Question Toad tiller advice

[Rockinchan]

I bought a 2002 Winnebago sightseer 27c 1.5 years ago and it came with a Roadmaster tow arm. Last week I finally bought a Ford Escape to tow. I've been looking into what else I need and as you Toad pullers know it's the law that I have a break system in the car. I'm looking for some advice on which one is the best investment that works. I also need assistance with getting everything wired. The rig has the proper 6,000 lb hitch and lights socket so I just need to get the car wired. Not sure where to go for that. I'm thinking a Ford dealer would be expensive. Probably a place that specializes in hitches. I'm pretty handy but again don't know where to start.
Thanks for the help.
Greg

 

[MapNerd]

A few thoughts...

• That RV appears to be built on the Workhorse W22 platform, which had a Brake Caliper recall. So make sure that's been addressed before doing much else.
• Not sure how old your tow bar is but you indicate it came with the RV that you purchased 18 months ago. Since the RV itself is 9 years old, I'm just going to assume that the tow bar was installed not long after its original purchase. Assuming that is the case, I'd definitely advise you to have the tow bar inspected and serviced at the very least. Unless its been extremely well taken care of, tow bars just don't seem to built to last forever anymore. So, be prepared to replace it if necessary. The Roadmaster Nighthawk is an excellent replacement option that I have towed over 14,000 miles with zero problems.
• I believe you have hydraulic disc brakes, so the Roadmaster Brake Master might be a good choice here for a proportional supplemental braking system. Personally, I'm not a fan of non-proportional supplemental braking systems.
• I'm not sure I'd trust any hitch shop to do the install. Many of them only touch an RV once in a blue moon and since RVs are strange beasts, each with its own nuances and differences, I'd look for one that is a dealer of the component I am purchasing as they will have more experience and be more likely to give you a good install on the first attempt.

I'm not affiliated with Roadmaster in any way but I think they make excellent products, so I tend to recommend them when they fit the use case.

 

["EZ"]

Rockinchan you don't have a profile filled out so we have no idea where you live so it's a little hard to recommend a shop in your area to do the TOAD brake installation. Just in case you live near N. Georgia I would highly recommend Truck & Trailer USA in Chattanooga, TN. They installed my tow set up and did a great job. I got a couple of estimates at RV dealers in Atlanta but Truck & Trailers USA beat their price by quite a bit. I bought the Air Force One auxillary brake unit. It's expensive but does a great job. My coach is a 40' Holiday Rambler with air brakes. I'm not sure what your Winnebago has so that may make a difference. Good luck!

 

[MapNerd]

Rockinchan you don't have a profile filled out so we have no idea where you live so it's a little hard to recommend a shop in your area to do the TOAD brake installation. Just in case you live near N. Georgia I would highly recommend Truck & Trailer USA in Chattanooga, TN. They installed my tow set up and did a great job. I got a couple of estimates at RV dealers in Atlanta but Truck & Trailers USA beat their price by quite a bit. I bought the Air Force One auxillary brake unit. It's expensive but does a great job. My coach is a 40' Holiday Rambler with air brakes. I'm not sure what your Winnebago has so that may make a difference. Good luck!

If you do have air brakes (pretty sure you don’t) then I agree that AFO is definitely the way to go.

 

[Rockinchan]

If you do have air brakes (pretty sure you don’t) then I agree that AFO is definitely the way to go.

Got a profile now. Thanks for the newbie help.

 

["EZ"]

Minneapolis! I spent the coldest 3 weeks of my life one time in March in Minneapolis. Wow was it cold!!!

 

[Neal]

Welcome @Rockinchan. Great to have you join us.