Towing a Car with A-Frame Power or Vacuum Assisted Brakes

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THROUGH THE PROVISION OF AN AUXILIARY VACUUM PUMP, THE UNIBRAKE SYSTEM ENERGISES THE VEHICLE’S OWN POWER ASSISTED BRAKING SYSTEM, THE EFFICIENCY OF WHICH IS AS INTENDED BY THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER OF THE TOWED VEHICLE.

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The Unibrake system employs three main components to achieve perfect proportional braking in the towed vehicle. These are:

  • The control module is connected to the ignition switch of the Motorhome. The settings from 1 to 9 on the control unit determine the intensity and proportional braking to be applied, and the variable signal is sent to another control unit installed in the towed vehicle. (higher settings increase the intensity of the brakes applied). This allows the driver to adjust for the Motorhome/car weight ratio, and thus operate the system in unison, and as one unit.
  • LED lights leave nothing to chance A horizontally moving LED light bar is displayed on the control unit, to inform the Motorhome driver, that proportional braking is being activated under braking conditions, (the harder you brake the longer the LED bar).

Emergency braking

  • This is achieved through the gyroscopic sensor within the Motorhome control unit, which instantly overrides and increases the brake intensity to the maximum level setting on the control unit.

The Control unit in the towed vehicle

  • On receipt of the variable signal from the Motorhome control unit, the car control unit activates the brake light switch in the car, and also sends an appropriate intensity signal to the solenoid installed under the driver’s seat of the car. The control unit in the car is also responsible for sending an alarm signal to the Motorhome control unit, if the brake function fails or the electrical connection is severed. The control unit also activates the auxiliary vacuum pump installed in the engine compartment of the towed vehicle.

The Solenoid

  • On receipt of the appropriate signal from the control unit in the car, the solenoid effects the pulling of a cable to proportionally depress the brake pedal in the car. The connection of the cable to the solenoid is attached high above the brake pedal, so there are no parts or structures installed in the driver’s front well. Everything is neat and tidy, such, that at a glance one would not even notice that the vehicle is wired for towing.