Frequently Asked Questions About SMI Products
Points of interest about Air
Force One & Stay-IN-Play
1. What is the “G-Force Controller”? G-forces are present any time there is motion. The “G-Force Controller” lets you control how many g’s are required to activate the SMI™ brake systems.
The Air Force One & Stay-IN-Play systems mount the controller in the operating unit so adjustments are made in the towed vehicle.
2. Which system best fits my needs? Ask first, “Do I feel the need for control in the coach?”
If you tow a heavy vehicle with a light coach, then you should consider including the cockpit control.
Also, if you are towing a light vehicle with a heavy rig coach control, it is important to be able to decrease the sensitivity so the system activates less often.
If coach control is not important, the next question is one of “set up.” Both Air Force One & Stay-IN-Play are always ready to tow. All SMI™ systems perform well in any towing situation.
3. What’s different about the SMI system? Unlike other air pressure and surge systems on the market today, the SMI system uses the towed vehicle’s own built in vacuum-assisted power braking system.
SMI is also unique in the way we monitor the amount of vacuum in the system. With our built in vacuum sensor, any time vacuum falls below your selected level, the pump runs until it rebuilds sufficient vacuum.
Many systems simply run the pump a predetermined amount of time and ignore the need to maintain a specified level. So, they potentially fail to keep enough vacuum when needed.
4. Why is that important? Air pressure and surge systems apply tremendous pressure to a towed vehicle’s “dead” brake pedal.
In fact, towing preparation instructions for both air pressure and surge systems direct you to “pump” the brake pedal several times before you use their systems. This is necessary to eliminate any remaining vacuum in the towed vehicle’s brake booster tank. Brakes can lock if vacuum remains in the system.
5. Why do they do that? This is a “catch 22″ question. Air pressure and surge braking systems lack a vacuum source to activate your towed vehicle’s brakes the way the factory designs them. Since such systems cannot create vacuum, they must dispose of any vacuum that remains in the system after the towed vehicle’s engine is shut off.
To dispose of residual vacuum, these systems create the “dead” brake pedal we mentioned above. To overcome the lack of vacuum, air pressure and surge systems need to apply 100 to 125 pounds of pressure to the towed vehicle’s brake pedal instead of the 10 pounds SMI’s vacuum assisted braking needs. If 10 pounds will do the work, it is difficult to justify the excess pressure.
One self-contained air brake states their air gauge must be set on 45 for a 3500-pound car. 45 PSI on the gauge produces 80 pounds of force on the brake pedal. Such pressure is probably not enough to stop the car, but even that much is well above the minimum 10 pounds SMI™ Vacuum-Systems need.
6. Just what IS a “dead” brake pedal? Sit in the driver’s seat with the ENGINE RUNNING. Press the brake pedal several times. Notice how far it goes down toward the floor. This is normal operation.
Now, shut off the engine and pump the brake pedal several times. Note how it gets progressively harder to press the pedal down as far as it went when the engine was running. This is a “dead” brake pedal.
Finally, while still pressing down hard on the brake pedal, start the engine. Note how the pedal suddenly goes down. This is normal operation, which results from engine-generated vacuum. This is the same soft pedal the SMI™ system generates.
7. How does the SMI System get its vacuum? Stay-IN-Play contains its own industrial grade 12 volt DC vacuum pump which, when combined with a special vacuum sensing switch, maintains your pre-set level of vacuum in the towed vehicle’s own brake system. It’s ready for immediate use whenever you need it.
Air Force One gets its vacuum from your coach’s system.
8. How does the vacuum created by the SMI System actually operate the brakes? In a typical installation, whenever your RV brake lights are illuminated when you press the RV brake pedal — and sufficient g-forces are present for the “G-Force Controller” to activate, the SMI System sends an electric signal to a special valve in the SMI System operating unit. This causes the vacuum to apply the towed vehicle brake pedal.
9. How does the vacuum created by the SMI System vacuum pump get into the towed vehicle brake system? The vacuum pump in the SMI System operating unit connects to the towed vehicle’s vacuum booster tank by means of a plastic “tee” inserted into the towed vehicle’s vacuum line between the brake booster and the engine. This means we can create vacuum power-assisted brakes without the engine running.
