Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How will the Ready Brake work with the engine of the towed vehicle turned off?

The Ready Brake pulls hard enough on the brake pedal to over-come the vacuum booster not being powered up. We have been making this system since may of 1997 and have sold thousands of them trust us when we say the Ready Brake will work perfectly fine with the power booster not being powered up. All cars sold have a power booster now days it is not be an issue.

Going down a steep grade a mountain pass will the Ready Brake activate?

No we have engineered the Ready Brake not to activate until you step on the brake pedal of the motorhome. In our Ready Brake we have an oil filled shock absorber and a 250 lbs spring. The weight of the towed vehicle has to over come both of these before it will activate.

When traveling down a steep grade the motorhome and the towed vehicle are traveling at the same speed so the Ready Brake will not active. Or if you put your jake brake on in the motorhome it does not allow enough pressure to be put on the Ready Brake to active it.

Will the Ready Brake work with other brands of tow bars?

Yes we offer two different types of Ready Brakes one to hook to any receiver style tow bar the RB-4000 and the other to hook to any Ball style tow bars the RB-4000 B with these two supplemental brake systems any tow bars will be able to utilize our Ready Brake system.

What is the ReadyBrake?

The Readybrake is a mechanically surge activated towed vehicle braking system which brakes your towed vehicle in proportion to how hard you are braking your RV.

How does the ReadyBrake work?

When you apply thebrakes in your RV your towed vehicle surges forward actually pushing your RV if you do not have a towed vehicle braking system. The Readybrake simply replaces your existing ball mount drawbar, or coincides with your RV mounted tow bar. When the towed vehicle surges forward it creates a forward movement in your receiver actuating the Readybrake's hydraulic shock, spring, and mechanical linkage creating a pull on the Readybrake's actuating arm. This actuating arm pulls a series of aircraft quality cable, which lead to and attach to your towed vehicles own brake pedal. This forward movement thus causes the towed vehicle to brake itself in proportion to how hard you are braking the RV

What do you mean by Proportional?

Proportional braking is achieved when your towed vehicle brakes approximately the same as your RV If you brake your RV lightly you will create light braking in your towed vehicle. Whereas if you brake your RV heavily you will create heavy braking in your towed vehicle.

How is the ReadyBrake different from other systems?

Being one of the latest models available NSA RV Products has had the ability to see where the other towed braking systems fall short. Our system is Non Invasive, mechanically surge activated, easy to install, transferable from one RV to the next as well as from one towed vehicle to the next, easy to hook up and unhook, affordable, easily maintained, and proportional.

What do you mean by non-invasive?

Our system does not require you to tap into your RV or towed vehicles electrical or hydraulic system. No longer do you have to worry about warranty issues, battery life, electrical shorts, or problems with air lines or hydraulic fittings. Will the Readybrake affect the looks of either of my vehicles? No! The Readybrake replaces already existing parts of your towing system. The car chassis cable harness is hidden inside your engine compartment and under the dash of your towed vehicle. The car chassis cable harness remains in place until you decide to trade towed vehicles. It is then transferable to the newly purchased towed.

So trading vehicles is not an issue with the ReadyBrake?

The Readybrake can be installed on any RV or towed vehicle.

How long does the ReadyBrake take to install?

Any person who is mechanically inclined can install our system in about 2 hours. Please refer to our Ready Brake Fit List for individual vehicle estimated installlation time. We do think that it is better to have a qualified professional install the system. Your local RV dealer will have individuals who are trained to install aftermarket parts. Having them do your installation will give you the peace of mind that the system is installed correctly and any and all relating issues have been addressed.

What other issues could I run into?

Tow bars need to be level to the ground when installed correctly. The national standard for correct tow bar levelness is (+) or (-) 2" inches. This allows for a forward push by your towed vehicle. Having the tow bar to far from level puts a great deal of stress on your towing system. Having your tow bar to far from level can also cause you to lose control of your RV in adverse conditions when heavy braking is applied.

You may also have a problem we refer to as signal over ride. This is caused when your towed vehicle has turn signal lamps which are separated from your brake signal lamps. Your RV's signal system is hooked up to your towed vehicle when towing. Most towed vehicles are set up with diodes which allow the turn signal and brake signal being sent from the RV to work through the same lamp on the towed vehicle. This lamp is generally the brake lamp. Now when you install a towed vehicle braking system which activates the towed vehicles brake pedal you now send an alternate brake signal to your towed vehicles brake lights. In many if not all cases this signal being sent by the towed vehicles brake pedal will over ride the signals being sent from your coach. Your coach will still have a turn signal blinking and brake light lit up while your towed vehicle will only have the brake lights lit up.

NSA RV Products offers the Brake Circuit Disconnect to alleviate this problem. We also offer the In-Dash Light Monitor to allow you to monitor the performance of towed vehicle braking systems from the comfort and safety of your motorhome.

Are Surge Brakes legal in the U.S.A.?

Yes, Surge Brakes are legal. For more details read the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Ruling on Surge Brakes (PDF Document).

If you have any questions or comments about our braking system we welcome you to contact us at Email or call Toll Free at (866) 981-5874.