Community Forums

LehoTravels · 02-24-2017, 06:40 PM

We have had our MH for a few years now and looking to start traveling with a TOAD. We have a 2105 Winnebago Brave and a Honda Fit manual transmission. I was planning to go with the Blue Ox Hitch Mount, and I understand the mechanics of getting the lights to work. I just can't quite figure out the brake system to get.

Our RV is already wired for electric brakes with the addition of a controller in the RV cab. The manual says "If a towing “brake system” is required, we recommend that a “modulated” towed vehicle braking device be installed." The manual further adds that surge brakes are not recommended. I have pulled trailers with electric brakes before and know how that works. If I understand correctly, I will need some device in the TOAD to mechanically apply pressure to the TOAD's brake pedal to activate the brakes.

It seems that most of the systems feed off the brake lights of the RV rather than a signal from a brake controller. Is there a system that uses the brake controller and wouldn't that be preferable? I am looking for a system with an emergency break away feature as well. Please help me wrap my head around this. Thanks.

hoosierrun · 02-24-2017, 07:07 PM

I am using a SMI Duo Stay-In-Play system in my RAV4. It has a controller that senses G -force deceleration in combination with the RV brake line signal. There is a pump in the control unit that applies vacuum to the power brake booster so the brake pedal actuator does not require a large amount of apply force.

The only thing I have to do is flip a switch when I hookup. There is no unit that has to be mounted each time I tow. There is an indicator light to show toad braking and that light is somewhat viewable in your MH rear view mirror. Optionally, you can wire an indicator to the MH cab or use a wireless transmitter to light a light in the cab when the toad brakes are activated.

The system comes with an approved break-away switch.

BTW, if I forget to turn the switch off when driving the toad, it is no problem at all except that the indicator light will come on. When driving just the toad, you never even know that there is an auxiliary braking system equipped on the vehicle.

This is probably the easiest and most transparent system out there for toad braking... however it is not cheap and installation was not especially easy (I did it myself).

Gary RVRoamer · 02-25-2017, 07:21 AM

I know of no toad brake system that uses or requires a standard electric trailer brake controller in the coach. The towed car doesn't have electric brakes - it is a hydraulic system that is activated by its own brake pedal, or by a device inserted in the car's hydraulic system (e.g. the M&G brake).

Most popular toad brake systems used with gas chassis coaches [like your Brave] utilize an air compressor in the toad and a pneumatic cylinder to "push" the brake pedal. It is controlled by an inertial sensor that is part of the brake unit and only uses a connection to the coach for signalling brake activity and [in some] a tie-in with the coach brakes via the brake light activity. The system can be portable or hard-wired. Probably one of the nicest systems for a coach with hydraulic brakes is the SMI Stay-in-Play Duo, a hard-wired type.

**Lt Dan** · 02-25-2017, 08:32 AM

Another option is the RVI3 brake system. It is a small, lightweight box that sits in the floor and senses braking. It is adjustable for the amount of braking and sensitivity and only takes a minute to set up each time. I have been using the RVI2 for a few years and it works great. There is no installation other than the wire to a breakaway switch on the front bumper.

znt1186 · 02-25-2017, 08:43 AM

I have had a SMI Stay n Play for 12 years now and have had 0 problems from it. I just traded toads and am having a Stay n Play Duo installed in the new one. The old system is going with the old toad along with the Roadmaster Sterling tow bar, so it will be a ready to tow toad.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 02-25-2017, 09:37 AM

LehoTravels-

First of all,

Second, before you do anything else, check your Fit's owner's manual and make sure the car is towable four-down.

Third, correct me if I'm incorrect, but your question is: "Is there a toad braking system that uses a coach-installed trailer electric brake controller?" The answer to that, as far as I know, is "No."

This leaves you asking the next question, which is: "What toad braking system do you recommend?" This is a question that comes up every day on iRV2, and there are lots of threads on this forum with lots of recommendations. Just read through a dozen or so threads and you'll get the idea. Almost every system has its advocates.

That said, there are two systems recommended often for gas-powered coaches with hydraulic brakes: The NSA ReadyBrake/ReadyBrute Elite and the SMI Stay-in-Ply Duo. The NSA products have the advantage that they are purely mechanical, using a cable to actuate the toad brake pedal. The SMI Duo consists of an air/vacuum central unit tied to a cylinder that moves the brake pedal. You probably won't be disappointed in either of these two. [NOTE: Getting an SMI Duo under a Fit hood is tight, but doable.]

