Do I Really Need A Brake Buddy

As said there is the laws of physics here. That 3-4 thousand pounds of vehicle in a sudden stop produces much more force than that. inertia takes over.

msturtz wrote:
Just a point of fact. A vehicle in tow for legal purposes is in fact a trailer. I can prove why. The state I live in doesn't allow double recreational towing. If as some posters assert that my towed vehicle is not a "trailer" then on trips where I want to bring our boat I should be able to hitch the boat to the vehicle in tow. That way I can bring both the boat and toad. Btw I know I can't I would get pulled over by a LEO in short order. Btw I have a CDL. A trailer is ANYTHING articulated towed behind another vehicle.

Send an email to your State Highway Patrol and get an answer from them about a vehicle in tow behind an RV. Your answer will be the same one that I got. When was the last time you saw a wrecker operator put a supplemental braking system in any vehicle they hooked up to?
Remember that a private RV IS NOT a commercial vehicle.

Quote from FMCA Towing Guide: "Dingy brakes are mandatory in most states and Canadian provinces; besides, any time extra weight is added, there must be a way to slow it down without over taxing the brakes on the MH."

Just a point of fact. A vehicle in tow for legal purposes is in fact a trailer. I can prove why. The state I live in doesn't allow double recreational towing. If as some posters assert that my towed vehicle is not a "trailer" then on trips where I want to bring our boat I should be able to hitch the boat to the vehicle in tow. That way I can bring both the boat and toad. Btw I know I can't I would get pulled over by a LEO in short order for double towing. I have a CDL and understand towing regulations. A trailer is ANYTHING articulated towed behind another vehicle.

Safety first, for all.

IMO, if it is electronically controlled or actuated, it probably should not be used.
Therefore, if the time comes when I want a braking system for my toad, it WILL be the Ready Brute Elite or Ready Brake system or similar surge-operated system.
Come to think of it, at the present time, it will be a Demco Kar Kaddy with surge brakes, to tow the PT Cruiser.

Long discussion in Dinghy Towing forum on this recently. Some pretty strong opinions. I'm wrestling with the same decision since it would double the cost of my tow setup.

However, if you already have the Brake Buddy, it should be a no brainer.

As one who has pulled the base plate off twice totally separating the Toad and had a partial failure of the tow bar in a third incident I wouldn't tow anywhere without an auxiliary braking system.

I began towing with a top-of-the-line tow bar and a Brake Buddy. On short trips I occasionally didn't bother to install the BB. My safety chains were also attached to my professionally installed base plate rendering the chains useless when the base plate came off. I was fortunate that my two separations came at 15 mph not at highway speeds. The potential life-changing liabilities convinced me that the risks were too great.

If your toad detaches at 65 mph on the freeway your Brake Buddy will stop it. That's good enough reason for me.

The need to make everything “simpler” instead of better or safer or more pleasant is an indicator of...aging. OP has a brake buddy but seeks not to use it...to make things...easier even if less safe.