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Old 03-21-2017, 07:29 AM   #57
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Our suggestion is isolation.

Get a simple cheap and common 12 volt relay and connect the coil to the brake light circuit in the towed vehicle.

Run speaker wire or other twin lead wire to front where the connection to towing vehicle is.

Better would be 3 conductor wire and will explain later.

Locate and install some sort of plug in connector to interface between the 2.

Run cable to where indicator is to be located.

Connect to fused source and done.

Why 3 conductor?

Most of these relays are SPDP meaning they switch a common between 2 positions.

Using 3 conductors allows the idle position to be connected back to indicator to show connected.

When brake activates relay switches to active state so you could use a bicolor led that is green when plugged in and switches to red on brake.
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Old 03-21-2017, 10:38 AM   #58
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Hello TQ60
"Almost correct" on your circuit. You will need the following for the circuit to work
1. +12V - This will go to the common side of the relay.
2. N.O. - This will feed the LED array or stop light.
3. Ground - This will feed both one side of the LED array or stop light and one side of the coil of the relay.
4. Wire from the brake light circuit to the other side of the coil on the relay.

Providing just the "signal" from the brake light circuit will not complete the coil circuit. It needs ground on the opposite side.
Also the LED array or stop light also needs ground.

The problem with this approach is that some toads have the brake light circuit found in a very difficult position to get at. This is the case for a Chevy Captiva. Also, you need to be "electrical savy" or pay a tech to do this. My approach is a "plug and play" so that anyone can simply hook this up and go - No tech needed/money saved!
Best Regards
Dutch Master

Best Regards
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Old 03-21-2017, 11:43 AM   #59
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Originally Posted by vtwinwilly View Post
If it makes you feel better, I've had my Brake Buddy for 8 years now. Have used it on my Saturn VUE, and now on my Jeep Wrangler. I've never had a problem.

Of course I keep the sensitivity adjusted to where it only engages under extreme braking. I have the wireless indicator in the cockpit, and it rarely lights up.
I do the same! No problems.
I don't need it and set it for only severe braking.
I bought it to be legal.
I believe people expect too much and try to set it up for all different forces of braking.
So with that said I think problems are created by the inexperienced.
Sorry but that is my opinion!
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Old 03-21-2017, 11:53 AM   #60
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Originally Posted by miniceptor86 View Post
Note to all. When applying the parking brake do it like you mean it! That is very firmly. That way you have a better chance of noticing it's still on.
I never use the Park Brake.
When I was a kid they called it an Emergency brake.
Soooo I figure it is still an emergency brake and when I have an emergency I will use it.
However I do check its operation when I service my units because if not put through the motions they have been know to seize.
Otherwise it never gets used.
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Old 03-21-2017, 01:22 PM   #61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Master View Post
Hello TQ60
"Almost correct" on your circuit. You will need the following for the circuit to work
1. +12V - This will go to the common side of the relay.
2. N.O. - This will feed the LED array or stop light.
3. Ground - This will feed both one side of the LED array or stop light and one side of the coil of the relay.
4. Wire from the brake light circuit to the other side of the coil on the relay.

Providing just the "signal" from the brake light circuit will not complete the coil circuit. It needs ground on the opposite side.
Also the LED array or stop light also needs ground.

The problem with this approach is that some toads have the brake light circuit found in a very difficult position to get at. This is the case for a Chevy Captiva. Also, you need to be "electrical savy" or pay a tech to do this. My approach is a "plug and play" so that anyone can simply hook this up and go - No tech needed/money saved!
Best Regards
Dutch Master

Best Regards
Mark S.
The suggestion was "general" in nature but as you stated it can get complicated.

Some cars have dedicated brake light while most have dual function brake/turn so simply attaching the relay coil across the bulb wires is stupid simple on euro style cars with seperate turn signal lights the us style needs to intercept the signal after brake switch or before turn signal switch which could be a bugger.

The suggestion was just to get the idea there to consider as the previous posts was using the "found brake light power" and running that forward to the front so based in already locating a 12 VDC on brake power source.


Tow vehicle power to relay common
Relay nc to green leg of led
Relay no to red leg of led
Common leg of led to ground.

Assuming led does not need buffer resistors as some do and others do not.
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Old 04-17-2017, 07:27 PM   #62
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Brake Buddy Ruined Brakes

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A member of the nighthawk?


