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This portable unit gets you smooth braking without a complex installation. Senses the RV braking and applies the brakes proportionally. Easy to swap between multiple towed cars: settings adjust for safe, even braking for any size car.
Features:
Specs:
A braking system is a must when towing a Chevrolet Suburban behind your motorhome. Without it, the weight of the towed car can create a safety hazard, strain your RV's brakes, and affect the warranty of both your car and motorhome. Most states legally require a supplemental braking system, so if you don't use one and you end up in an accident (which is more likely since your RV takes longer to come to a full stop), your insurance and liability headache just doubled. You also won't have any breakaway system; if there's an accidental disconnect, there's nothing to bring your car to a stop.
First, this system is great for DIYers, since you can get the basic installation done yourself. There will be some minor wiring to do under the hood and in the cab, but that's as complicated as it gets.
Second, it offers you a lot of flexibility. It's easy to move from one toad (towed Chevrolet Suburban) to another - or, if you think you'll likely get a new car down the road, you can easily set the Select 3 up in your new toad.
The Brake Buddy Select 3 uses a built-in inertia sensor to detect when your flat tow setup begins to slow down as you apply the brakes in your motorhome. The moment the system recognizes the change in momentum, the actuator will press down the brake pedal of your toad proportionally: at the same time, with the same intensity. Meanwhile, the terrain-sensing technology keeps the unit from activating when you go over bumps in the road, so it doesn't brake when it doesn't need to.
If you're towing a hybrid or any car with continuous-power-assist brakes, all you have to do to be able to use the Brake Buddy is change the Braking Mode to Hybrid.
You'll be setting up this portable unit in your toad every time you flat tow, so it's designed to be easy to do. And because it's so adjustable, it fits in almost any Chevrolet Suburban on the market.
Shift the driver's seat back and set the Select 3 on the floorboard. It's important that the unit sits as level as possible so the actuator has enough leverage to effectively push down the brake pedal, so adjust the feet of the unit to suit your floorboard if need be.
Each foot can be adjusted easily by hand or with the included wrench. Twist it counterclockwise, pull it down to the right length, and then twist clockwise to lock it in place.
Quick Tip: It's best to remove your Chevrolet Suburban's floor mat before installation to keep the Brake Buddy from shifting.
Next you need to get the clamp attached to the brake pedal with the Quick-Lock clevis. This adjustable clevis is designed to securely clamp onto the pedal regardless of its size or shape. Once you have the clevis fixed around the pedal, turn the lever to tighten it in place.
Plug your Brake Buddy into the connector you'll have installed under the dashboard and then press the Auto Start button. The system will automatically boot up to your saved settings and then check your brakes, pushing and releasing the brake pedal several times to remove built-up vacuum pressure from the brakes and prevent over-braking. It will also check for any connection errors. Then you're ready to flat tow!
The braking power settings control how intensely the Brake Buddy Select 3 applies your toad's brakes. When you are first setting up the Brake Buddy, choose the setting that's recommended for a Chevrolet Suburban of your toad's size:
| Chevrolet Suburban Type | Recommended Braking Power |
|---|---|
| Hybrids | 10 - 20 psi |
| Cars and Compact SUVs | 25 - 45 psi |
| Small Crossovers | 25 - 45 psi |
| Crossovers and Small SUVs | 35 - 65 psi |
| Mid-Size Pickups | 35 - 65 psi |
| Large SUVs and Pickups | 45 - 75 psi |
After selecting an initial setting, press the plus or minus buttons on the control panel to fine-tune the power. The setting should be enough that your toad gives a slight tug at your RV when you brake. On the right setting, you won't be at risk of damage from over-braking. Once you've set the braking power, it shouldn't need to be changed unless you tow a different Chevrolet Suburban.
You can also customize the sensitivity. This determines how aggressively you need to brake in the motorhome for the Brake Buddy to activate your toad's brakes. If you set the sensitivity high, then your car's brakes will activate with just a light tap of your RV's brakes. Low sensitivity will mean the system only activates when your motorhome brakes significantly.
You can also select the full-braking mode. When in this mode, the Brake Buddy will activate your toad's brakes at the maximum preset intensity, regardless of how intensely your RV is decelerating. The full-braking setting is ideal for when you're towing a heavy truck or SUV, or if you're towing your car down a steep incline. By setting the power to a higher level, you can ensure that the momentum of your toad won't cause it to push against your motorhome.
It's important to monitor your toad's braking to make sure that everything's working the way it should. With the included remote, you can also control the Brake Buddy from the cab of your RV! It's just like having a brake controller in your motorhome.
With the remote, you can easily switch from proportional braking to full braking and vice versa with the push of a button. You can also change the Brake Buddy's sensitivity settings, which makes it easy to fine-tune the braking as you drive so that you can adjust based on feel. Finally, the remote will illuminate to alert you of any errors with the Brake Buddy system, including a breakaway event.
