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Is this right For you? Product Expert Mike S says:
Flat tow your vehicle safely with this precise, responsive braking system that can be easily switched between towed cars. LED display lets you easily adjust braking power, apply manual override, and monitor the system from your motorhome.
Features:
Specs:
A vast improvement over "on/off," time-delayed braking systems, which brake at a single, pre-set level, the Patriot 3 has a proportional design for precise, responsive braking. The Patriot 3 applies your towed car's brakes with an intensity that matches your RV's braking action. The built-in inertia sensor detects when and how your rig slows down, and it then engages the actuator arm to press your car's brake pedal with an intensity that matches that slowing action. If you slam on the RV's brakes in an emergency situation, your towed car's brakes will respond with the same intensity. If you press the RV's brakes just enough to slow down a bit, your towed car will decelerate in the same way. The result is improved control, better stopping, and less wear on both your vehicle's and RV's brakes.
The beauty of a portable braking system, compared to a unit that installs permanently, is that you can easily switch it between towed vehicles. It's also a great alternative if you own a newer vehicle that you don't feel comfortable modifying. As long as you have a second vehicle breakaway kit (BRK2505 - sold separately), the Patriot 3 can be easily transferred and quickly set up in another car, giving you the freedom to switch up which vehicle comes with you on your next camping trip.
The included controller has an easy-to-read LED display that plugs right into your motorhome's 12V outlet. The monitor slides into the included rubber stand, which can rest anywhere on your dashboard, or it can be mounted with the included hook-and-loop strip.
This unit lets you monitor your braking system while you're driving your motorhome, so you'll always be aware that the Patriot 3 is working and functioning properly. Not only does the controller let you know when the unit is activated, but it will also alert you if the unit inadvertently shifts while you're on the road. This could result in too much pressure being applied to your car's brake pedal, which is why a warning will be sent to the controller so you can pull over and make the necessary adjustments.
As another safety feature, if your towed vehicle ever becomes detached from your motorhome, the screen on the controller will alert you by turning red.
By adjusting the brake sensitivity using the in-cab controller, you can control the force at which your towed vehicle's brakes are applied when the system senses deceleration. The settings range from 1 to 10. The higher the setting, the more force will be applied to your towed vehicle's brakes. For smaller vehicles, you can get by just fine on a lower setting. Larger vehicles, or vehicles with less responsive brakes, will require a higher setting. You can also adjust the force purely to match your personal preference.
The controller also includes a manual override button that automatically activates your towed vehicle's brakes. In addition to serving as a safety measure in an emergency braking situation, the manual override can also help correct sway and fishtailing with your towed vehicle.
The setup for the Patriot 3 is very straightforward. The braking system will fit nicely on the driver's-side floorboard of your towed car and plug into your 12V accessory outlet for power. To position the unit, first move your seat back as far as it will go and set the system in place.
Then clamp the bracket on the arm securely around your brake pedal and twist the knob to lock it on. If your vehicle's floorboard is uneven, the included feet can be attached to the bottom of the braking system and adjusted to create a level surface for the Patriot 3 to operate. Move the front of the driver's seat forward until it's resting gently against the back of the unit. If there's too much pressure on the back of the unit, the lights will turn blue and red during the setup process, letting you know that the driver's seat should be moved back slightly. The back of the unit is adjustable as well, allowing you to raise or lower the butt pad to fit snugly against the front of the driver's seat.
Once the unit is in place, setup is simple. Push the "power" button, and the unit will begin blinking blue and green lights, signifying that it's ready to be set up. Then push the "setup" button, which will let the unit run through a quick testing process. When the power light turns a solid green, the Patriot 3 is ready to go.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (138 Customer Reviews)
Flat tow your vehicle safely with this precise, responsive braking system that can be easily switched between towed cars. LED display lets you easily adjust braking power, apply manual override, and monitor the system from your motorhome.
The BlueOx system has worked great. Installation was not terribly difficult... getting the wire through the firewall was the trickiest part... but not too bad. Haven't had any major issues with the system.
There is no easy way to actually review this, it is not like i am sitting back there watching it when i have to brake hard on my RV. I know that it works, it does engage brakes. The breakaway works.
Two things to note/complain about.
When driving, every now and again (maybe once a day), the controller will beep but have no indication of what it is erroring about. I assume connection wireless or power in the back perhaps, but really have no idea. They should fix it so that if any fault is indicated it displays for at least a few seconds, and that one can go back and see history.
The other thing is sensitivity and force settings. The instructions have no information at all on how to actually gauge what is appropriate. The sensitivity i can see as I am driving, how easily it start applying force, so this i can adjust on a gut. But force? there is no way to test this.
Every single person i talked to or seen videos just set it smack in the middle.