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Yes, I was the first commander of an F-117 squadron.
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Old 04-18-2017, 06:18 AM   #63
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F117 very nice. I was one of your tankers on your first overseas deployments and during DS/DS.
Also in the program early on during the AR testing phase.
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Old 04-18-2017, 09:42 PM   #64
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F117 very nice. I was one of your tankers on your first overseas deployments and during DS/DS.
Also in the program early on during the AR testing phase.


Did you do any of our night refuelings out of Tonopah?
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Old 04-18-2017, 09:50 PM   #65
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Yes many, spent a few nights there too. Still have picture in my den from the first strike by 117 in Baghdad.
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Old 06-02-2018, 01:45 PM   #66
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Talking Brake Buddy (Hopkins) Home Run!

The folks at Hopkins overhauled my failed BB Vantage Select and get this: They even have a claims department that will reimburse you for the cost of your brake repair.

I really did not expect this much service, and I never expected to be compensated for my tow car brake repairs.

Thank you BB and Hopkins management for making an excellent product and standing behind what you sell!
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Old 06-02-2018, 08:59 PM   #67
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To add to what imnprsd said, my old Brake Buddy failed and the compressor didn't shut off until the toad battery was dead on our way to Arizona this winter. No damage to anything and I had been suspecting the old BB wasn't running up to par for some time.

Called BB and hey informed me If I brought it back to the factory (not too fat from where I live) they would refurbish it for the cost of parts, no labor. After some discussion and giving them the ser. #, they commented on how old it really was, I chose to (exchange) update to the Select version which they shipped to our destination in AZ. We got that unit and sent the old one back to BB so we had brakes the rest of the trip.

That's customer service that I will keep dealing with. Mechanical things don't last forever, but this company wants to meet your needs.
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Old 06-03-2018, 04:21 AM   #68
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Its good idea to make frequent stops to walk around and check everything. I try to but don't do it as much as I should.

Sorry for your pain!
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Old 06-05-2018, 04:37 PM   #69
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now I have not read the following threads after this one.. so please excuse. but my experience is to many people set the setting to high... if you are in the mountains and using brake occasionally and exhaust brake other times then tranny shifting, you would get this over brake condition from the brake buddy. even when you turn corners ect the dingy would set brakes.. you have to feel the tire and hub every time you stop until you get used to settings, to hot set less... when set at high number the brakes are to sensitive when on up and down hills. but perfectly fine on flats... this is especially true the heavier the toad of course..even just letting of gas on down hill can set toad brakes when set to high..



Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Master View Post
Good day Fellow RVers.
On my trip back home, when setting up my classic Brake Buddy, I noticed that the brakes on my Chevy Captiva went to the floor. Since I was only two nights away from home, I decided to just pull the toad since I was traveling mainly flat interstate roads. I noticed that a pool of brake fluid was puddled around the front right side tire, when I parked it in my garage. I jacked up the car and removed the wheel. I noticed brake fluid on the brake caliper. Since the car had only 24K miles on it and still under GM warranty, I took it into the local Chevy dealer where i purchased it. I got a call back later and was told "Your tow package ruined the all the brakes. You need new brake shoes, new rotors, a caliper, and brake hose, "to the tune of over $1,000 for repairs". I pulled this vehicle from Illinois to Florida, plus an additional 6K miles around Florida last year. This year, I pulled the toad to Apache Junction, Yuma, Tucson, and then onto Port Aransis, Texas, having no problems. If anything, I did not notice any pulling nor "brake smoke" on the final leg of my homeward bound journey.
I have seen Brake Buddy failures on the blog (i.e. not working), but not heard of a Brake Buddy ruining brakes? Have anyone experienced a Brake Buddy ruining brakes on their toad?

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Old 08-23-2018, 06:22 AM   #70
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Here are some pictures of the plywood base I made for my Brake Buddy. It would be slightly different for the various vehicles but you can see the idea. The Brake Buddy pushes against the support which is against the seat frame so there is no lost motion. The Velcro strap fastens the Brake Buddy to the frame. It takes no time to sit on the floor before putting the Brake Buddy in and when not in use it does not take up any extra space.
I love this and I will do something like this . I think many of the problems mentioned here would be eliminated with this . Have you thought of using velcro or ?? to secure the plywood to the seat frame so the plywood can't slide forward ?
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