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RVIbrake3 Probs-700 miles from home

roaniecowpony

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Hi folks. Please forgive the post about towing here, but I'm on a road trip and could use some help. I have a brand new RVIbrake3 in my JLUR and it began going nuts about 500 miles from home in the middle of nowhere on Nevada state route 6 in the mountains. It was pulsing the brakes and I pulled over. It continued to pulse the brakes. I rebooted both the tablet and the main unit (unplug) several times to no help. I pulled the unit off the pedal and continued on my trip without brakes.

Anyone experience this with this product? RVI support is M-F, 9-4:30 Colorado time. Needless to say, I'm questioning the quality of this product and my decision.
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patternman

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Hi folks. Please forgive the post about towing here, but I'm on a road trip and could use some help. I have a brand new RVIbrake3 in my JLUR and it began going nuts about 500 miles from home in the middle of nowhere on Nevada state route 6 in the mountains. It was pulsing the brakes and I pulled over. It continued to pulse the brakes. I rebooted both the tablet and the main unit (unplug) several times to no help. I pulled the unit off the pedal and continued on my trip without brakes.

Anyone experience this with this product? RVI support is M-F, 9-4:30 Colorado time. Needless to say, I'm questioning the quality of this product and my decision.
I'm unable to help but please follow up with the outcome. I'm considering this device myself and would like to know as much as i can about it.
 

Durango

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I use an RVi unit, and have never had that problem with it. I do once in awhile have to unplug/reboot the 12VDC/110VAC amp that is between the tablet and the braking unit, but that's more due to comm issues where the tablet doesn't see the braking device (it will still brake the toad regardless).
I can say that the folks at RVi are very helpful and respond to emails as soon as they come in in the morning - not much help on a weekend I know. I've had a couple other issues with mine (pedal clamp would slip off the pedal, and the position sensor in the arm for the ram ceased working) and they were extremely helpful. The slipping pedal clamp was somewhat unique, and required them to eventually procure a more stout clamp from a competitor, which they did without complaint. What other mfr would do this?
I will follow this thread so that should I ever have the issue you're talking about, I know what to do - wish I could help you with the problem...
 
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roaniecowpony

roaniecowpony

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Thanks for the moral support Brian. I made it to my destination in eastern Oregon almost 900 miles from home now. I'll be at a friend's place for a couple weeks. In that time, RVI should be able to solve the issue or send me a replacement to my location. Right now, I have no confidence in this particular unit and won't reinstall it unless they have a definitive solution. It's just too scary to have it go wacko like that again if I'm in a bad situation on a slippery road.

I'll get ahold of RVI Monday morning first thing.
 

Durango

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Thanks for the moral support Brian. I made it to my destination in eastern Oregon almost 900 miles from home now. I'll be at a friend's place for a couple weeks. In that time, RVI should be able to solve the issue or send me a replacement to my location. Right now, I have no confidence in this particular unit and won't reinstall it unless they have a definitive solution.
I understand the lack of confidence - prior to the RVi unit, I had a Patriot unit and after a couple years it started braking without a need - on it's last strip (before I literally tossed it in the dumpster) it started applying the brakes about every ten miles for no reason. I'd pull over and reset it, and it'd be fine for another ten or so. But eventually I was in a place where I couldn't pull over when I got the signal it was malfunctioning, and by the time I could pull over, the brakes on the toad were smokin'! Prior to that I had a BrakeMaster, and it too eventually failed. So far the RVi, other than what I noted, is hanging in there.
 

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roaniecowpony

roaniecowpony

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I spoke to the RVI support people. They believe the issue stems from dirty or intermittant power. My setup has a Cooltech jumper for constant power to the cigarrett lighter.

They had me plug in the main unit to my truck power socket and test it. It worked fine. But then it worked fine in the jeep when I left home. They want me to install a direct power source to the battery. I can't figure out what difference I have in my setup vs others here.
 

Durango

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I spoke to the RVI support people. They believe the issue stems from dirty or intermittant power. My setup has a Cooltech jumper for constant power to the cigarrett lighter.