In one sense i don't really want it to kick in unless i am braking fairly hard, and i want it to kick in pretty good when i do so, but i fear the delay in applying may make the actual action less helpful.
I have only had to panic brake once, i drive a 37' class A, my rear wheels locked for a few seconds, back end started coming out. I really have no idea what the flat tow was doing or not, wish i had history from the system and videos etc.
So all in all the product is okay, but it could be better. I dont know of any other system that is better.
Thomas S - 03/25/2022Worked fantastic, no problems. One thing however is the power supply; it connects using a 12v cigarette type plug; these are almost becoming non-existent; would be nice if it would work off a USB connection. This would also be handy if the emergency connection power supply also used a USB instead of having to run a wire through the firewall to a power source.
When I received my order I was missing 4 of the whiz nuts required to complete the installation of the baseplate to my jeep. I contacted customer support for help I was met with no real resolution as Blue Ox seemed to question my integrity on claiming the missing nuts. I ordered over $3k in product and was being questioned over $5 in missing nuts. I had to go buy my own. Very disappointed in Blue Ox and etrailer.
Jenny N - 04/06/2022I selected the Blue Ox Patriot 3 braking system because of the ease of use and the ability to move it to another vehicle if I needed to. Also there was no wiring needed in the towing vehicle. I test drove with the Jeep being towed and everything worked fine. I really liked all the information that the monitor displayed. The etrailer service was excellent and the shipping was quick.
Bryce - 10/23/2021This Breaking system is great. I do not know the Ford Ranger is behind me pushing when I stop. No extra pressure is needed on the brake peddle.
David L - 01/15/2022Using in a 2020 Gladiator. Set-up simple and works as advertised. RF controller matched right up and functions as it should. Couldn’t be happier product. Bought because of other positive reviews and reputation of Blue Ox products. Highly recommend!
Ronald - 02/02/2022I bought this Blue Ox braking system to replace a system that costs 1/2 the price but was 10 times as difficult to install - and it broke about a year after I bought it. The Blue Ox isn’t cheap but you get whatever you pay for. The pain at purchase time quickly goes away with the convenience and ease of use. If you can afford it get it. I wish I had got it first.
First trip using it was over 2k miles on hills and tight curves and it worked well. A bit bulky though removing and installing in car. Not too heavy.
Leonard - 03/30/2022I went back and forth deciding whether to get a portable unit. This one seemed to get pretty good reviews. Seems to do well. Very responsive. Easy to set up. The worse part was running the disconnect and it wasn’t bad. As an alternative it can be run outside and through the window. It does require a power socket that is in all the time.
Awsome product, would purchase again. Highly recommend! Thanks etrailer!!
Installed today in a 2022 Ford Ranger.
Arrived faster than we expected.
Have not used it yet but cannot wait.
etrailer. is the best. The videos for installation and the specs for each item are spot on with every order.
Awesome company and staff!!!!!
It been a great system, used in two vehicles since purchased. It was an easy transition between them.
After one year of use and multiple trips, I have had no issues at all. Works great in my 2020 Jeep Gladiator.
Working as expected, easy to install and remove.
Alexei - 07/16/2022Patriot 3 has worked as described. A good standalone unit and easy to install and use.
system is a bit of a contraption.. sending unit failed and required replacement and chrome arm fell out of the ball joint and needed replacement. Fortunately I am using it in a new Jeep and it sits behind an 50k lbs Entegra Anthem so braking is not much needed. It has been unstable about 50% of the time for me.. Any bad roads where the jeep goes over road damage dislodges the setting position of the patriot and it goes red.
Any replacement parts from Patriot were fast and without question.
Sierra K - 08/30/2021Fast delivery. Worked as it should. Easy installation.
setup was a breeze, and a year later the system is still operational - so simple i let my wife handle this part of packing!
Easy install by using the etrailer step by step video. Performance is excellent.
I've had the Blue Ox Patriot 3 for about a year and have towed with it for about 2500 miles. The system has worked great for me with zero issues. The dashboard display is nice in that you can see when and how much force is being applied. Towing a 2014 Honda CRV I set it to 4 - I think that is 1 below the default but in gentle braking I don't care that it brakes at all as the coach doesn't know the CRV is back there.
One thing I highly recommend is a "tell-tale" light that indicates anytime the toad brake pedal is depressed. You can hang from the toad mirror or like mine I built a little wooded stand that I put on the dash. Get a pretty bright one so you can clearly see it in your rear view camera. With the "tell-tale" light you can be sure that the unit hasn't slide around or somehow activated the brake pedal but not reported that to the dash display. I use a Whelen flashing light so it really gets your attention and you know it's not just a reflection on the windshield. It could save you a set of toad brakes!
Blue Ox is the best product for flat towing a vehicle
easy hookup and works flawless
Exactly as described. Radio link works very well.
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