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Supplemental Braking Systems

Yahoo Message Number: 13099
We have the M&G system, installed by Hitch Pro in Eugene on our 2004 CRV toad. After installation and towing 5 miles, discovered front brakes on the CRV were hot. They came after the car, returned it to their shop and added a spacer. No more problems since then with 12,000 miles on the toad. In addition, it was towed about 6,000 miles. Recently rotated the tires and checked the brakes, not worn exceesively. If spacer were not added, front brakes would have worn severely. John
2002 Allure
#30702

Re: Supplemental Braking Systems

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13101
John,

How did you know the brakes on the CRV were hot? What should I look for? I have not towed my new vehicle, a 2005 Trailblazer. I plan on hooking it up and just driving around town a bit just to check it out and get the feel of it before heading out west. The M&G was transferred from the old car to the new in San Antonio at the place that M&G told me to use.

Ree

Current location---Victoria, TX

2003 Allure 30852

Home is www.eldoradoranch.com near www.sanfelipe.com.mx

Re: Supplemental Braking Systems

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13102
Quote
How did you know the brakes on the CRV were hot? What should I look for?

I

Quote
have not towed my new vehicle, a 2005 Trailblazer. I plan on hooking it up > and just driving around town a bit just to check it out and get the feel

of

Quote
it before heading out west. The M&G was transferred from the old car to > the new in San Antonio at the place that M&G told me to use.
This is also why some folks use a system in their toad to indicate whenever the toad's brakes are activated. I have a Brake Buddy and use a similar system that I wired up myself.
It consists of a red LED mounted on the dash of my coach that illuminates whenever the toad's brake pedal is pressed.
It is powered from the toad's brake light system.
Tom Fisher
Dallas, TX

Re: Supplemental Braking Systems

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13110
For Tom Fisher and other Brake Buddy owners: Is the BB activated when the Pac Brake is used? I have also had a BB for over 3 years now and have been fulltiming up to a month ago. It was working fine up to our recent cross country trip from MA to our new home in CA. I had added new tires two months ago and both front tires on my 98 CRV have developed flat spots and are ruined (although I am still using them). This has not happened previously and I do test the BB when I have installed it but not always for 5 times. We also do the ten second test to check the light in the RV that comes on when the BB is activated. Now I am wondering if the BB also comes on when the Pac Brake is activated and caused the wheels to drag ruining the tires. Any opinions?

My BB is now at the factory being checked out but I have not heard from them yet.

BTW, yahoo bounced me for a few days last week so I missed any further comments about the longevity of batteries. I got over 5 years on my previous gas Bounder with two Trojans. I have owned my Allure for 2 and one-half years now and put in four new Interstate 6v batteries two years ago. They are doing fine but I doubt will last as long as the ones in the gas coach. Diesels are far more complicated and there are more phantom loads. I have added a solar panel and that has kept the batteries charged when boondocking or when storing it. None of my coaches have ever been plugged in when stored. My limited knowledge would prevent me from ever finding all the phantom loads and I doubt if one would want to disconnect the ECM from the Cummins engine! Unplug the TV/VCR though (or add an on/off switch as I did), unplug the microwave, and turn the inverter off as the battery charger will use approx 5 amps by itself. If there is anything else I learned I forget it now...
Good for all of you who are getting 5 years from there batteries! If everyone does that well how will the battery companies stay in business? rvmike 2000 Allure 98 CRV.

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 19:50:01 -0600 "TBooneFisher" tboonefisher@...> writes:

Re: Supplemental Braking Systems

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13130
When searching for the "perfect" braking system for my PT Cruiser I asked a friend who works for RV Alliance if they had recommendations.
He said that I should look for a unit that had minimal hookup requirements because owners sometimes decided it was too much trouble for short trips etc. He said also to get one that monitors the towed brake light switch. He said they had claims from units that didn't release and the owner didn't realize it until the brakes were burned up.

At FMCA rally in Albuquerque last spring I purchased a SMI Stay n Play that installs under the drivers seat and uses a vacuum pump to activate the power brakes. I don't have to hook up the pedal and the only hookup when hitching up is the breakaway cable. Just turn it on and go. It will not activate when using pacbrake or jakebrake because it requires the coach brake light to be on so it won't drag on mountain grades. Have used it for 10,000 mi with no problems.

Harvey Grooms Magna #5377

Quote from: rvmike@j\.\.\.
For Tom Fisher and other Brake Buddy owners: > Is the BB activated when the Pac Brake is used? I have also had a

BB for

Quote
over 3 years now and have been fulltiming up to a month ago. It was > working fine up to our recent cross country trip from MA to our new

home

Quote
in CA. I had added new tires two months ago and both front tires

on my

Quote
98 CRV have developed flat spots and are ruined (although I am still > using them). This has not happened previously and I do test the BB

when

Quote
I have installed it but not always for 5 times. We also do the ten > second test to check the light in the RV that comes on when the BB

is

Quote
activated. Now I am wondering if the BB also comes on when the Pac

Brake

Quote
is activated and caused the wheels to drag ruining the tires. Any > opinions?

