mtollin wrote: Use the Roadmaster EvenBrake. Never a problem. Tow a Saturn Vue. Yesterday all 4 tires locked up. Green fuse pulled. Always worked before. First my dash sensor went off, telling me to charge battery in Vue. Said was 12.7 volts. What's wrong with that???
Then doing 60, started to slow gently and all 4 on the toad locked up. what a smoke screen. "Were" new tires, and in 100 feet wore a flat spot almost to tire wear bear. Now, $500 more for new tires.
Had battery checked, fine.
Any ideas?
This is the topic of this thread Please stay on topic!
wny_pat wrote: Ready Brake has a optional break away cable operated system. Very simple design and there is no way it will apply unless the toad becomes separated from the motorhome. If fact, I dare say that it is the only way it would apply! Love the simple mechanical, keep it simple, design of their systems!!! Readystop Towed Vehicle Break Away #RS-5000. Scroll about half way down page.
This would not solve the OP's problem. It is - I am sorry to say - too simple.
Breakaway switches and related systems fail way more often than towing systems they are supposed to protect. We all know people who have had a faulty breakaway system lock their toad brakes. Thankfully, few of us have ever experienced a catastrophic toad disconnect.
The ReadyBrake safety switch is yet another single-point-of-failure system that can malfunction thereby improperly activating your toad brakes - just like the OP described! ReadyBrake makes the situation worse by setting (or in fact locking) your toad brakes without telling you. This is simply not acceptable.
If you are not going to take the time to build a redundant breakaway system like I described earlier, you should at the very least use a breakaway system that raises an audio and visual alarm in the coach when activated. Silent breakaway systems are an expensive toad brake repair just waiting to happen. Modern electronic inertial brakes have wireless coach indicators for normal operation and alarms in the event of system failure or disconnect. Think about it.
Oddly enough, ReadyBrake sells a wired coach indicator light that you must run the entire length of your RV. But this light only tells you that the toad brakes are being activated normally. If you get a toad disconnect or breakaway switch failure, you get no indication whatsoever.
One more thing: The ReadyBrake breakaway switch is anything but simple. ReadyBrake uses numerous cables and pulleys to actuate the toad brakes in the event of a disconnect. But this adds yet another non-redundant single-point-of-failure.
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Happy Ford F-53 Class A Owner (2008 Gulf Stream)
2010 Ford Fusion Toad (with 6 speed manual transmission - the only way to tow)
Brake Buddy Vantage, Blue Ox Aladdin Tow Bar,
TST RV 507 TPMS, Power Master Voltage Controller
It is a fact if you don't bleed the brakes fully, the system can lock up your brakes. They do warn to always press the test button 1 or 2 times which causes 3 pumps to do exactly that, as well as NEVER start the car with the brake system active as it will reactivate the braking vaccumm, and if you do, you are suppose to do the test or bleeding system all over.
However... in my case... which I'm still trying to address so I can try to prevent it happening again without changing cars or systems.. is what preventative maintenance can be done with the RoadMaster setup.
Mike T.
2005 Fleetwood
Pace Arrow 37A 22W Chassis
'06 Vue Toad
Quote: This would not solve the OP's problem. It is - I am sorry to say - too simple.
..Actually, it kinda would, because there really is no way the ReadyBrake breakaway system could allow the toad brakes to engage without the toad separating.
Quote: Breakaway switches and related systems fail way more often than towing systems they are supposed to protect. We all know people who have had a faulty breakaway system lock their toad brakes. Thankfully, few of us have ever experienced a catastrophic toad disconnect.
The ReadyBrake safety switch is yet another single-point-of-failure system that can malfunction thereby improperly activating your toad brakes - just like the OP described! ReadyBrake makes the situation worse by setting (or in fact locking) your toad brakes without telling you. This is simply not acceptable.
Indeed, its another single-point-of-failure device like any other breakaway setup, but I disagree with what you're implying, that this Readybrake breakaway system could also apply toad brakes when it should not.
I don't have a dog in this fight, I own none of these systems. But, in looking at how the ReadyBrake breakaway works and reading over the instruction manual for it, I simply am not seeing how it could POSSIBLY engage the brakes when it should not. Only way it engages is if something pulls that breakaway cable on it, and pulls it HARD. When installed right, its not in a place where it could snag on anything that would pull it, either.
