| Author | Message | ||
| Lorin David McCleary (Wacoastmci) (148.78.243.121)
Rating: N/A |
I'm looking at the M&G brake system for use when towing our '01 Jeep Grand Cherokee. System looks good, as coach air brakes are tied in to pushrod assembly attached to master cylinder on car, via an airline with quick connect. All under the hood. Pretty tidy setup from engineering standpoint but wondering if any of you have installed this product on your coach and have some practical experience with it? | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy) (24.196.191.70)
Rating: N/A |
Lorin, I have one installed on my 99 Tahoe and tow it with an 80 Eagle. It is very difficult to determine if it actually works, and if so, how much. I assume it works some, but how much is really a question. There is no way to actually actuate the brakes on the Tahoe only, and there is no indicator light to indicate that brakes are being applied. The weight of the Tahoe at 5000 lbs. is small in comparison to the weight of the Eagle at 40,000 lbs., so I am unsure of how much braking action I get. Since I seldom, if ever, drive the bus without the toad, then I do not have any comparison. I much prefer the electrical brake system like on trailers, where you can manually apply the brakes and make sure they are working. I do not know if any of the current systems available for a toad has this feature. In retrospect, and based on the above, I would not purchase the same system again. It sounds great on paper, but the lack of test features makes it impractical in my opinion. Richard | ||
| FBB (68.34.66.168)
Rating: N/A |
i USED A SYSTEM LIKE THIS ON MY 89 SUBURBAN AND IT WORKED VERY WELL. I TOOK AIR FORM MY TAG BUT IT WAS MORE THAN I NEEDED (WARPED THE FT ROTERS ON THE SUBURBAN ) SO I PUT A AIR PRESURE REGULATOR BEHIND THE BUS BUMPER JUST BEFORE THE DISCONECT AND AFTER SOME ADNJUSTMENT IT WORKED FIME. THERE WAS NO DOUGHT TAAT IT WAS WORKING. WHEN I GOT A SURBABAN WITH ANTILOCK BREAKS I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE AIR CYLINDER SO I NO LONGER USE THIS SYSTEM . i MUST SAY IT WAS THE BEST I HAVE USED | ||
| Bill Gerrie (216.185.73.251)
Rating: N/A |
Lorin I have used the M&G system since 1991 and if is by far the best on the market. I used to tow a Ford Explorer and now tow a Dodge Dakota Quad cab pick up. Before I installed the system on the Explorer I had to make a panic stop on the highway with the Explorer behind and it is amazing how far it will push you in a panic situation. Look at the laws of physics. With 4500lbs pushing you from behind you WILL go a lot further without additional braking. After I installed it you could tell it was working as the distance to stop was the same as without the tow vehicle. They also will allow you a trade in value towards a new one when you change vehicles. I also have the breakaway system installed and all you have to do is pull the pin and you can tell that the brakes are working. You can also tell if they are working after you pull into a rest area by putting your hand on the wheel. It will be slightly warm. Hope this helps you. Bill | ||
| Stan (24.67.45.35) Rating: N/A |
Lorin: Does this system use something equivalent to a trailer protection valve on a truck? If you develop a leak in the car, will you lose air pressure in the bus? | ||
| Bill Gerrie (216.185.73.251)
Rating: N/A |
Stan The only time you have air going to the tow vehicle is when you are applying the brakes. It is a 1/4" line and the worst case is it would be like a hole in a diaphram. In all the years I have used the system I have never had a leak. I have no connection to M & G only a satisfied user of the system. Bill | ||
| Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (216.67.220.125)
Rating: N/A |
Personally, I would not use a towed brake system. Heard of too many horror stories of brakes coming on too hard and locking, wearing out tires, even blow-outs. I don't feel a bus needs it with the brakes they have, but that's my opinion. If you feel safer with one, do what you feel is right for you. Now pulling a big enclosed trailer with electric or proper air brakes is a different story. Peter. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.227)
Rating: N/A |
Mad Brit is spot on... a friend just did $3500 damage to his new ( less than a thousand miles) Saturn with such a device. Locked up, tires smoking and various other things. Last I heard, he was told by Saturn "hard cheese".. towing with such a braking device is aftermarket and not their responsibility. This is the third vehicle they used it on and have had some sort of problem on each. But, alas. HE IS STILL USING IT! Unbelievable, but true. Then again, he has a lot more $$$ than I have.  FWIW RCB '64 Crown HWC | ||
| DonTX/KS (205.187.92.43)
Rating: N/A |
