI's, rest stops etc
• She's also monitoring our progress, Google traffic etc. on her tablet as long as we have cellular. Remember, if you get into a area where your phone has no cellular service Google Maps and the like are a DEAD option. That's why we use a GPS also.

Everyone has their own level of comfort of what they like to use while traveling and navigating. We really like our GPS, it's not perfect, it has it's little quirks but it's a good tool that aids us in the cockpit to get us where we need to go.

Good luck.

TXTiger · 06-15-2019, 09:46 AM

Didn’t say it it a Gas or Diesel Class A. If Diesel look into the Air Force One breaking system. I believe they have one for Gas also. The company is SMI Breaking Systems.

As far as GPS. Many use Google Maps but if you don’t have cell service it won’t work. Garmin makes the 770RV. It’s specifically for RVs and besides maps it has info on campgrounds, restaurants etc and can be helpful.

As far as tire pressure monitors, I strongly recommend one. There are several brands and all seem to have good ratings. I went with TST (Truck System Technology). Execellent Customer Service.

scbwr · 06-15-2019, 01:35 PM

Get a braking system for the towed car and play it safe. There are Brake Buddy systems that are proportional. The one I have can be set for full or proportional. If you don't mind using a tablet or phone for a GPS, I'd recommend trying Sygic Caravan which is based on their truck platform. I use it on a tablet and it works well although you have to get used to a few quirks when searching and planning routes.
https://eshop.sygic.com/en/truck-navigation

Tire pressure monitoring system can wait as long as your tires are in good shape and you monitor tire pressures frequently.