Joel I like your idea of just hooking up the brake line and watching the action with a hand held radio I think I will give it a try this week before we head south, I'll let you know what I see, but I may still need a scottie to really analyze the results Bill!
'v
I've done that. When it was new, I had someone (probably BJ) pump the MH pedal so I could watch the toad pedal move. It did.
My point is that, no matter what system you have, there is a lot of guessing going on. First, there is no way to determine how hard the pedal should be pressed when the power brakes are off. Then, even if there are settings (like on a Brake Buddy) you have to estimate what you want.
A few years back I was in a Roadmaster booth at a rally somewhere. I had not spent money on a brake system yet. I was looking at the Brakemaster because it seemed simple. Someone with a Roadmaster shirt on was standing there. Since there are no settings and it operates on air pressure, a primary design issue is the diameter of the cylinder. So I asked if there were different sizes and how to pick. Turns out the guy wearing the shirt introduced himself as the company "engineer". He explained there was one size and he was the one that determined that size. I asked how that was determined. Expecting engineering math to be involved, he answered. He said that he used a company van with dark windows so that he could ride in the van behind a motorhome (which I think is illegal). He said he tried different sizes until it felt about right. That was engineering I understood, so I bought one.
When a 30,000 to 45,000 pound motorhome is pulling a 3500 to 4500 pound car of various makes and models with the engine off, nobody knows how hard the brake pedal needs to be pressed in the toad for any stopping event.
There is only one exception. It commonly shows up in two applications.