My Saturn only weighed 2300 lb, and behind the GMC 4905 I could never tell the difference if it were there or not, accelerating or braking. Now when you get to talking about some of the BIG cars and trucks, might be a different story. | ||
| neil (148.78.243.25) Rating: N/A |
We have been using this system for 5 years and it works great. to find out if it's working is apply the foot brakes ( not parking) on the bus and have someone try to move the tow car it should not move.( tow bar off of course) We like it because it's simple to hook up and it never has a problem. It will only lock up the brakes on the car when you lock up the brakes on the bus.This is the same type off system used by the big rigs for there trailers Neil | ||
| DonTX/KS (205.187.92.85)
Rating: N/A |
With one major exception Neil, as Richard pointed out, the "big rig" has a little handle on the steering column so you can check the effectiveness of the trailer brakes as often as you like. (and since someone else owned the trailer, I used them to stop with often, saved my brakes). Your check to see that they lock up the car is only part of it, how do you know if they are not smoking the tires and locking them up? | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy) (24.196.191.70)
Rating: N/A |
Ddon, you are spot on. There is ABSOLUTELY no way to determine the amount of braking you are getting on the toad. The idea of unhooking the tow bar and then someone applying the brakes in the bus and then someone trying to move the toad will give an indication that the brakes are applied to the toad, and I have done this. However, I have no feel as to the amount of braking is being done by pressing the brake pedal on the bus, and no way to know how much braking force is being applied by the toads brakes. It is now a law in Canada (I believe) to have brakes on the toad, and many months ago there was discussion about a requirement in some states to have brakes on the toad. I do not think there is any method to determine the physics used to convert the amount of air pressure on the bus brake line, during partial application, to the amount of pressure applied to the toads brake pedal. The company says it is set up properly, depending on the toad. However does an Eagle require the same amount of air pressure to apply a certain amount of braking to the bogie axle as would be required on an MCI or GM? If not, then different air pressures would be applied to the toad braking system, depending on the tow vehicle, and there is no way to test or adjust it. Until these questions are answered, I still maintain it is a system that maybe is working, but the amount of braking being done, and even if any is being done, is a big question in my mind. Richard | ||
| DonTX/KS (205.187.92.14)
Rating: N/A |
Which brings up another interesting point. If you have an application pressure guage, you will notice you can tell when the slack adjusters need attention, your brake pressure goes UP when your brakes need adjusting (If you look at the physics of the brakes on a bus or truck, you can see why this is) IF it was properly adjusted initially, then I suppose you could expect smoking toad tires when your slack adjusters need adjusting? One thing for sure, as has been presented, you will NEVER know when you are burning up the toad unless someone starts honking at you. Being a Winter Texan, the stories of RV people tearing up toads could fill a book. Many just happen to forget to take it out of park, and never know the difference! I know of a couple of brake malfunctions, but have no recollection of name brands. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.230)
Rating: N/A |
Don..re the honking, exactly what happened to our friends, only too late to do much about it.  FWIW RCB "64 Crown HWC | ||
| DonTX/KS (205.187.92.14)
Rating: N/A |
Even though I hate tow dollys, it seems to me that the best braking system out there is a tow dolly with surge brakes on it. | ||
| Jim Wilke (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
I have trouble believing that anyone wouldn't notice that their toad was in park. I have done this accidentally (Explorer behind 4104) and I could tell immediately. The bus would barely move! It was very obvious something was very wrong. Of course, if the bus was 400HP AND automatic it might have been a little harder to tell. Jim-Bob | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy) (24.196.191.70)
Rating: N/A |
I have to admit that when I had a Toyota 4x4 pickup as a toad I took off on a gravel road with it in park and had absolutely no idea that I had done this. Fortunately one of the campers in the campground noticed it and run me down before I proceeded very far. Yes, I do have 450 hp and automatic and once I get the 40,000 pounds moving the toad is insignificant. Richard |