Fail and not engage like it should during a break-away, yes, thats possible, as it is with any break-away system. However, it could NOT engage toad brakes without a break-away happening. Something would have to grab and pull on that cable pretty hard, and Im just not seeing how that could possibly happen without the toad breaking away (assuming everything is installed correctly).
Quote: Oddly enough, ReadyBrake sells a wired coach indicator light that you must run the entire length of your RV. But this light only tells you that the toad brakes are being activated normally. If you get a toad disconnect or breakaway switch failure, you get no indication whatsoever.
Indeed, it woould be better if there was some kind of indication given to the driver in the event of a breakaway. I've never experienced a break-away like that, but Im thinking, it'd be kinda hard NOT to know it had happened, haha. Not seeing the toad in your rearview monitor anymore ought to be a big hint.
Quote: One more thing: The ReadyBrake breakaway switch is anything but simple. ReadyBrake uses numerous cables and pulleys to actuate the toad brakes in the event of a disconnect. But this adds yet another non-redundant single-point-of-failure.
No, I don't believe there are numerous cables and pulleys. I just read the installation for it, there is basically just ONE cable for the breakaway setup, going from the brake pedal ultimately on up to the back of the MH. And I don't recall seeing ANY pulleys anywhere.
Like I said, I don't really have a dog in this fight as I don't tow 4 down and dont own any of the systems in question. However, I can definitely tell a post where someone is just trying to bash a product they don't own. Happens frequently on here on a number of topics, as it seems many people hate to think there might be a product out there better than the one they chose.
Will & Angela
2 children that love camping, Stephen & Allison
2012 FR Georgetown 351DS on F53 (V10) Chassis Our Rig
fanman wrote: ....... I contacted Brake Buddy people and it was my fault in these cases as I forgot to "bleed" the brakes before towing. You MUST bleed the brakes by stepping on the brake petal a few times while hooking up the brake buddy. ......
I have to admit this sounds bogus to me.
2010 Tiffin Allegro RED 36 QSA with Chevy HHR toad
2009 Chevy 2500HD CC 4x4 w/6.0 Vortec
Sundowner horse trailer
My hobby cars
1965 Chevy Impala SS 396
1964 Chevy Nova SS
fanman wrote: ....... I contacted Brake Buddy people and it was my fault in these cases as I forgot to "bleed" the brakes before towing. You MUST bleed the brakes by stepping on the brake petal a few times while hooking up the brake buddy. ......
I have to admit this sounds bogus to me.
I would like to know if the brake activation light was visible on the BB remote every time the BB pressed the toad brakes?
I think the Brake Buddy support people would have said : "You didn't setup the BB properly" when talking about older units like the BB Classic.
On more recent units, like the Vantage Select, they would have said: "You didn't press the Auto Start button before driving away. This is hard to do nowadays since you get a warning light and alarm tone on the BB remote if the BB is unit is turned on but the 'Auto Start' button has not been pressed.
Ok guys. I may have not stated it correctly. When I called Brake Buddy people they actually said to press the test button several times. The BB tech I talked with called it "bleeding the lines." When I said press the pedal, I should have said press the test button which presses the pedal. Also when I pressed the test button, the BB only pressed the pedal once. There was never any pumping of 2 or 3 times. As to the brake activation light, it always came on. Sorry if I got my facts twisted but that's been my experience and also that's what I was told. I think "bleeding" the lines was incorrect in me and the BB tech saying it that way.
fanman wrote: Ok guys. I may have not stated it correctly. When I called Brake Buddy people they actually said to press the test button several times. The BB tech I talked with called it "bleeding the lines." When I said press the pedal, I should have said press the test button which presses the pedal. Also when I pressed the test button, the BB only pressed the pedal once. There was never any pumping of 2 or 3 times. As to the brake activation light, it always came on. Sorry if I got my facts twisted but that's been my experience and also that's what I was told. I think "bleeding" the lines was incorrect in me and the BB tech saying it that way.
I guess you could say it was "bleeding" away the vacuum assist. The Brake Buddy will only press the pedal once when activated. You need hit "test" a couple of times each time you start the vehicle while towing (some people do this every stop to make sure the battery isn't draining).
Wow, all of this makes the Brake Buddy Classic seem pretty simple. I keep a list of what to do when hooking up on the front seat so I don't forget to hit the test button a few times or to release the hand brake.
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