The Brake Buddy also comes with a breakaway switch, an absolute must for safe flat towing. If there's ever an emergency situation where your toad becomes detached from the motorhome, the breakaway switch will immediately activate the brakes and bring your Chevrolet Suburban to a stop.
This switch mounts to the front of your toad and plugs directly into the unit. It includes a pin that connects to your RV's hitch receiver with a breakaway cable. If the toad and RV become disconnected, the cable will pull the pin out of the switch and trigger the braking system. A reserve air supply in the operating unit will then apply the brakes in the car.
California residents: click here
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (272 Customer Reviews)
This portable unit gets you smooth braking without a complex installation. Senses the RV braking and applies the brakes proportionally. Easy to swap between multiple towed cars: settings adjust for safe, even braking for any size car.Had a problem with the connection to the unit but called etrailer and they sent me a new one after sending the other back to them. The hole process very painless and the the staff at etrailer was great to work with. Thank you etrailer for your great response.
I am still scratching my head on the placement of the Main Unit. The floorboard area of the 2024 Jeep Wrangler is very small. The 2 levels of the rear of the unit are such that I can't seem to get the right height to stabilize the unit. The seat can be brought slightly forward but does not contact or even come close to the Handle when raised. With the plunger all the way in, there is hardly one half (1/4") inch of clearance before beginning to press the brake pedal. I can't find anyone else that has installed this unit. HELP please.
Katrina D.
3/7/2024
Well scratch your head no more, George! Help is on the way! I have gotten in contact with Hopkins (Brake Buddy) and they have confirmed that when it comes to installing this Select 3 Portable Braking system on a Jeep Wrangler, you may need a Brake Buddy Clevis to help fill in that gap. This Clevis is Jeep specific and is generally provided by Brake Buddy themselves. I have gotten one ordered for you and you should receive it soon. Please get in touch with me when you receive it and let me know if you are needing any further assistance.
I LIKE THE BRAKE BUDDY SYSTEM FOR MY 2018 JEEP WRANGLER BUT THE DESIGN OF THE CONNECTION TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SOMEWHAT HARD TO GET CONNECTED. THE "CLAWS" SEEM TO WANT TO MOVE THE RUBBER COVER OFF THE PEDAL. THE ANGLE ALSO SEEMS TO ALWAYS WANT TO MOVE THE BRAKE BUDDY TOWARD THE DRIVER DOOR.
Once I got the right brake mount clamp and had the power cord from car to controller replaced, the unit has worked great, thank you.
Don
2/3/2024
Still great.
It worked like it should. I did have to bend the connector on my brake buddy harness to make it stop shutting off when I 1st got it. It has been fine ever since.
First off, the great folks at etrailer had the kit pulled, labeled and ready for the shipper to pick it up literally within a few hours after I ordered it. Impressive to say the least. The Brake Buddy is packaged in an organized and protective layout with minimal assembly required.
Installation was pretty straightforward. If you can understand a pictogram of wiring, it’s a no-brainer for the charger and cab receptacle. Tow vehicle I installed it in is a 2020 Jeep JL. There’s a round firewall plug under the brake booster that makes for a great spot to run your wires through the firewall which makes installation a breeze.
The brake pedal clamp in the JL appears more functional if installed inverted. That gets the clevis reachable up top while keeping the actuator arm closest to level. The seat needs to be all the way back as wrestling the Brake Buddy into the floorboard is tight. There’s no room on the floorboards for vacuuming, even less for a portable brake module. The front leveler legs need to be fully extended, the one closest to the door on the rear, 90% extended and the rear interior one will only need an inch out.
Once installed and powered up, the compressor runs to charge the actuator control. Press the auto start and it pumps the brake pedal to eliminate any residual vacuum boost. I set the operating pressure to 45, sensitivity to mid and mode to proportional. I’ll fine tune it once we get out on the road. At this juncture, everything was in the kit, everything appears to work and etrailer filled the order with urgency and care!
I looked at several supplemental braking units and wanted one that was portable with nice features like wireless monitoring and parameter changes while flat towing my Jeep Wrangler. I reviewed the videos on the etrailer site for features and installation instructions, they’re well done and really helped with my buy decision and installation guidance. I decided on the Select 3 mainly because of the option for full or proportional braking, as I live in CA and take my RV through mountain passes often. The installation was straight forward with the help of the etrailer videos, very well done. The initial testing of the unit was a bit tricky, but it worked, after leveling the unit out. The first trip with the unit was from Southern CA to Paso Robles through the “Grapevine” pass and some other large hills, the unit worked well and gave me the extra braking I needed while flat towing my jeep behind my RV. During this trip, the unit was inconsistent in bleeding the brakes upon startup. I shared this information with etrailer in detail, and they sent me a replacement unit after trouble shooting. I want to thank etrailer for excellent support of a product which I entrust the safety of my family to while in use. The new unit has been wonderful on two other trips so far. I’m very happy with the performance and ease of use for the Select 3. It just takes a few minutes to position in the jeep, activate and get going down the road after the initial install was complete, which only took a few hours to run simple wiring. The unit is not very large or heavy, and easily fits in a normal storage compartment of the RV when we arrive at our destination. I look forward to many more trips with my family in our RV and the Select 3 giving us the supplement braking we need in our jeep on any road type.
