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Unified Tow Brake
Success Stories
| The Unified tow brake by U.S. Gear is a rapidly growing product line for
PPL Motor Homes. We began selling the product line in January of 2004. Since
then we have seen sales grow rapidly. The
Unified tow brake (UTB-1000) is one of the easiest tow brakes to use.
Once the unit is installed, all the RVer has to do is plug it in and go.
There is no need for our customers to install or remove something each time
they use the tow car. The unit has an advanced remote control unit that
monitors and adjusts for road conditions within the cockpit of the motor
home. Another great feature of the Unified tow brake is its unique
proportional/progressive braking. This feature allows the towed vehicle to
stop quicker in more aggressive braking situations and smoother in normal
braking conditions. The unified tow brake is a leader in the towed vehicle
braking market. US Gear has taken towed vehicle braking to a new level. Over the past three years we have had numerous customers commenting on how well the system works. The following is a few of the comments we hear on a consistent basis:
With these comments and PPL Motor Homes’ knowledge of the product we do not see how any customer could go wrong with a Unified tow brake system. Also, many major RV manufacturers now have the Motor Home portion of the Unified Tow Brake system already installed in all the Motor Homes they sell. Kits ( TV-1000K) are available which simply completes the tow brake system for these particular Motor Homes. These kits make installation very easy. Also, the TV-1000K kits are several hundred dollars less than the complete UTB-1000 system. PPL Motor Homes believes this is going to be a great combination. PPL is looking forward to a great year with the Unified tow brake systems and thank US Gear for their excellent support. Boyde McMakin |
| I own a 2006 Winnebago Adventurer Motorhome. When I purchased the
motorhome I had a Unified tow Brake package installed on my Jeep Liberty
that I use as a tow vehicle. On January 3, 2011 I was driving south on I-75
near Ft. Meyers, Florida when the hitch on the motorhome broke off. There
were 6 bolts holding the hitch to the underside of the motorhome and one of
the center bolts came off and somehow the hitch broke off from all the four
outside bolts, leaving it hanging from just the one remaining center bolt.
When the hitch came down it severed the cable going to the tow vehicle and
the Unified Tow Brake gave me a beep and made me look for where the signal
came from. Seeing no warning on the dashboard I saw that the green light on
the tow brake control was off and I looked a the rear camera picture and saw
that something was wrong with the tow. I was then able to pull off on the
shoulder and stop before the hitch came completely off. Fortunately a
highway help vehicle came along and helped me remove the remaining bolt and
separate the tow bars from the tow vehicle. There did not appear to be any
damage to the motorhome or the tow vehicle except that the cables that were
severed took out my brake lights and turn signals but I was able to drive to
the North Trail RV Center with my wife driving the Jeep behind me with her
flashers on. I feel that the warning signal from the Unified Tow Brake system gave me the time to stop before the tow vehicle completely separated. Thanks. D. Norwood |
| My US Gear tow brake system has been on my RV/Jeep Cherokee for about
six years. I recently had it stop working and it reminded me how nice it is
to have it on my rig. It is well worth the expense even if you aren't
concerned about the "not enforced" towing laws that most states have. It's
well worth the peace of mind and confidence it gives you while driving an
always overloaded RV down the road. It also saves a lot of wear on the
already taxed RV chassis. Making things even better is that when you do have trouble as mine has, there is willing and friendly support from the US Gear folks! That is a rarity these days and I am one that appreciates their willingness to make themselves available to their customers; both past and present! J. Risch |
| Just discovered the testimonial section and felt compelled to comment.
In 2002, we purchased our second Class A, a 2000 Fleetwood Flair, and
purchased a new 2002 Ford Ranger to tow. We were not sure the US Gear
UTB was worth the price. Especially
when my wife broke her shoulder preventing me from installing the device.
The decision was made to have it installed. Our installer required the coach
to be in the shop one work day and the toad another day. When all the work
was done, road tested and adjusted we took delivery and proceeded a few
miles to our storage facility. Using a freeway, and being very cautious
getting used the new equipment, I noticed a woman with two children about to
merge. She had one child in an infant seat and one in a seatbelt. She never
looked or signaled and darted out in front. My foot was on the brake pedal
just in case she did what she did. I could not swerve into the next lane for
an 18 wheeler presence. There was no room on the shoulder plus a guard rail.