You may want to look at Roadmaster baseplates and towbars (particularly the Sterling All-Terrain) in addition to the Blue Ox. Also, there are plug-and-play options for the light wiring for your Fit (congratulations for picking a popular toad!); see this link.

Finally, if you want details on the SMI, Roadmaster or TowDaddy products mentioned, feel free to send me a PM (Private Message). that's done by clicking on my name, to the left, and selecting "Send a private message to..." from the drop-down menu. I have all three on our Fit.

Again, welcome to iRV2!

Ted Lambert · 02-25-2017, 10:01 AM

In my Jeep liberty I use a Brake Buddy. It works great and Brake Buddy service is amazing.

I purchased it at a local RV dealer and discovered that it had been used and was not in working condition.
I sent Brake Buddy a letter and they immediately sent me a loner so I could go on holidays.
They had all the shipping labels and it cost me nothing for shipping. I received a detailed service report and found that they replaced all the major components and upgraded the electronics.
I will never again set foot in that RV Dealer, they were nothing but crooks.

Brake Buddy is tops in my book. It took 3 days for me to be on our way. And when we returned our unit was back waiting for us.
Check out brake buddy

dtoste77 · 02-25-2017, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Another option is the RVI3 brake system. It is a small, lightweight box that sits in the floor and senses braking. It is adjustable for the amount of braking and sensitivity and only takes a minute to set up each time. I have been using the RVI2 for a few years and it works great. There is no installation other than the wire to a breakaway switch on the front bumper.

I second the RVI3. Although I just started using it, I really liked how easy it was to setup. It really only does take about 30 seconds to install. It also has the breakaway cable. I also like the tablet it comes with. Shows you when it's braking and you can even run a test while driving at slow speeds.

**TonyDi** · 02-25-2017, 01:02 PM

We also use a Brake Buddy with our toad. We've had it for 7 years and it has performed very well. I'm sure there are many in this category that you'll get he same opinions on.

Mac99 · 02-25-2017, 01:13 PM

X3 on SMI Stay in Play Duo. 7 years, 81,000 miles
zero problems, simple set up as noted. Just flip the
switch and go.

https://smibrake.com/towed-vehicle-b...n-play-duo.php

Robmat · 02-25-2017, 02:04 PM

I have the RVi2 which has been recently replaced with the RVi3. Simple to use and simple to install also the people at RViBrake are great to deal with.

LehoTravels · 02-26-2017, 09:02 AM

Thanks for all the responses. The reason I was hoping the rv electric brake controller solution might work was to reduce the amount of modifications needed on the Fit. It is a 2017, and I was hoping for minimum modifications. I did check the owners manual before we purchased it and it is suitable for 4 down towing (manual transmission). Looking through the forums, I see a lot of bad reviews on the portable systems as well as good ones. I was trying to avoid the surge brakes and go with proportional as my RV manual recommends. As for the tow bar, it seemed that Blue ox and Roadmaster both get good comments; however, when I looked through the instruction manuals and videos, Blue Ox had better pictures and videos specific to my vehicle and I felt like the installation would go smoother.

Looks like the SMI Duo Stay-In-Play and RVI3 are highly recommended and I will look more into those. Also will look at Brake Buddy. I would like a system that I can monitor from the cockpit. I also want the breakaway feature available.

Thanks for all the help.

dtoste77 · 02-26-2017, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LehoTravels

Looks like the SMI Duo Stay-In-Play and RVI3 are highly recommended and I will look more into those. Also will look at Brake Buddy. I would like a system that I can monitor from the cockpit. I also want the breakaway feature available.

Thanks for all the help.

I liked the Rvi because of how low to the ground it was. It doesn't push up against seat like the bigger systems, rather it pushes up against the lip below the seat. The tablet also lets you monitor the brakes from the cockpit. When you're braking you see it on the screen. It also gives you a test mode to test while driving.

Another feature you might be interested in is the command hub it comes with. Although expensive, you can buy tire pressure sensors for up 14 tires including the toad. I didn't purchase and the sensors seem a bit pricey. Also not sure how well they work. You can also use the command hub and place it in the center of the RV during leveling and use the control tablet to level the RV.

Just some more items to look at when researching.