BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Rod Tomlinson on May 20, 2015, 08:06:10 PM
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I just purchased a used 2004 Saturn Vee that was used as a tow car for a motorhome. It did not include the tow bar itself. The seller of the car said I need to determine the brake system I have...air...hydraulic...assist or whatever. Said it determines a setting or something on the brake assisting on the towbar.
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Rod,
Your 1996 Monterey has air over hydraulic brakes. However, that fact will only influence your choice in tow brake, and not the tow bar that you choose. The single most influencing factor in tow bar choice will be the brand of tow brackets that are installed on the car. If the car has Roadmaster tow brackets, a Roadmaster tow bar is more compatible, and the same thing goes for Blue Ox tow bars. Although there are adapters to mix one brand of tow bar with the other brand of brackets, it is usually easier to not mix one with the other.
Gerald
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Hi Rod,
Gerald is right on as usual.
To labor the point... I have used the BrakeMaster system on 3 different vehicles with the air side of the Beaver. This system, IMHO, is the very simplest in implementation as the only Toad Brake is a pneumatic cylinder pushing between a fixed bracket and the brake pedal in your toad. Other systems use complex inertia detection and separate hydraulic or air pumps to actuate the Toads brakes. Prices are quite similiar, installation of course is more because air hose and electrical wire needs to be run from inside toad to front of Coach - with appropriate connectors, of course). In two cases installed everything myself including the air takeoff from front booster - third time let a mechanic do the coach side, I did the toad (Jeep Grand Cherokee). Biggest deal was get air hose/indicator wire thru firewall of Jeep, then standing on head to connect wire.
Regards,
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I have a 98 Monterey 36 foot and I have Hydraulic over Hydraulic disc brakes.
My brakes use the power steering pump as the booster, I have a standard brake pedal. I also have air ride.
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Arden & Gerald,
Wonder if anyone has done a survey and produced a spreadsheet on various combinations of factory configurations for different years and models. Would be an interesting exercise and result. Could include brake info, engine, trannie, Silverleaf model, weight & tow capacity, tire size, leveling equip, heating type, appliances, slide actuators, # & models of A/C, Sat/TV antennas...
Regards,
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Frank,
I do not think that anyone would be able to fill out such a spreadsheet, especially about the original Beaver ownership production models (1994 and older), mostly because of special order custom production models. My first Beaver was a 1993 Patriot that I purchased used, and I have never seen another coach that was similarly equipped.
Gerald
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Gerald,
Thanks for comment, my personal experience only goes back to 1996 model of Patriot. Thought that delineating standard equipment on the different models would help everyone out. In regards to braking system, both '96 P. and '01 P.Thunder were equipped with air over hydraulic - sort of the equivalent of gas engine using vacuum over hydraulic brakes, which of course doesn't normally exist in diesel engines. And, air disk brakes are a very recent setup - 2010 on heavy trucks.
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Frank,
My 01 Contessa also had air over hydraulic. At the risk of generalizing, looks like maybe the Pats and Contessas had those and the Marquis went with total air systems. Seems to make sense when one considers the coach weight differences.
Steve