They had me plug in the main unit to my truck power socket and test it. It worked fine. But then it worked fine in the jeep when I left home. They want me to install a direct power source to the battery. I can't figure out what difference I have in my setup vs others here.
Hmmmm...
I had a problem with the cigarette light male plug working it's way out of the female receptacle for a millisecond, and in that time it would then lose settings and require I go through the setup process again. (sorry I didn't mention that initially - kind of forgot since it's not really an issue with the RVi unit, and I took care of it by using some needlenose piers on the two opposing contacts of the male plug to put more contact pressure on them)(even at that, every once in while if I tow it over a big bump it will lose contact for that split second and then I have to reset)
Oh, and also - are you using an extension from the Jeep's receptacle (mine on the JLUR is in back, so have to use an extension)? When I was searching for an extension, some weren't rated for the current the RVi draws - they told me it's 8A when it's recharging the piston cylinder. Not that that would make a difference - should be works, or blows fuses - but also worth checking. But try bending those plug tabs just a little and see if that helps. I tried to convince them to rewrite the program so it if lost connection - as could happen with intermittent or dirty power - for less than a quarter second it would just continue functioning as it had been prior, instead of requiring reset...they wouldn't.
 

Hgrace

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I prefer permanently mounted systems like my Brake Buddy Stealth system.
I've had 2 with no issues.
Good luck. Let us know how it ends
 
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roaniecowpony

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Hmmmm...
I had a problem with the cigarette light male plug working it's way out of the female receptacle for a millisecond, and in that time it would then lose settings and require I go through the setup process again. (sorry I didn't mention that initially - kind of forgot since it's not really an issue with the RVi unit, and I took care of it by using some needlenose piers on the two opposing contacts of the male plug to put more contact pressure on them)(even at that, every once in while if I tow it over a big bump it will lose contact for that split second and then I have to reset)
Oh, and also - are you using an extension from the Jeep's receptacle (mine on the JLUR is in back, so have to use an extension)? When I was searching for an extension, some weren't rated for the current the RVi draws - they told me it's 8A when it's recharging the piston cylinder. Not that that would make a difference - should be works, or blows fuses - but also worth checking. But try bending those plug tabs just a little and see if that helps. I tried to convince them to rewrite the program so it if lost connection - as could happen with intermittent or dirty power - for less than a quarter second it would just continue functioning as it had been prior, instead of requiring reset...they wouldn't.
Thanks much for your insight. I figured the weakest link in the system was the plug/socket connection and told their support people so. I may install a more reliable connector system. I did bring my weathertight connector set on this trip for such a need.
 

Durango

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I prefer permanently mounted systems like my Brake Buddy Stealth system.
I've had 2 with no issues.
Good luck. Let us know how it ends
I prefer the removable systems like the RVi unit because I often have more than one toad I might take with me, and one unit saves me considerable $$ versus having a permanent unit in each toad, and on top of that, I trade in toads so often that I'd constantly be having to install a permanent system.

It does warm my heart that people are braking their toads on this forum - I know people who pull heavier vehicles who are content letting the coach do the braking for it and the toad...not always healthy (or legal).
 

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When I first read your post, I thought, Power issue. I have the same set up. I ran an extension from my rear 12V outlet. It has constant power. Never been a problem.
 

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I added a new plug in spot in the center console, controlled by one of the 4 switches on the dash. works great
 
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roaniecowpony

roaniecowpony

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I spoke to RVI yesterday again. They were confident it was the power source and pretty insistent that I find a direct battery source outside the Jeep circuit. I had brought along on this hunting trip, their plug kit that ties to the battery. We wired it direct to the battery with their fuse link inline. I even pulled the fender and fished the wire thru the firewall on the passenger side. All was fine in the driveway. I hooked it up and got to the corner of his street when the thiing went wacko again. It initially braked very hard at the street stop sign , then began pumping continuously, until I finally unplugged it. I'm loosing patience with this product.
 

CoolTech

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My setup has a Cooltech jumper for constant power to the cigarrett lighter.
I'm sorry that you continue to have problems with the RVi unit. In my experience, they are a good company and will help you out. Also, I'm glad to see that our "PowerPort" kit has been vindicated. Essentially, it is a direct (but fused) connection to a dedicated circuit that Jeep designed for the dash located power source. Our kit only makes this "hot" all of the time (instead of switched with the key). The connection we make are soldered and epoxied and I didn't see any way that this could have been your culprit. Again, wish you the best of luck in getting the problem remedied with RVi as soon as possible.
 
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roaniecowpony

roaniecowpony

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I'm sorry that you continue to have problems with the RVi unit. In my experience, they are a good company and will help you out. Also, I'm glad to see that our "PowerPort" kit has been vindicated. Essentially, it is a direct (but fused) connection to a dedicated circuit that Jeep designed for the dash located power source. Our kit only makes this "hot" all of the time (instead of switched with the key). The connection we make are soldered and epoxied and I didn't see any way that this could have been your culprit. Again, wish you the best of luck in getting the problem remedied with RVi as soon as possible.
Thanks Kendall
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