10. Will the insertion of such a plastic “tee” connection void my automobile warranty? SMI Manufacturing, Inc. has studied the written warranty policies of Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Saturn, and others.
Without exception, all warranties provide wording that “after market” installation of any product into any vehicle will NOT void the warranty UNLESS such installation causes specific damage to some related system in the vehicle.
Since the SMI System uses the towed vehicle’s braking system as the factory designed it, no such damage is likely — nor has any occurred to date.
In addition, the SMI system simply removes air in the booster by means of the vacuum pump in the operating unit. The SMI Systems are non-invasive to the towed vehicle.
11. Can I adjust the braking pressure of the SMI System? Yes, SMI has added an easy-to-read vacuum gauge, a test button, and an adjustment for the vacuum for this purpose. You may adjust the vacuum level, which affects the braking action, at any time.
12. What is the warranty? All internal parts are industrial grade and should last a lifetime in normal use. SMI Manufacturing, Inc. offers a 5 year limited warranty.
13. What is the cost? The Stay-IN-Play (SIP0603) retails for $949.95 and comes complete with everything you need including the “G-Force Controller”, Coach-Mounted Radio Receiver, Towed Vehicle Radio Transmitter, and breakaway safety switch.
Air Force One retails for $949.95 and also comes complete with everything you need.
14. Is the SMI Vacuum System proportionate? The need for proportionate braking was born out of the trailer towing industry. In that situation, when you have a heavier object being towed by a lighter object you need the heavier object to help you brake so the trailer does not pass you up.
In the situation of a 20,000 pound motor home towing a 3000 pound car what you need to do is stop the car from “pushing” on the motor home and let the motor home stop itself.
Since the SMI system is adjustable, you control how much vacuum is in the system which controls the amount of braking effort supplied by the towed car. With the G-Force Controller, you control exactly when that effort is applied, on every stop or any point in between.
Stay-IN-Play does offer proportionate and progressive braking in a Panic Stop. In a panic situation, the brakes in the towed vehicle apply progressively harder. The longer you are in the panic, the harder Stay-IN-Play applies the towed vehicle brakes, up to about 30 pounds of pressure.
15. Why is the SMI Vacuum System better than others? The SMI system sends a signal to the RV from the brake light switch of the towed vehicle. Many competing units send a signal from their unit to tell you it is operating. However, their signal does not tell you if you have a problem or if the brakes on your towed vehicle are still activated.
Since the SMI system sends the signal from the brake light switch, you eliminate that possible problem.
The SMI system needs to apply only about 10 pounds of pressure on the brake pedal. Air, surge, electric, and all others apply as much as 100 pounds of pressure to accomplish the same thing.
The simple reason is they do not use vacuum boosted brakes in the towed vehicle. We use the brakes in your towed vehicle just the way the manufacturer designed them.
No other system allows you to control the activation of your system based on g-forces you create when you stop.
Some use a pendulum subject to false activation and others just activate every time you press the brake pedal. There is a self-contained air pressure system that has a 3/4 second delay in activation to get around the problem of bumps and grades. A one-second delay will cause the rig to travel 95 feet before that system activates. Potentially very dangerous.
SMI needs no delay at all with our superior electronics and logic.
16. What is the “Panic Stop Circuit”? Stay-IN-Play includes an additional g-force sensing device that monitors when you are in a panic situation. When that occurs, Stay-IN-Play begins to build proportionate and progressive braking pressure until the unit is applying maximum pressure of up to three times normal pressure.
This feature is only available in Stay-IN-Play from SMI Manufacturing, Inc.
with a specific problem, call or E-mail:
SuperSteer® Manufacturing & Distri-
bution is a division of Henderson’s Line-Up, Brake & RV, Inc.
SuperSteer®
Division of Henderson's Line-Up
458 Redwood Highway
Grants Pass, OR 97527
- Phone us at: 541-955-0769
- “800″ Phone: Toll-free - 888-898-3281
- Fax us at: 541-476-3851
- SuperSteer Tech Line: 541-955-0769
- SuperSteer Order Line: Toll-free - 888-898-3281
- Office Hours: (PST) 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon-Fri; Closed Noon
to 1 p.m. If you call after hours, we'll call you back. If you’re driving & unfamiliar with the area, see a map here
E-mail us and tell us what you need at:
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