I was prepared to buy the rail. Our previous rig would not have stopped, or
slowed enough, with or without the toad. My panic stop attempt slowed me
enough, I missed her with inches clearance. I pulled over as soon as I could
to see if any damage occurred to either of our vehicles. The big rig driver
pulled in behind me and wanted to know " How in the world did you not hit
that woman." Later I took the motor home to a large vacant parking lot and
practiced stops with and without the toad. At every speed, the motor home
stopped in less distance with the toad than it does alone. I wrote all that
to tell you with out US Gear UTB I would have likely killed that woman and
both of her children and the motor coach would have been wrecked. It works
as claimed. Now we do not like to go across town with the toad due to having
that braking system. And in all the miles we have towed since we have had no
problems at all with the system. That one near miss paid for the expense.
Our thanks to all of you at US Gear involved in the design and manufacture
of this system. T. and S. Wilson |
| Just had the Unified Brake System
installed on my 2007 Ford Explorer, it is everything you guys say it is,
towed for 1500 miles No problem. One hundred percent better that those
systems that set in the tow......Well Pleased J. Calloway |
| I finished the installation and towed our Jeep Wrangler to a near by
lake for a weekend of camping. The
Unified Tow Brake worked perfect. Way above my expectations. I would
like to add that the customer support person I talked to concerning the
installation was very helpful and answered all my questions. Thank you. J. Howe |
| After getting recommendations from your [U.S. Gear customer service
representative]...earlier this year (May 9), I purchased a D-Celerator
Unified Tow Brake Product Kit
Number #TV-1000K and had it installed on a 2007 Allegro TGA Workhorse Gas RV
and a 2007 Saturn VUE V6 Automatic AWD. I did a lot of research on
supplemental brake systems for RV's and decided on the US Gear product. I took it on a 6K mile two month trip from TN through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, S.D., MN, WI, MI and then back to TN. Your product worked great and it convinced me that I made the right decision. Prior to the trip I purchased the Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV and Motorhome Drivers by Richard W. Miller. I was concerned about the grades that I would encounter through the Rockies. The book gave the advance warnings of grades and the US Gear gave the performance required. I felt very confident as a result and would be the first to recommend your system to any RVer. D. LaBash |
| I have owned a US Gear Unified Tow
Brake since 2001, and have enjoyed the convenience, reliability, and
safety it provides. I even make a trip to Alaska up the very rough and
unpredictable Alaska highway, and it performed flawlessly. I have driven
over 40,000 miles with the brake and towed vehicle (a 2001 Honda CRV), and
won’t think of traveling without it. G. Powers |
| Purchased a Unified Tow Braking
system about 1 year ago and installed it myself. Not hard at all to install.
It has worked perfectly since the day I checked it out. Very fine braking
system. Recommended it to my friend who was checking out various types of
other systems. He purchased your system, installed it and he is very
pleased. After working in the design engineering field, I see nothing to change to make it a better working system. Very pleased in Ohio. L. Fisher |
| About a year ago, I purchased and installed a
Unified Tow Brake system on my
Triple E Embassy motorhome and Honda Accord dingy. This was after surveying
the market and concluding that the UTB was the best product for the job - I
don't need to reiterate all the features, but those that the UTB has are the
important ones. It worked as expected, and I am still happy with it. Apart from the good performance, not having to install and adjust a chunk of hardware when I want to tow the car is a major plus. P. Fryer |
| Recently installed a U. S. Gear
Unified Tow Brake on my 2005 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab truck that
I use as a two vehicle. My RV is a 2006 Holiday Rambler Endeavor model
40PDQ. I researched tow brakes and determined that yours had all the
features I was looking for in a tow brake. The clincher was that the
Endeavor (Monaco product) was pre-wired for your brake controller. I did the
installation myself. The brakes work GREAT!!!!! I admit that I was skeptical
about your claims that the combination of RV and towed vehicle would stop
shorter than the RV alone, but my tests show that to be a true statement. I
drove without any brakes for a few thousand miles on the towed vehicle (4000
pounds) and it is a radical difference now that I have the U S Gear system
installed. Hookup is only one electric cable (contains the brake circuits
plus my towed vehicle lights) and the breakaway cable. Absolutely no hookup
is required inside the vehicle! I completely recommend your product. R. Braden |
| After spending months and months (about 1-1/2 years) looking at, and
weighing, the pros and cons of all the different auxiliary braking systems
available, I finally decided upon the
Unified Tow Brake. I recently purchased and installed one, and
absolutely love it!! Just completed a 3000+ mile trip thru the mountains of
Utah and northern Arizona and it performed flawlessly! J. Shore |
| You can be sure that I will continue to praise your company to everyone
I know and continue to highly recommend your
Unified Tow Brake system to
anyone interested in a tow brake. G. Boucher |
| Just recently purchased your
Unified Tow Brake system. I am very pleased the way the system
operates. Your Installation CD and Instructions made the installation very
easy. D. Dean |
