Clunking Noise When Braking With Toad

[tntfla]

Just finished our first trip with our 2015 Vista 27N. We have an Aventa tow bar by Blue Ox that came with the coach when we bought it. We had a Demco Stay-In-Play Duo braking system installed in our 2019 Ford Ranger toad.
Everything seems to work fine, but I noticed a significant clunking noise when braking. I thought it was play in the connection to the hitch receiver, but after checking with the toad disconnected there is not really any play in the hitch connection.

Has anyone else experienced this clunk sound or do you know what it could be?

Thanks!

[tim myers]

Could the sound you are hearing be the Toad over braking and yanking on the hitch system when brakes are applied? Have you tried to adjust the braking force down a bit on the Stay n Play inertia box?

[Morich]

One to verify would be that there is not play in the tow plates on the tow car. Possibly just try to lift the tow connecting points on the car front to check if they move at all?
Bad news if there is movement there as it would indicate they are coming loose!

To check out the overbraking or other problem with the brake system, one might unplug it for a a short trial run to see if you still get the clunking.

Also it may be tricky to hear a noise and think it is the vehicle when it might just be an item in a storage compartment sliding forward and clunking??? A loose bottle of soda which had fallen out of a drawer and into the wasted space below a cabinet had us going for a while, so it might be worth cutting the chase by driving the RV without the tow car to see if you have the clunk!

Our noise only happened on fairly sharp entrance ramps as it rolled sideways sometimes and forward at others!

[tntfla]

Thanks for the responses.
I took the towbar to a local dealer. He checked it out and said the towbar is definitely the culprit. It was already almost 8 years old when I bought the coach that it came with, so I have replaced it with a new one.
Now I'm trying to decide whether to have it refurbished by Blue Ox (I have until October to be within their 8 year limit.) and then sell it. I would probably have to get about $300 for it in order to make it worthwhile. It is 10,000 lb rated.

[tntfla]

Turns out that the towbar was not the problem.
The brake controller was improperly installed in the toad. It caused the toad to brake everytime the turn signal blinked and to cycle on and off whenever the MH brakes were applied.
Fixed by the dealer and all is well now!