This truly proportional braking system uses the air pressure from your RV's brakes to apply the brakes in your towed car in the same manner. Low-profile system installs out of the way and is always at the ready. Wireless braking monitor included.
Features:
Specs:
A supplemental braking system is a must when towing a car or truck behind your RV. Without it, the weight of the towed car can create a safety hazard, strain your RV's brakes, or affect your RV's warranty. Most states require a supplemental braking system.
Air Force One is a proportional braking system. When you apply the brakes in your motorhome, the system will engage your towed car's brakes at the same time and with the same pressure as those in your motorhome, creating synchronized braking.
To achieve this proportional braking, Air Force One ties into your coach's air brakes. The patent-pending process uses air pressure from your coach's brakes to depress the brake pedal in your towed car. The result is uniform, real-time braking that mirrors the slowing or stopping action of your coach. Whether you lightly tap the brakes in your RV or apply them hard in a panic situation, your towed car's brake pedal will be applied in the same manner.
Many other proportional systems activate the towed car's brakes based solely on inertia. With this kind of setup, any activity that affects the forward momentum of your towed car - from the coach actually braking, to driving over a pothole - can activate the supplemental braking system and apply your towed car's brakes. This potential for false braking, which can occur simply from driving over uneven terrain, can create a rough ride for you in the RV and can also wear out your towed car's brakes over time. Air Force One is different, though. Because it is tied into your coach's brakes and is not dependent on inertia, this system activates only when you apply the brakes in your RV, so there is no false braking.
Once you install the Air Force One system, it stays concealed and out of your way - both in the RV and in the towed car. Unlike systems that require you to keep the actuating box under the seat or in the trunk of your towed car, Air Force One does not take up valuable storage space inside of your car. And the components that install on your RV all remain hidden beneath the vehicle so that no room is taken up in its interior either. Because the entire system installs permanently, there is no need to constantly set up and remove this system. You never have to worry about where to store a bulky actuator box when you're not towing. And while most of the components do remain on your vehicle and RV at all times, none of them will interfere with normal driving or braking.
Coach Air Connection Assembly
Because Air Force One uses air to activate, it is a natural choice for diesel motorhomes that have air brakes. The coach air connection assembly taps into your RV's air brakes and delivers the air necessary to activate the towed car's brakes through the included coiled air hose. The valves on the coach air connection assembly ensure precise airflow.
A 1-way check valve collects air from your RV's brake lines so that it can power your towed car's brakes. This pressure protection valve also ensures that your RV's air lines maintain the same amount of pressure so that the braking in your RV is not affected.
Metered air from the coach's brakes connects to a service relay valve. This relay valve collects air from your RV's brake lines so that it can power your towed car's brakes. When you activate the brakes in your RV, the delivery relay valve releases the appropriate amount of air to the operating unit in your towed car.
The coach air connection assembly is best mounted in a location on the RV where the air lines will not be near direct heat sources or moving parts, such as in front of the rear axle.
Note: Air Force One is designed for motorhomes that have air brakes, but it will also work with RVs that have air-over-hydraulic brakes. Additional parts (not included) may be required for installation on RVs with air-over-hydraulic brakes.
Operating Unit
The operating unit, which mounts in your towed car, receives air from the coach air connection assembly. The unit then diverts a matching amount of air through a hose to the actuating cylinder that mounts on your towed car's brake pedal. That air activates the cylinder so that it applies proportionate braking pressure.
The unit goes under the hood of your towed car, so it is out of your way and always ready. Because this system is a universal fit, you can remove it from your towed car and reinstall it in a different car or truck if needed.
Actuating Cylinder
The actuating cylinder depresses your towed car's brake pedal upon receiving the air that is delivered from the operating unit. This small cylinder stays mounted on the arm of your towed car's brake pedal at all times and will not interfere with braking while driving.
Mount this cylinder so that it is perpendicular to the firewall when you depress the brake pedal. A clamp anchors the actuator to the firewall.
To connect the actuating cylinder to the operating unit, you will need to run the included air hose through your towed car's firewall. You can usually create the necessary, small opening without drilling. In most instances, you can cut a slit in the hood release cable grommet. Simply cut the end of the air line at an angle to poke it through the slit.
Coiled Air Hose Connection
The coiled air hose, also called a jumper, connects your towed car to your RV by connecting the operating unit to the coach air assembly. When you are ready to hitch up your car and tow it, simply hook up the coiled air hose at the same time as you hook up your tow bar.
