Brake Buddy Buddy (Power Supply)

[TomAndPeg]

I want to share a product I found that perfectly compliments a Brake Buddy system if power supply is a consideration for you. I have a Brake Buddy Classic and my toad is a Minicooper Countryman (3250 lbs) and power was definitely a problem.

The 12v accessory supply in the Mini is only 8 amps, but my BB requires 15--not to mention that I do not want to drain the Mini's battery on a long trip, so I went to Harbor Freight and for less that $50 I purchased a 12v Jump Starter And Power Supply (12 Volt Power Supply and Jump-Start).



All I can say is, this system really does the job for me! The Power Supply has a detachable 110v charging cord and it charges fully in about 8 hours (or less). There is a convenient 12v plug on the side, and it runs my Brake Buddy all day on long trips with plenty of charge to spare.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced power solution for a 12v braking system, you probably won't go wrong with this one. If there isn't a Harbor Freight near home, you can order almost anything online.

I'm sure there are better power supplies out there, but I'm not looking any further.

Harbor Freight's 12v Jump Starter And Power Supply is my Brake Buddy buddy.

[max49]

I do the same thing but I have the one with the inverter built in. Works great and I like it for the same reasons as you.

[wa8yxm]

Those jump start packages are often in the 25 amp hour range, You may run out of aux brakes on a fairly short trip.

A better solution would be the brake buddy direct battery connect kit and a Towed-Charge system.

A still better solution would be to toss the box in the driver's seat ssytem and get a good proper towed brake system of which there are too many to list.

Some use compressed air (Great if you have air brakes on the motor home) some electric but charge the towed battery off the motor home. One (Ready brakes) uses the force of the towed pushing on the motor home when you slow or stop.

ALL are left in place when driving so there is no need to re-install every time you tow and nothing to 'Stow" when driving the towed.

[max49]

Oh shucks, I thought we had a great idea, guess it's not as good as yours.

[TomAndPeg]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Those jump start packages are often in the 25 amp hour range, You may run out of aux brakes on a fairly short trip.

A better solution would be the brake buddy direct battery connect kit and a Towed-Charge system.

A still better solution would be to toss the box in the driver's seat ssytem and get a good proper towed brake system of which there are too many to list.

Some use compressed air (Great if you have air brakes on the motor home) some electric but charge the towed battery off the motor home. One (Ready brakes) uses the force of the towed pushing on the motor home when you slow or stop.

ALL are left in place when driving so there is no need to re-install every time you tow and nothing to 'Stow" when driving the towed.

Capacity has not been a problem for the Harbor Freight Power Supply. I've driven for 8 hours and hardly dented it. It's rated 900 peak/400 cranking and that's enough to run the BB for up to 24 hours (not that I'd make my wife drive that long). The Power Supply comes with a meter, so it's simple to keep an eye on it (which I do during regular stops). As a relative newbie to this sport, I'm overly paranoid.

I also consider the Brake Buddy to be a very proper braking system for my toad. I'm sure there are more expensive alternatives (aren't there always?), but the BB delivers the performance and safety margin I'm looking for.