| We’ve just installed a Unified
Brake system on our 1998 27’ Gulfstream towing a Honda CR-V. The
dealer here in Santa Rosa, CA (RV Specialists) did a great job in the
installation. It is amazingly simple to hook up because the dealer integrated the braking wires between the vehicles into the standard 6 wire harness which controls the towed vehicle’s brake and turn signal lights. The breakaway feature is also plug and play. This system beats all the others in terms of simplicity of use. After much research of many braking systems, the Unified is the easiest to hookup and very effective by design. Most designs use a dead brake pedal in the towed vehicle. Have you ever tried to stop a car without vacuum assisted power brakes? Others have you mount and dismount the braking unit in the towed vehicle, release the compressed air so you don’t injure yourself or others, run down the towed vehicle’s battery and other operational and safety headaches. The Unified is one of the few systems that utilize the towed vehicle’s vaccum assisted power brakes to stop the vehicle. On our first trip, we drove down Highway 17 towards Santa Cruz, CA. Highway 17 has many hills and turns. The Unified system worked perfectly, slowing us down as if we didn’t have an extra 3,200 pounds behind us (Honda CR-V). We would recommend this system to anyone considering an auxiliary braking system that is easy to use and really works giving the owners peace of mind. We are now compliant with all State laws and Canada, but more importantly, we know that we can stop safely with our towed vehicle. Thanks for a great product. D. Hom |
| I am an owner of a 1999 34' Georgie Boy Landau, which
I purchased in December 1998. My first towed vehicle was a Saturn
SW, which weighed about 2800 pounds. When it was being towed, I had
no problems stopping and couldn't even tell it was behind me. Last
August, I traded this vehicle for a 2002 Jeep Liberty which weighs almost
4000 pounds. I had been reading articles that it has become law in
several states that a towed vehicle weighing that much must have an
auxiliary braking system.
Your product was installed and must say that it is an exceptional product and that we received exceptional service as well. When driving with my Jeep in tow, I could definitely tell the difference. I would also like to thank you for your assistance and connecting me with such a fine dealer. I know that there are less expensive products out there, but I am a firm believer that you only get what you pay for. A Happy Camper, |
| I feel that after one year of using the Unified
Tow Brake, during which time we've traveled over 15 000 Miles, a
lot of which was in mountainous regions (British Columbia has a lot of
mountains roads), I can give an informed opinion. I'm glad to say that the
braking system has operated flawlessly, and I couldn't be happier with it.
While I haven't made any scientific tests (I'll leave that to the
experts), the difference in stopping distances between having and not
having the system is very evident. In addition to the obvious additional
safety, another factor not to overlook is the peace of mind. My wife's
knuckles don't turn quite as white anymore.
I also like the ease with which the system operates, the fact that the tow vehicle is ready to drive the moment it's unhooked. The only additional task I have, compared to when I was towing without the system, is to replace the key attached to the cable with the dummy key in the breakaway switch, hardly a monumental task. None of the parts are normally visible or get in the way while driving. I also like the complete control I have over the whole system while towing, and the ability to adjust it according to conditions. While I'm aware that there are cheaper systems available, I firmly believe that the Unified Tow Brake gave me the best value for my money. As stated above, I'm completely happy with my choice of a brake system and have no reservation about recommending the Unified Tow Brake to anyone contemplating the installation of a braking system. Received
by e-mail from... |
| I drive a 2000 Ford F350 crew cab with
dual rear wheels with a 11' 3" Lance truck camper. The truck has a
class 5 tow hitch with an extension attachment rated to 5,000 pounds. I
tow a 1981 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser that approaches 5,000 pounds fully
fueled and loaded.
I want to say thanks for excellent installation instructions and diagrams! Before this year's road trip, I completed the installation with no problems following your written instructions and diagrams. The [Unified Tow] brake system worked the first time! My wife and I were able to experience the stopping effectiveness of the systems right away! The system was especially impressive during our long descents from high mountain passes (Bear Tooth Pass in Montana). Fortunately we experienced no needs to "slam-on-the-brakes" during our trip, but it was a great relief to know that we had the best braking system available on the market. We would disconnect the Land Cruiser and take it off-road. The only extra thing we had to do was to snap together the connector of the Unified Tow Brake and break-away harness. The system worked every time we hooked back up to the truck! Received
by e-mail from... |
| For a year I towed a Jeep Cherokee
behind my 37' gas motorhome and approached every stop light and
intersection with a little trepidation. This spring I installed your Unified
Tow Brake system and immediately felt the difference. Stopping is
much more predictable. The product is worth the price just for the feeling
you have when you know you can stop safely. A few weeks ago while
returning home from trip, the alarm went off on the controller, I looked
in the rearview camera and the Jeep was not where it was supposed to be.