My BB is now at the factory being checked out but I have not heard

from

Quote
them yet.

BTW, yahoo bounced me for a few days last week so I missed any

further

Quote
comments about the longevity of batteries. I got over 5 years on my > previous gas Bounder with two Trojans. I have owned my Allure for

2 and

Quote
one-half years now and put in four new Interstate 6v batteries two

years

Quote
ago. They are doing fine but I doubt will last as long as the ones

in

Quote
the gas coach. Diesels are far more complicated and there are more > phantom loads. I have added a solar panel and that has kept the > batteries charged when boondocking or when storing it. None of my > coaches have ever been plugged in when stored. My limited knowledge > would prevent me from ever finding all the phantom loads and I

doubt if

Quote
one would want to disconnect the ECM from the Cummins engine!

Unplug the

Quote
TV/VCR though (or add an on/off switch as I did), unplug the

microwave,

Quote
and turn the inverter off as the battery charger will use approx 5

amps

Quote
by itself. If there is anything else I learned I forget it now...
Good for all of you who are getting 5 years from there batteries!

If

Quote
everyone does that well how will the battery companies stay in

business?

Quote
rvmike 2000 Allure 98 CRV.
On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 19:50:01 -0600 "TBooneFisher" > writes:
>

> > How did you know the brakes on the CRV were hot? What should I > > look for?
> I

> > have not towed my new vehicle, a 2005 Trailblazer. I plan on > > hooking it up

> > and just driving around town a bit just to check it out and get > > the feel
> of

> > it before heading out west. The M&G was transferred from the

old

Quote
car to

> > the new in San Antonio at the place that M&G told me to use.
> >

> This is also why some folks use a system in their toad to > > indicate whenever the toad's brakes are activated. I have a > > Brake Buddy and use a similar system that I wired up myself.
> It consists of a red LED mounted on the dash of my coach > > that illuminates whenever the toad's brake pedal is pressed.
> It is powered from the toad's brake light system.
> Tom Fisher
> Dallas, TX
>
>
>

>
> >
~-->

> Yahoo! Autos. Everything you need to know about buying > > or selling a car. FREE Quotes, 360° Tours, Research, > > Blue Book, Compare Vehicles, Buy Used > >http://us.click.yahoo.com/kEZsdA/bwnGAA/YiGOAA/pkiolB/TM > >

--~->

Re: Supplemental Braking Systems

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13147
Yes, the Jake brake will turn on the coach brake lights.
One main reason not to use any system that is solely driven off of those brake lights.

Using one vehicle as my toad, the M&G system was the best choice for me.
I like its proportional braking. It is driven of the coach's air brakes, thus never brakes unless I hit the brake pedal in the coach.
Also, I did not like the systems that are attached to the brake pedal, as they'll need to apply as much pressure as we would have to when we're braking without the power-assist.
Maybe those pedal-installed brake systems have more value when you switch toads frequently, or tend to stay in one place for extended periods of time.

Re: Supplemental Braking Systems

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13160
I highly recommend a RadioShack IR Thermometer for measuring toad tire, disc and drum temperature, and other things that affect these temps, such as bad bearings. (Also great at measuring some of the ground and water temps in Yellowstone even though you are many feet away). So easy to check the toad on your walk around at each stop.
It even detected a sticky parking brake cable and a subsequent failing right rear wheel bearing on the toad. $50

Herb

2002 Allure #30690
2002 Honda CRV

p.s., I am at Emerald Desert Golf & RV Resort space 225, where the SWCC Rally is being held. Look for my wife and I helping with catering your breakfast Wednesday morning. Drop by our coach to see the tile entry floor I installed, Davis Cabinet's desk, DataStorm internet dish, and/or IR Thermometer!

Supplemental Braking System

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13106
After driving 5 miles we pulled in for fuel, and thought to feel for heat around the front rims. There was much more heat than would be expected for as little as had been towed and only braking a couple of times. Hitch Pro new immediately what might be the problem. They had test driven it, but the problem had not shown up until after towing. John

2002 Allure, 2004 CRV Toad
#30702
 

Supplemental braking systems

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13113
The brakemaster by roadmaster applies toad brakes only when coach brakes are applied. Brakemaster can not apply toad brakes due to coasting, jake brake, pac brake or downhill driving.

Brakemaster applies toad brakes in proportion to coach brakes, not per tilt or deceleration or .....

Roadmaster is probably the smallest unit that is pinned in place before use.
No electric connection is required or poorly secured in a cigar lighter jack. It worked well while toad battery was dead.
Brakemaster weighs less than 10 pounds & is to me not easily secured to brake pedal. Installation time was less than 1 hour in my shop.
Braking feels same when my toad is towed. In rain it has not been any problem. After only 1200 miles, I like it. I did not buy the optional emergency braking tank. Cost was about $420?

Eric & Terry Elliott
5 Inspire 51321