Normally, when you activate the brakes in your vehicle, a vacuum multiplies the pressure you apply to your brake pedal, creating the force necessary to stop the full weight of the moving car. On most cars and trucks, this vacuum-assist function does not work when the engine is off. As a result, many supplemental braking systems on the market have to use an excessive amount of pressure to effectively depress the towed car's brake pedal.
Air Force One reactivates the vacuum-assist function of your car's brakes when it's being towed, even though the towed car's engine is not running. As a result, the actuating cylinder does not need to apply extreme force to the brake pedal to achieve proper braking. The operating unit ties into your towed car's vacuum line with a tee so that it can use the air pressure from your RV to create the vacuum your car needs to brake gently. As a result, no additional vacuum pump is required to create the vacuum-assist function for your towed car's brake pedal. Air Force One will replenish your towed car's vacuum after each braking event so that you will get smooth, even braking every time.
Included is the wireless Coachlink for safety and peace of mind. This monitor, mounted on the dashboard of the RV, will light up whenever your toad is actively braking and give off a short audible alert. With the monitor right in view, it's a simple and convenient way to keep tabs on when the system is working properly or if something goes wrong.
Most supplemental braking systems have a method of letting you know you when they activate, but not all of them are checking if the toad is actually braking. There could be an error where the system is activating without the toad braking, or even that the brakes are staying on continuously when they shouldn't be, but you won't know it until the damage is already done. This monitor, however, connects directly to a reed switch on the actuator so it only lights up when the pedal is depressed.
The breakaway system ensures that your car will come safely to a stop if it accidentally detaches from the RV while you are towing. A switch mounts to the front of the towed vehicle . This switch - which is wired into the operating unit - includes a pin that connects to your RV's hitch receiver with a breakaway cable. If the car separates, the cable pulls the pin from the switch, causing a signal to be sent to the operating unit. A reserve air supply will then apply your towed car's brakes. This system also has "total coach protection" built in. If there is separation, the RV's air supply is sealed off, so its brakes will continue to function as normal.
Air Force One meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) guidelines requiring that supplemental braking systems use a separate air supply and activation relay valve.
Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (311 Customer Reviews)
This truly proportional braking system uses the air pressure from your RV's brakes to apply the brakes in your towed car in the same manner. Low-profile system installs out of the way and is always at the ready. Wireless braking monitor included.Best tow bar system ever owned! Very easy to operate quick release towbar. Plug in coach air can’t be much easier for confident proportional braking towing my Ford F150 Raptor.
When I ordered this kit I assumed the Super C Freightliner was included in this group however, after many hours researching and posting on FB Entegra Super C board I learned this Freightliner chassis does not come with BrakeSync installed. Luckily I made the last minute purchase of the coach side air kit with expedited shipping so I have all the required components for the install appointment just days away.
etrailer should change the info on this kit to state it is only the Class A freightliner chassis that have the coach pre-installed. Alternately, provide guidance on how to confirm the purchaser's RV is equipped or not.
This caused a great deal of stress and frustration trying to confirm I had everything needed. In addition, there are not many firms who will install this for liability reasons. Even the local freightliner dealer would not touch it to install the coach side system.
I could have installed it myself if I had more time but had to find someone who could do it for us so it got done within our short 3 week timeline.
ETrailer had the parts and they arrived sooner than I expected. Thank you!
I this is a replacement for my new 2023 Jeep Rubicon. I am impressed with the brake notification unit for my motor coach. Nice touch!
An excellent and simple system if you have Brake Sync on your Freightliner or Spartan. The staff was extremely helpful, especially Hannah.
This is not the first time I have worked with e trailer. They have not let me down yet.
I wouldn't use anything else! Once this system is installed it's literally plug-and-play. Nothing to move or install into the car, each time you tow. Just plug it into the coach's air break system and you're done. Install video from etrailer made it even easier to complete.
You do need a bit of mechanical guidance/assistance as you're connecting to both your vehicles and coaches breaking system but it has worked flawlessly for over 11,000 miles and in some pretty intense traffic.
Overall a great system, there are some intricacies to the install as it pertains to old instructions with LED light in the TOAD vs. CoachLink Wireless and also the 3 wire reed switch vs. the newer 2 wire one. But using the provided written instructions along with YouTube videos you can figure it out. My other challenge was my Jeep is a 392 model and thus the battery and fuse box are in swapped locations, as well as a different VAC line layout, but again you can figure it out…just takes some time to study and trace the routing. My only real complaint was ordering, I was quoted the wrong system for my RV (Stay and Play) vs. AF1 since I DO have air brakes. etrailer was helpful in getting the return process but wants to charge me the shipping and possibly restock fee, I am working with them on this and hope to get a good resolution.
