Flat Towing 2025 2.3L with Patriot BRK-2022 System - Looking for Insights

[NateB]

Hello - wondering if anyone that is flat towing with the Patriot BRK-2022 System can share any insights with me on the settings they are using, what they are towing with and their overall experience using it? I have a smaller class c motorhome.

I've tried various levels of sensitivity and force settings, but I do not feel the bronco braking is very meaningful, even at higher force levels. For example during coasting and applying the brake manually, I do not feel it tugging on the RV at all.

Thanks for any insights!

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[Bill K]

I use the Patriot BRK2019 Proportional Braking system to tow my 2023 Bronco Big Bend 2 door. I too have a Class C Mercedes Sprinter 3500 motor home rated to tow 5000 pounds.

I believe the Bronco braking to be pretty meaningful with this system based on the applied force from the RF monitor that I look at in the cab of my motor home. On the extremely few occasions I have had to emergency brake, I watched the report on the monitor max out. Sometimes when this happens, it takes awhile for the accelerometers in the braking system to reset and recover. I can assure you that when this happens I feel the Bronco drag down my RV.

Most of the time when flat towing I'm driving pretty conservatively to maximize gas mileage. I'll agree that during these intervals when the monitor is telling me the Bronco braking system is being minimally applied I might agree with your post. Otherwise I believe it's working as advertised although I don't recall any setting capability with my portable braking system so the above my not be applicable for your system.

 

[NateB]

Thanks for sharing your insights. I'm glad to hear your setup is working well for you. I believe your RF monitor is similar to mine, in that in its settings menu (middle button) you can change the following settings:

• FORCE — adjustable braking aggressiveness.
• MAX FORCE — limits the maximum amount of force the unit can apply.
• SENSITIVITY — adjustable sensitivity of the inertia/accelerometer that determines when braking begins.

If that's the case, I'd love to know what you have yours set to. Mine came from the factory set to 5, 7 and 9. As I felt that I could not feel the bronco braking I raised the force levels, but then noticed the bronco was "braking," as reported by the monitor, as I was simply lifting my foot off the accelerator. I will need to dial that back (including the sensitivity).

I assume your bronco has vacuum brakes (?) where my 2025 has the electronic brake assist. When towing, my bronco pedal is completely unassisted and very firm to push down. I assume yours is that way as well?

Thanks again for connecting on this.

 

[dgorsett]

RVI Brake set at medium sensitivity and small suv. Normally at stop lights or steep downhill it does nothing. Gives good assist if I get careless.

 

[NateB]

Thanks for the insights on the RVI Brake experience. What model year is your Bronco? Not sure how long you've had this setup, but when you performed the initial (or subsequent) brake test (coasting at 30 MPH and then manually applying the brake) could you feel the towed vehicle tugging at you a bit? I've tried this numerous times, and at slower speeds as well, and cannot.

The brake systems is working - pushing the pedal down - I'm just not sure if its hard enough to get a meaningful brake result. Note this is my first time flat towing, though I have pulled various size travel trailers for years with trailer brakes.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

[Bill K]

Thanks for sharing your insights. I'm glad to hear your setup is working well for you. I believe your RF monitor is similar to mine, in that in its settings menu (middle button) you can change the following settings:

• FORCE — adjustable braking aggressiveness.
• MAX FORCE — limits the maximum amount of force the unit can apply.
• SENSITIVITY — adjustable sensitivity of the inertia/accelerometer that determines when braking begins.

If that's the case, I'd love to know what you have yours set to. Mine came from the factory set to 5, 7 and 9. As I felt that I could not feel the bronco braking I raised the force levels, but then noticed the bronco was "braking," as reported by the monitor, as I was simply lifting my foot off the accelerator. I will need to dial that back (including the sensitivity).

I assume your bronco has vacuum brakes (?) where my 2025 has the electronic brake assist. When towing, my bronco pedal is completely unassisted and very firm to push down. I assume yours is that way as well?

Thanks again for connecting on this.

I just checked and my sensitivity is set to 9 and max force is set to 7, and the force that shows on the RF display is 5. It sounds like it's the same as your stock settings and I don't recall messing with it (but at my age, that doesn't mean I didn't ;-).

My Bronco does have the vacuum brakes so I never really worried about pulling fuses like those with the electronic brakes used to have to do per Ford's recommendation early on. The first push of my brake pedal is a little spongy, but then after 1 push it's firm. Suspect it's firm when I'm hooking up my brake system since I just finished driving the Bronco into position for this.

I also suspect that while coasting and you're lightly applying the brakes in the RV, the Bronco system probably isn't helping much during freeway driving for example (accelerometers in the Bronco brake system don't register much braking force so don't apply much to the Bronco's brake pedal). If I'm driving conservatively, and pulling up to a stoplight I usually see only 1 triangle out of 4 on the display indicating that the Bronco brakes are being minimally applied.

Hope that helps and happy flat towing!

 

[NateB]

Thanks for taking the time to check and share your settings. Unfortunately, per Ford, I still need to pull fuses in my 2025 Bronco 2.3L Big Bend. Its easy enough to do, but the process is you have to first wait 5 mins for the bronco to go into sleep mode - same on the other end before you reinstall them. All good if you are not in hurry, its not raining, etc

In my testing, I'm applying the bronco's brakes via the manual brake button on the RF controller while I'm coasting. So in theory, the accelerometer is not ordering the braking, but the manual brake button should brake the bronco - similar to a trailer brake. In doing this, I cannot feel the Bronco braking at all.

When I get a chance next week I will set it up again and test with some more aggressive RV braking (simulated emergency brake event) and see if I can replicate your experience.

Thanks again for the sharing your insights!

If anyone else is using this system with a Bronco with Electronic Brakes (EBB) I would love to hear from you too!!

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