Don't really like this system and decided to just tow without a braking system at all and all is good by doing so. This unit is awkward, expensive and a pain to use
Katrina D.
10/28/2023
I would definitely look into your states laws on pulling a trailer with or without a braking system. For instance, in Missouri, by law a supplemental braking system is not required except on trailers coupled by a 5th-wheel and kingpin. While in Idaho the law states "Trailers with an unloaded weight of 1,500 lbs. must have an independent braking system, and a breakaway system." Please double check your states laws before proceeding without a braking system.
Well got it installed. Not to bad. Appears to work . Planning a trip in 2 weeks. Will post update
Charles
5/11/2024
Works Great, easy install, recommended
The proportional breaking never worked right and on our last trip the system kept cutting out until it quit working all together. I was in the southern US and had to drive back to Canada without the aid of the breaking system. i tried to check it out and fix it but was unable to get continuous power to the brake buddy.
Plug keeps getting loose on unit. I drilled a hole in the case and installed a tie wrap attaching wire to case no more movement of plug works great otherwise
Hi Miranda, here are the pictures of the bracket and Brake Buddy installed in my Jeep. Works very well. I tried to move the seat forward a bit but when the Brake Buddy activated it pushed the seat adjuster and moved the seat all the way back. Thank you for the bracket.
I ordered the brake buddy yesterday and paid for overnight shipment. The confirmation indicated I would receive it today by 8pm. To my surprise I woke up and discovered it on my front porch this morning. Amazing service
On our first trip, still 2000 miles plus from going back home, and a short is developed in the cord end plugging into the unit. The video won’t upload; but as it’s bleeding the brakes the motion causes the unit to short out and turn off. Hardly safe.
Jenny N.
4/10/2024
Yikes! I reached out to Hopkins directly and they have a suggestion about it. Sometimes with this unit the male prong on the 4 flat connector that plugs into the unit will get bent inwards. When looking down on the prong you can see that it is split into 4 pieces. If the four pieces get bent together inwards then it will not make a good connection with the metal ground when plugged in. You can take a flat head screw driver and spread the pieces apart to fix it. Let me know if that works for you.
have trouble with the brake paddle attachment locking onto the brake. setting the brake buddy adjustment take a while to adjust.
Overall good performance so far with the Brake Buddy. The only issue that we had was the cable connected to the unit would come loose during operation and send a “check Brake Buddy” error on our remote. We were able to easily remedy this by using a screwdriver to spread out the connection terminal to make it tighter as per customer service instructions.
Customer service is great & very helpful!
I have had the brake buddy system 3 for a year and it's a great braking system, I have no problems and its works great with my jeep liberty.
Wiring is very sensitive, have to secure wiring in vehicle with zip ties so it doesn't come undone. Other than that it stops when it needs to
Nice unit, does what it is supposed to do and will noticeably slow my towed vehicle. It is a little cumbersome, but I set everything up in 8 or so minutes. Downside is that after one month long trip it would lose power after hitting a bump. Customer service was great and I eventually sent it back for repairs. They replaced a few things and has worked well until very recently. It appears that the plug will lose contact for a second over a bump and then the unit goes into a standby mode. The remote will let me know and I have to pull over and rebleed the unit. Some dielectric grease seems to have solved the problem
If you’re installing in a 2 door Jeep this brake buddy will install much easier if you 1. Remove floor mat 2. Set the driver seat all the way back towards the rear and 3. Lower the driver seat all the way down. By doing this the brake buddy will fit properly and allow for installing the cotter pin into the cleaver.
The parts worked well with my application. 2005 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (TJ)
Easy to get the car ready for towing. Just a few minutes. The permanent wiring with a battery tender makes towing worry free.
WE had issues with the unit losing connection. This was corrected with a new cable. The unit does loose air pressure if it sits overnight. Other then that the unit works as expected.
Looking good so far. The only comment I can think of is a question as to why the wiring is different then standard 12 volt wiring. For example, ground in normal 12 volt is the black wire. Hot is the red. etc. The brake buddy doesn't follow that standard.
This was super easy to install in my Jeep. The install video for the Wrangler was spot an very helpful. I installed a permanent brake system in another car before doing this one and I am so pleased with the install.
Now I am off to test it out.
Trevor B.
6/8/2023
Ive been using this for a year now and have set it up a couple dozen times or more. This was so much easier than an installed brakes system. The only issue that weve had with it has to do with the power cable that connects to the 4 pin connector inside the vehicle. After some time the connector gets loose enough to fall out which requires is to pull over and reset the system. From Brake Buddy the fix is to look at the pins on the cable and where the tips of the pins almost look like you could a screwdriver, use a pocket knife or something thin enough to fit into the slots and gently spread them apart. I definitely recommend this device for a good, simple brake system.
Mike L.
7/6/2023
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David E.
4/5/2024
Works well great addiction to towing car