AF1 vs Ready Brute - Wrangler TJ to JL

[CoolTech]

Originally Posted by Cougarkid

We have the LED light package and advanced safety features.

Hi CougarKid - What's the longest duration (hours) tow that you have done at night with your current set-up?

[Skykingtcb]

I am not familiar with ready brute. I use the Air Force one and love it.

[powerwoofs]

The AF1 kit is finally installed. I'll try and post a few pictures this week. It wasn't terribly hard, but the instructions leave a lot to be desired, especially for specific vehicles, like the vacuum setup.

I have to say, hats off to Jeep for letting you pull the hood all the way back to the windshield, and making removing the seats very easy. The foot well in the driver side is so tight on these cars. My sides are still tender from leaning over into the floorboard for so long.

[Cougarkid]

Originally Posted by CoolTech

Hi CougarKid - What's the longest duration (hours) tow that you have done at night with your current set-up?

1.5 hours is the longest I’ve towed.

With that said, if you have the LED light package, you will have a dead battery issue if you tow all day/into the night.
Appears that the “tail light out” sensor will “wake up” the jeep with the use of the brakes or blinkers. Nice, huh?
You need to “break” the sensor wires (gray) to each tail light. Cooltech has a switch to add in. You can add your own switch, and/or add a charging line from the coach to the battery.
There is 1 wire for each tail light, so both need to be addressed.

[Dutch Star Don]

Originally Posted by powerwoofs

The AF1 kit is finally installed. I'll try and post a few pictures this week. It wasn't terribly hard, but the instructions leave a lot to be desired, especially for specific vehicles, like the vacuum setup.

I have to say, hats off to Jeep for letting you pull the hood all the way back to the windshield, and making removing the seats very easy. The foot well in the driver side is so tight on these cars. My sides are still tender from leaning over into the floorboard for so long.

I've been using the AF1 on three different DP's and five different tow vehicles over the past 15 years. Personally, I think the Ready Brake/Brute is great for a small car, light a CRV, but for heavier vehicles, I like the AF1. I've always towed trucks behind my coaches.

With that said, AF1 includes an LED light that you can put on the back of the Jeep mirror so you can see when the brakes are applied. I don't care for that setup. On all three coaches, I ran a ground wire from the toad to the dash of the coach. I use a small LED that is wired to power and the ground wire from the toad. WHENEVER the brake pedal moves, I immediately see a red light on the dash, telling me the brakes are applying. Otherwise, during braking, you have to search in your rear view camera for the light on the mirror of your Jeep, hoping the sun isn't hitting the windshield.

Lastly, when I connect the toad to the RV, a simple push on the brakes tells me the brakes in the truck are working and the umbilical cord is correctly attached.

[LarryJB]

Here is another thread about this same subject. https://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/nsa-ready-brake-vs-other-brake-technologies-552509.html

[F4Gary]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

I've been using the AF1 on three different DP's and five different tow vehicles over the past 15 years. Personally, I think the Ready Brake/Brute is great for a small car, light a CRV, but for heavier vehicles, I like the AF1. I've always towed trucks behind my coaches.

With that said, AF1 includes an LED light that you can put on the back of the Jeep mirror so you can see when the brakes are applied. I don't care for that setup. On all three coaches, I ran a ground wire from the toad to the dash of the coach. I use a small LED that is wired to power and the ground wire from the toad. WHENEVER the brake pedal moves, I immediately see a red light on the dash, telling me the brakes are applying. Otherwise, during braking, you have to search in your rear view camera for the light on the mirror of your Jeep, hoping the sun isn't hitting the windshield.

Lastly, when I connect the toad to the RV, a simple push on the brakes tells me the brakes in the truck are working and the umbilical cord is correctly attached.

It appears you have never had a ReadyBrake/Brute towbar, so with all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.
The Hercules towbar is rated to 12,000 lbs. The ReadyBrute uses the brakes that were designed for the toad to brake the toad. Size of the vehicle has already been taken into account by the toad's manufacturer.
It is an effective system, just not the one you have for your situation.
I'm sure the AF-1 is a great system too. After all...it was named after the best branch of the military.

[jdw1]

Well hopefully the OP’er will let us know what he thinks now that he will have toad with both systems!

[Dutch Star Don]

Originally Posted by F4Gary

It appears you have never had a ReadyBrake/Brute towbar, so with all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.
The Hercules towbar is rated to 12,000 lbs. The ReadyBrute uses the brakes that were designed for the toad to brake the toad. Size of the vehicle has already been taken into account by the toad's manufacturer.
It is an effective system, just not the one you have for your situation.
I'm sure the AF-1 is a great system too. After all...it was named after the best branch of the military.

Thanks for your advice on what I know and don't know. Glad you like the system, please explain the AF1 units you've installed. I've installed two Ready Brutes, including one on my neighbor's diesel Canyon. As I said, the system works, but the cables can be VERY temperamental and PROBLEMATIC. Also.....explain how your power brake booster gets vacuum???? An issue that Ready Brute needed to resolve and many don't know that a separate unit is needed. Thanks again.

Oh yeah.....maybe if you read a little closer...I said...."for heavier vehicles I like the AF1"....I guess you've made yourself the decider of personal choice on this forum!

[LarryJB]

I am not the moderator, but now that we have had a proper tit for tat, let's move on please.

[powerwoofs]

Hey all... Apologies on the delay. The AF1 kit has been great! Definitely love the LED light on the jeep (mounted it on the pillar behind the windshield) and can see it clear as day in the backup camera. I'll throw a few pictures out of the setup. I also like that I don't have to worry about the ReadyBrute's brake cable and the slack/adjustments. I still think it's a great kit, but don't think I'd go back.

However.... our first two trips were flawless, our 3rd was not. The AF1 kit worked perfectly, but on the end of our last trip, the battery on the wrangler was dead. We had to get a jump at the resort when we unhooked it.

I'm still not sure how, as we have the cooltech harness and physically should be bypassing the Wrangler's harness. Anyone have any ideas on how this happened? There an issue with the Jeep going into timeout properly? 3rd tail light? I was going to do some searching on the forums.

Each leg is about 650 miles, over 2 days. Our jeep is only a year old, so the battery is new and shouldn't be the issue. Also, I didn't have jumper cables... but I do now.

[Cougarkid]

LED lighting package = Jeep wakes up every time you use the blinker, brakes or lights.
It is a common issue with ALL the toad wiring kits.
CoolTech has a fix (a switch) that you install under the seat.
Extra sensor wire for the LED tail lights causes feedback that ”wakes up” the jeep with light usage.