It was hanging on by the safety cables and the breakaway feature was applying
the brakes to the Jeep. We were able to stop in a controlled fashion and
the Jeep did not hit the back of the motorhome. What could have been a
very bad situation was controlled easily by the Unified Tow Brake. I
replaced the sheared pin in the tow bar and we were on our way. Thanks for
making a great product.
Received
by e-mail from... |
| I wish to take this opportunity to
compliment you on the performance of your Unified
Tow System. I have towed a Jeep Cherokee with a 30ft Southwind
Motorhome for nine years.
Over that period my wife and I have had some real nail-biting experiences trying to stop this rig. Prior to our trip to Alaska, I had your system installed. We gave it the acid test traveling 8966 miles. For the first time in nine years and 65,000 miles, its performance gave me a sense of security about my braking ability. I would recommend your product to anyone. Received
by e-mail from... |
| I had a Unified
Tow Brake installed last year, and I love it. I researched
many systems before buying and I feel I made the right choice. Received
by e-mail from... |
| I just returned from a 7000 + mile,
cross country trip, towing a Chevy S-10 behind my 34 foot Motorhome. The Unified
Tow Brake unit, that I purchased prior to the trip, performed as
advertised, keeping me, I believe, from a collision in the rain while
approaching Denver. Several times during the trip, I had to
"romp" on the brakes, (East Coast and Dallas traffic :-), and
each time it was comforting to feel the brakes on the Blazer, as the U.T.B.
caused them to apply. I am happy to have purchased your product, and would
recommend it to anyone.
J. Bauersachs |
| This letter is to express to you how
pleased I am with the performance of the Unified
Tow Brake system which was installed on my towed vehicle/motorhome.
The performance of the unit is superb, providing added driving confidence with the additional stopping power... I am particularly impressed with the non-invasive and inconspicuous installation of the actuation solenoid and other necessary parts to the towed vehicle. My "tip of the hat" to your fine product and service. A. Gonzalez |
| Ladies and Gentlemen:
You probably get letters like this all the time, but here’s one more. We’ve used a US Gear Unified Tow Brake system for about 6 months and 9,000 miles with a Class C motor home and 2,800 pound towed car. We’ve driven through most of the steep mountain passes out west and the 10 percent grades of Pennsylvania. The system works exactly as advertised. I am so glad that we took the time to thoroughly research all the available braking systems before selecting UTB. Thanks for entertaining our several telephone calls to ask technical questions. At 2,800 pounds we’re not required to install a supplemental brake system for our towed vehicle (3,000 pounds is the limit in Pennsylvania), but I’m glad we did. Though I have only empirical data, not test data, I agree that the UTB provides a shorter stopping distance with the motorhome and towed vehicle together than the motorhome alone. Recently, some idiot with four kids in his car pulled out from a roadside fruit stand on Highway 58 in North Carolina seemingly right in front of our motorhome driving at 55 MPH. I know I could not have stopped the motorhome alone in the distance provided. Our combined rig stopped about two feet away. Afterward I told my wife I had to write this letter. You really should provide a large decal to be displayed on motorhomes and towed vehicles. I also want to complement Rhone’s Travel Trailer, Cogan Station, PA for their professional and fault free installation of the UTB. D. Gordon |
| I have demonstrated the [Unified
Tow Brake] system to several RV dealers in our area and they are
all impressed. I think the tow brake is a great product. Thanks for
developing it!
J. Powers |
| I recently had the Unified
Tow Brake installed on my 1999 35S Southwind Motorhome and a 1998
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. I am happy with the braking results and
would surely recommend this unit to all that I know.
E. Lee |
If you have enhanced the performance of your towing experience with the Unified Tow Brake, we'd like to hear from you...and we will feature your story on this page. We frequently hear stories from full-timers and performance-minded drivers how a Unified Tow Brake has increased their driving enjoyment. Now you can let everyone know about the benefits of the D-Celerator or Unified Tow Brake.
Unified Tow Brake Page
Testimonials Page
Send your questions and comments to: info@usgear.cc
Copyright © 2008 AP Products, Inc.
Last modified:
08/15/11