Anyone using Ready Brake ?

[JimC]

HI all,
I am contemplating buying the surge brake system that Ready Brake sells, anyone using it? Any comments good or bad?  I know that you get what you pay for, but I don't want to spend the $1,000 + that most of the others cost.
Thanks,
Jim

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Jim,

Who makes that model? Is it air or electric?

I just purchaced the Brake Buddy and so far, it's not too bad of a chore to hook up. Takes about 2 min's.

Nick-

[Barn Owl]

Probably doesn't answer your question but this is a nice post for those who are new to this:

http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=3186.0

Laryn

[Barn Owl]

Ready System Surge Brake Link:

http://www.readybrake.com/brake-systems.html

[Barn Owl]

I try not to pull a toad but I am interested in a braking system. Looks like people like the surge brake for the most part.

http://irv2.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/7586073452/m/4301019263

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/18555496.cfm

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/18632115/gotomsg/18634936.cfm

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/18555496.cfm

http://www.rvforums.com/cfforum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=1&Topic=1291


Something I have not seen yet, check out the Vase supplemental braking system, interesting.
http://www.vasebrake.com/thevasebrake.htm


Sites with some system links:
http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/output.cfm?id=215335

http://www.rvuniversity.com/article.php/20070510084958709

[JimC]

Nick,
It is made by night shift auto and it works off of the surge of your toad pushing into the receiver on the bus, that activates a cable that pulls the brake pedal.

Seems simple to me, from what I can see they have a good reputation, of course there are going to be nay-sayers, but for the money (about 1/3) I may buy one. Unless there is some concrete evidence with problems associated with it, thats why I asked.

Even if I don't buy a braking system, at the very least I am going to be hooking up a cable to my emergency brake (the old style) that activates it in the case of a disconnect like that horror story a couple months ago. I could not live with my self is my toad let loose and crossed the highway uncontrolled.

Thanks
Jim

[TomC]

Personally would not use any kind of surge brake on my towed.  Reason- I have a Jake brake and coming down long grades, the Jake does a great job of holding both the bus and car back.  With the car running in the "vacuum" of the rear of the bus, when going down a long grade, your cars brakes would be dragging holding back the car making for alot more brake wear-when the Jake brake and no bus brake application would work otherwise.  If you put any kind of auxiliary braking system in, it should work with the buses brakes-meaning when the buses brakes apply, the cars brakes apply.  And it also has a break away system that will bring the car to a stop if the car takes off on its' own.  Good Luck, TomC

[redbus]

I have A Ready Brake that I used 1 winter season. The cable that applies the toad brake got caught on the tow bar. Lucky I caught it in time. No major damage,just hot brakes. Plus no brakeaway with this system.

[DrivingMissLazy]

Personally would not use any kind of surge brake on my towed.  Reason- I have a Jake brake and coming down long grades, the Jake does a great job of holding both the bus and car back.  With the car running in the "vacuum" of the rear of the bus, when going down a long grade, your cars brakes would be dragging holding back the car making for alot more brake wear-when the Jake brake and no bus brake application would work otherwise.  If you put any kind of auxiliary braking system in, it should work with the buses brakes-meaning when the buses brakes apply, the cars brakes apply.  And it also has a break away system that will bring the car to a stop if the car takes off on its' own.  Good Luck, TomC

I really hate to disagree with TomC on this, (or anything) but my experience with surge brakes associated with U-Haul car carriers is that they do not experience any extraordinary wear on the brakes of the carrier.

I really have never torn one apart, but they have a built in spring system that determines when the brakes are actually applied and that is one of the tests that  AFM's make when checking the system. A long bar is used to actuate the brake system and it takes a certain amount of pressure to actuate the brakes.

It is my belief that this spring pressure is set so that the towing vehicle must be exerting a fairly significant amount of back pressure on the hitch before any braking action is exerted on the carrier.

In coming down a long grade, like the Grapevine, once the Jakes (if installed) or the engine compression has slowed down the rig to a specific speed, then the amount of braking being applied to the carrier, or other vehicle with surge brakes, is not great enough to actually provide any braking action.

At least this is my opinion. Sorry Tom.
Richard

[Jerry32]

I have the ready brake on one of my vehicles ( Sonoma PU ) and it works great. really simple system it had spring in the reciever to keep the brakes from coming on till actual braking. I have never had any trouble with it and have had it for three years. Jerry

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Nick,
It is made by night shift auto and it works off of the surge of your toad pushing into the receiver on the bus, that activates a cable that pulls the brake pedal.

Seems simple to me, from what I can see they have a good reputation, of course there are going to be nay-sayers, but for the money (about 1/3) I may buy one. Unless there is some concrete evidence with problems associated with it, thats why I asked.

Even if I don't buy a braking system, at the very least I am going to be hooking up a cable to my emergency brake (the old style) that activates it in the case of a disconnect like that horror story a couple months ago. I could not live with my self is my toad let loose and crossed the highway uncontrolled.

Thanks
Jim

Thanks Jim,
It sounds good.. you should look into a dot approved brakeaway though..
Good Luck
Nick-

[TomC]

Richard- I appreciate your compliment-I'll let you slide this one time.  If it does have a spring, then I agree with you, it would probably not activate on a long grade-only on sharp braking situations-which is a good thing!  Good Luck, TomC

[JimC]

Thanks everyone for the replies,

I did end up ordering a Ready Brake, I talked with someone at their office and here is what he said to make me decide to go with it.

Richard is correct, there is a spring inside the unit and once the pressure is equalized from the initial surge of applying jakes or brakes, the unit stops working, PLUS, there is an indicator light that runs to the dash of the bus to tell me if the brake unit is on or off.

They do sell a brake away system also (for an additional $90), it uses another cable that has a 350 lb. break away link that once broken pulls on a ratchet and locks the brake pedal down bringing the vehicle to a stop.

Jerry, thanks for your input, I have been pulling a half ton GMC PU around without brakes and I have had no problems stopping at all. I am looking at this system like an added insurance policy, to help out in the event of a catastrophe.

Thanks again,
Jim