polly sue
Colorado
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Joined: 04/21/2007
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I'm sure Sully is right. We figured we are killing our battery, but the fact remains that it doesn't have enough left to start the Jeep after a long day. BTW, we switched from Blue Ox to Brakebuddy on the road when the former died.
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Fulltimingman
Livingston, TX, USA
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Joined: 11/29/2003
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I use the Toad Charge.
Michael Day
Newell Coach
PT Cruiser Turbo
Patrick the Irish Wolfhound
Native Texans
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Vin_number
Gearing up to roam the USA
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Joined: 10/30/2007
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I have the Unified Tow Brake which keeps my batteries charged each time I brake. The website is www.usgear.com that can give you more information on the Unified tow brake. No, I do not work for the company and no, I do not have to put a large braking box under the dash. Just checkout the website for complete information, hey it works for me.
P.S. I tow a Jeep liberty and have had no problems. Also I found out about the Unified Tow Brake when we went to a RV FAIR In January, in Tampa, Florida.
06 Winnebago, TOUR 36' W/3 sliders. My towing system is the "Unified Tow Brake" I'm old and slow and most always in the right lane.
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Diggin
Wherever I may wander
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Joined: 10/26/2005
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There is a fuse in the engine compartment that is very easily pulled that kills the majority of the system, but leaves the cigarette lighter live for the BB. From another board:
BillArf wrote:When your JK leaves the factory, the "IOD" fuse found in the PDC / Power Distribution Center (engine compartment, passenger side, near battery) is pulled. This is done so the battery does not drain while the JK is in route to the dealership. Pulling the IOD fuse is also smart to do if vehicle will be in storage for say 20 days or more.
When flat towing you can pull the IOD fuse versus disconnecting the battery. When flat towing, even though the ignition key is turned to position #1 which energizes some of the JK's circuits, you will not have draining of the battery over time. The IOD fuse is easy to pull and to plug back in. JEEP even has a built in fuse disengager on that one fuse. You will see it in the distribution box in the engine compartment. Only fuse with a white plastic gizmo on it.
One of the best side affects is that the door dinging goes away! I have towed my '07 about 10k miles and have not had a dead (or low) battery yet. The fuse is easy to get to, and even has little ears on it to assist in the pulling.
--kev
Kev's Blog: When the Geek Hits the Road | NüRVers - The Next Wave
2006 Monaco Knight 40PLQ
2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited 4x4 w/Blue Ox Baseplate and Aventa LX Tow Bar
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jfbryant
Sequim
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Joined: 06/25/2005
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Is there a battery drain with newer Brake Buddie? I have a 1997 Brake Buddy that I plug into a fused 12v receptacle wired directly to the battery terminals, through the firewall. I turn the key to "ACC" to free the steering wheel. The Brake Buddy seldom activates, only when I make a "hard" stop like for a traffic light just turning red or on some freeway off ramps. I have never experienced a a battery drain such as described.
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mdprince
Santa Clarita, CA
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Joined: 11/13/2004
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I'm wondering if there is a difference between the jeep TJ (which I have) and the newer JK?
We also have a brake buddy and leave the key in the ignition one click away from the run position (this keeps the steering from locking). We have never had a dead battery!
Maybe just lucky so far.
Also, if some electrical genius could chime in on this idea:
What if you took the hot from the RV that is going to the toad brake lights and t'd off of it and went the the battery?
That way every time you brake and the brake buddy goes on (mine is only set for panic stops) it would give a little charge to the battery.
Would that work?
2006 Revolution LE 40E
2004 Jeep Rubicon Toad/Brake Buddy or
20' Toy Trailer/Quads 'n Dirt Bikes
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RicJones
So. Cal.
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Joined: 10/29/2007
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A no Tech solution would be whenever you stop for a potty break, lunch, or whatever, you start the Jeep and let it run for awhile.
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JohnnyT
Goshen New York
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Joined: 07/15/2003
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Moved from class A forum
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exgman
Placerville, Ca.
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Joined: 10/18/2003
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mdprince wrote:I'm wondering if there is a difference between the jeep TJ (which I have) and the newer JK?
We also have a brake buddy and leave the key in the ignition one click away from the run position (this keeps the steering from locking). We have never had a dead battery!
Maybe just lucky so far.
I had a TJ I towed for a couple of years and had no problem with battery drain. Jeep, for reasons beyond me, decided in the 07 Wranglers to leave some power on when the key is in the tow position. As another poster said, pulling the IOD fuse solves this problem. With the IOD pulled, the "Power Outlet" on the dash still has power for the Brake Buddy .
Dan
06 Country Coach Intrigue
07 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
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Krassh
Crestline
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Joined: 04/10/2007
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We have a 2007 Jeep wrangler and US Gear unified tow brake. Thing is with the new Wrangler (JK) is the first postion that unlocks the steering turns on all the elctronics (i.e. radio, dash, etc.). That is why the manual states to disconnect the battery. Our US gear system uses a charge line from the Motorhome so I do not need to disconnect my battery and the battery never dies. Your only options are as indicated earlier. Run a sperate 12v line from your coach to a aux. power connector for the brake buddy or try and pull that fuse someone mentioned.
2006 Fourwinds Funmover 39D
2007 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic
2006 KTM 950SE
2006 Buell Ulysses
2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
5 Cats, 1 Dog and a Bird
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