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Old 06-20-2021, 02:56 AM   #1
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Exclamation RoadMaster Vs Air Force Braking system

I recently sold our Class C Rv which was connected to our Tow Vehicle via a RoadMaster Tow Bar and the RoadMaster Invisible Braking system. Our new coach (Class A) comes with an air line to connect a completely different braking system called AirForce which uses air from the new class A to brake the tow car.

Is there any issue that would prevent me from just connecting the 6-wire harness to our new rig? Are all the 6-wire connections the same on all RV's?

Thanks for any help you can offer with this issue.
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Old 06-20-2021, 06:40 AM   #2
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The Invisibrake uses the brake light to trigger applying the brakes and the Invisibrake has its own compressor. So there is no reason not to use it since you already have it. You need to make sure that your 6 wire plug has a charge wire in it to keep the toad battery charged and also you need to run a wire for the monitor light so you know the brakes are working. If you were setting up a new toad, then the Air force could be the right choice.
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Old 06-20-2021, 06:42 AM   #3
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RoadMaster Vs Air Force Braking system

The answer is the connections are supposed to be the same, but it depends on how the installation was done.

I would try it. If you blow a fuse or lights don’t function as they should, you would need to correct.

My connection has 7 pins. You may need to add in the connection for a charge line to keep towed auto’s battery charged. Our 2006 I had to add it; but relative bought a 2012, and the charge line was included.

If the towed auto does not have the large 7 pin connector, I would change it. In the past year, I have had two of the small 7 pin connectors corrode so badly that the brake lights stayed on all the time. After installing the large 7 pin connector on the towed, problem is gone. RV already had the large connector. Via Amazon I bought a female-female cable to connect between the RV and towed.

PS: We have had Air Force One on three towed autos. The first I sold with RV and towed auto, but the second I moved to the third towed auto.
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Old 06-20-2021, 12:02 PM   #4
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In a diesel pusher, there is a reason they would’ve used an air system in the Air Force one. The Air Force one has the toad brake mimic the brake pedal in the rig. With a inertial based system or one based on the brake lights on the coach, if you’re using an engine break or an exhaust break the inertial break will come on when you decelerate even if you’re not pressing the break in the rig. In most cases this isn’t a big deal, but if you’re going down a long steep pass and you’re using your engine break or exhaust brake to slow the rig, the toad may be riding the brakes all the way down the hill, which could result in a fire.

Because you already have the air force one system installed in the rig, you only need the second car package for your towed. This is relatively less expensive than the full package. In my opinion, installing the air force one while it will have an upfront cost, it will save you money on repairs for your toad down the road. We have the Air Force One system installed in our towed and we feel it works great.
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Old 06-20-2021, 04:45 PM   #5
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You need to determine which version of the AF1 you have on the coach. When I say version I mean how old. My coach has the AF1 that was sold in 2007. The newer versions have hookups that are different. In my case I have to connect an air line from the coach to the towed, the break-away cable, and an electrical connection. I believe the installations are different today.


When I first started the RV life, the AF1 was the only braking system using the air brakes from the coach that would fit in my towed. I've since moved that system to my new towed vehicle.
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Old 06-21-2021, 07:12 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shutterbug57 View Post
In a diesel pusher, there is a reason they would’ve used an air system in the Air Force one. The Air Force one has the toad brake mimic the brake pedal in the rig. With a inertial based system or one based on the brake lights on the coach, if you’re using an engine break or an exhaust break the inertial break will come on when you decelerate even if you’re not pressing the break in the rig. In most cases this isn’t a big deal, but if you’re going down a long steep pass and you’re using your engine break or exhaust brake to slow the rig, the toad may be riding the brakes all the way down the hill, which could result in a fire.

Because you already have the air force one system installed in the rig, you only need the second car package for your towed. This is relatively less expensive than the full package. In my opinion, installing the air force one while it will have an upfront cost, it will save you money on repairs for your toad down the road. We have the Air Force One system installed in our towed and we feel it works great.
Your incorrect about the invisibrake operation with a engine/Jake brake, in that situation the invisibrake will automatically disengage after 15 seconds and won't harm the brakes or start a brake fire.
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Old 06-22-2021, 01:17 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by lola and i View Post
Your incorrect about the invisibrake operation with a engine/Jake brake, in that situation the invisibrake will automatically disengage after 15 seconds and won't harm the brakes or start a brake fire.
Good to know. Thanks for posting.
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