The Air Force one was not an easy install for me because I’m old and I don’t get around like I used to but it was not impossible. However, in my opinion, it is the best supplemental braking system for flat towing. The best part about it is my Allegro Bus came with the system already installed on the coach and once you install it on your towed vehicle you don’t have to deal with any of that to get on the road. If it takes me more than ten minutes to hook everything up and get in the coach ready to drive away then I've done something wrong.
AF1 is amazing so far. I did the installation by myself. I have a 2014 Honda CR-V and bought it for towing. Watching the video helped me through it. The car installation portion was pretty straight forward. The video is better than the instructions overall, but I read through the entire instructions before beginning. I was able to install the RV tank without putting the rig on a lift. Depending on how big you are and flexibility, it can be done with the RV on the ground...it just takes longer. Also, I would recommend knowing where you are going to mount your RV tank. I mounted the tank near the rear and didn’t have enough brake tube after doing the car. Picked up an extra 20 ft at Autozone or order the tube with etrailer.
The customer service center is very helpful too. Many thanks to Mariah for the outstanding assistance. Finally, I would say that if you order the brackets to mount the emergency brake away for your car, you may have to cut them down with a grinder. It is so much nicer not putting the brake buddy in the car now. Looking forward to enjoying it on trips. I drove the rig about 20 miles yesterday, and the light came on and I honestly couldn’t tell the car was back there other than looking in the video and seeing the light on the car during braking. Highly recommend this unit.
I believe the AFO is the best supplemental braking system for air brakes on the market today. Probably the most expensive also. A lot of work to install but a good system that is truly proportional and safe to use with an air brake system.
Installation was easy, compact and out of the way. Had a little problem finding controller location due to clearance. Ended up using velcro on top of the fuse box to hold the controller in place.
"Out of sight, out of mind" would be the best description I could offer for the Air Force One supplemental braking system! When properly installed, it's effective as well as quick and easy to hook up. Connect the tow bar, safety cables, safety switch cable, tow plug and air line, you're done! Five minutes at most.
I did add a couple of features to my towing system:
1. Using a relay and the extra wire in the connector to the coach, I installed the LED indicator strip on the dash of the coach; no need to rely on the back-up camera to verify operation of the brake cylinder. Coaches that have a tow connector are usually equipped with a power wire to the cab for electric brakes - this wire is a good way to get the indicator signal to the front of the motorhome.
2. I used the 12 V power connection from the coach to connect a charging wire to the car battery to ensure it would not discharge; I used an auto-resetting breaker with a rating below the glass fuse in the 12 V circuit to prevent a fuse from blowing if the charge current gets to high.
In all, a great investment! I have an article I wrote on the install if anyone is interested.
Nice knowing your toad is applying brakes when you do in the coach
Vehicle 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel.
Installation of the SMI Air Force One supplementary braking system was not too difficult. The instructions from SMI were good as was the video from etrailer. The only reason that I didn't give it a 5 star is because the air cylinder installation on the brake pedal was complicated by an unusual shape of the brake pedal arm. I eventually found a solution.
Tapping into the truck's vacuum line was a little difficult but the kit included everything I needed to T into the vacuum line and install the check valves.
All in all not a bad installation, this summer we'll see how it holds up.
Outstanding job. Easy ordering and quick shipping. Thanks for the updates on receiving the order, processing the order, and shipping the order. I will continue ordering from Etrailer.com
Very pleased with the Air Force One braking system. I installed it myself on my Newmar Dutch Star and it works great for towing my F150.
I’ve fitted it to my Jeep Wrangler then taken of and fitted to our new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Works perfectly . I had used our 53ft coach without it and in an emergency stop, was a problem stopping in the rain. Now we have had a couple of fast stops and it works great, would be without it.
We have put over 10k miles on this system. Everything has worked perfectly. A job very well done by Etrailer. Thank you!!
Took some time to route the lines but the system works well
Came with everything I needed to install it. Great quality and works fantastic!
Makes hooking up the tow vehicle braking system very easy. In addition the system can be tested by depressing the rig’s break and observing the toad’s pedal.
I installed it myself, followed the eTrailer installation video. I have used it a year, works great, have put over 3000 miles on it. No issues. Struggled with using a portable brake system and decided to do it right. It was the right choice.
Great product! Install was much easier than I had anticipated and Demco has some great videos available of actual installs.
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