Whats the best car to tow ??

Check out the link:

http://www.readybrake.com/state_laws.html

I dont know about the best, but one of the easiest, no screwing around is a focus manual tranny. there is no steering collum lock, no fuses to pull, no jerking around with whatever you have to do with aouto trans. put it in neutral and go. lock it and take the key out to boot. plus its an american car.

LindsayRichards wrote:
If it is a state law to have a braking system and you do not have one, you are going to find yourself in a very bad situation. Giving people advise to not follow the law isn't the smartest thing to do. It is up to the other side to prove your system wasn't hooked up properly which isn't easy. It is very easy to prove you didn't have one. If you look through that link, you will find most states require it for a toad over a certain weight generally about 3,000 pounds.

If you look through that link you will find that they talk about TRAILERS or use vague references about other vehicles rather than state a "vehicle in tow". Naturally that is a link provided by BrakeBuddy. No conflict of interest there. :B
As I said, if you do not believe me, send an email to your State, or any other State and ask them. When you get the reply, post the name of the police officer that replied, like I did.
Be sure that when you send an email to any State Department of Motor Vehicles that you specifically ask about towing a vehicle behind a motor home, NOT towing a TRAILER behind a motor home.
I'll give you a hint......if you look at that link you are referring to it shows that both Florida and Connecticut require auxiliary brakes on a TRAILER over 3000 pounds. As I posted, and gave the names of the officers that responded, NEITHER of those states requires auxlilary brakes for a VEHICLE IN TOW. I gave the phone number for both officers, feel free to call them yourself.
As I said, I use a brake system but NOT because it is required by law. If I was driving a 40,000 pound DP and towing a Smart Car, I probably would not use one. The facts are that I found ZERO states that require, by law, auxiliary brakes when towing a VEHICLE behind your motor home. A tow dolly is a trailer and requires brakes.
I've done my research, now do yours.

If it is a state law to have a braking system and you do not have one, you are going to find yourself in a very bad situation. Giving people advise to not follow the law isn't the smartest thing to do. It is up to the other side to prove your system wasn't hooked up properly which isn't easy. It is very easy to prove you didn't have one. If you look through that link, you will find most states require it for a toad over a certain weight generally about 3,000 pounds.

LindsayRichards wrote:
If you have an accident without a toad breaking system, you can bet the hired lawyer for the other side will make it your fault even if it is not. You might want to check with your own insurance company also. This might give them a chance to bail on you if you do have an accident.

Anyone that is that afraid of a frivolous lawsuit does not belong behind the wheel of any vehicle.
My insurance company was my fist contact. Nothing to worry about with or without the toad brake since I am not braking any CRIMINAL laws. They realize that in every accident, at least one of the drivers had a moving violation. Not using a toad brake is NOT a violation in any way shape or form.
The sky is not falling and a lawyer cannot rewrite the State laws.
I use a brake system but to live your life being paranoid about everything is just foolish.
Suppose you use a brake system and the lawyer for the other side argues that it was not hooked up properly. OMG, you are ruined because you can't prove otherwise. :B

If you have an accident without a toad breaking system, you can bet the hired lawyer for the other side will make it your fault even if it is not. You might want to check with your own insurance company also. This might give them a chance to bail on you if you do have an accident.

JimM68 wrote:
We've towed my wrangler for years, great but small toad.

I recently put a blue ox baseplate on the wife's 2010 liberty and we have been towing that. Works very well, and plenty of room for the family.
Big plus, the bottom red taillight section on the lib is not used, cut the proper size hole and pop in a bulb socket, ran completely separate tow lighting, not tied into the liberty at all.

X2....only ours is a 2002 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 and Roadmaster Falcon 2 set up. Be advised...it took me pretty much all day to install the Liberty tow brackets as most was underneath and inside the front plastic bumper. The wrangler TJ is pretty much up front on the frame and a much easier install. That being said, we still prefer the Liberty for a toad as it is easier to get in and out of with 4 doors and back flip up window and swing out tailgate.
Both have transfer cases when put in neutral and transmission in park, just turn the key in first position and you are good to go.
Ours also had the bottom of the tailights available for socket for lights and I didn't have to mess with the factory wiring. I just snaked the wiring loom along the frame rail to the rear! :)

bshpilot wrote:
regardless of what you tow - you would be smart (and likely required by law) to have a supplemental breaking system (i.e. brake buddy, etc) on the towed vehicle.

above and beyond the supplemental braking system, many states ALSO require a break-away braking system. A break-away braking system will activate the brakes on the towed vehicle when it becomes detached from the primary mover (aka coach).

Towing Laws by State - CLICK HERE

I just spent several days investigating the legality of towing vehicles behind your motor home. I sent emails to various State Departments of Motor Vehicles, etc. The towing laws used by the various brake manufacturers are accurate if you are talking about a TRAILER. The States themselves DO NOT consider a vehicle in tow a TRAILER. It is considered a driveaway-towaway condition and therefor auxiliary braking IS NOT required. I started with the State of Florida and this is their reply:
A vehicle towed behind a motor home would be exempt from the braking requirements in Florida statute 316.261 as a drive away, tow away operation. Please contact me if you have any other questions.

Lt. Jeff Frost
Florida Highway Patrol
Public Affairs Officer
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
2900 Apalachee Parkway, MS 45
850-617-2279
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Other States sent a similar reply with their statute and a few, like Connecticut were short and to the point:
I concur with FL and CT would treat it the same way.

Respectfully,

Donald Bridge, Jr., Lieutenant
CT Dept. of Motor Vehicles
Commercial Vehicle Safety Division
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
Phone: (860) 263-5446
Don't get me wrong, I think it is a good idea and I use auxiliary braking in my own toad, but it is entirely false that it is LEGALLY required. In fact, I could not find one single state where auxiliary brakes were required by law on a vehicle being towed behind a motor home. Forget all of the threats about lawsuits and liability if you get in to an accident. You may be at fault but it would not because you were doing something illegally by not having auxiliary brakes on your toad.
When was the last time you saw a tow truck driver put a BrakeBuddy in the vehicle behind his truck. :B That is an example that concerns a commercial vehicle but the point is that even the FMVSS(393.42) does not require auxiliary brakes in a driveaway-towaway situation.
What this means for me is that even tho I use a Blue Ox brake, if mine fails, I am still legal to continue my trip in any state. I do not have to leave my toad behind or have my DW follow behind in the toad.
If you do not believe me, I suggest that you do what I did and send an email to your local Department of Motor Vehicles and ask them specifically about towing a vehicle behind your motor home with a tow bar. Do not believe the TRAILER rules that are posted by the various brake manufacturers.
Now, understand that a tow dolly IS a TRAILER, as is a boat or anything else, but none of those rules apply to a vehicle in tow 4 down. The facts are that I think that an auxiliary brake is a good idea but each owner of each RV has to make the decision as to what they want to do with their own toad, now that they know what the law says.

The best car to tow isn't a car, but a midsized 4 wheel drive pickup with 4 doors. It will do everything a car will do and a lots more. The 4 wheel drive will improve you exploring ability and is great to have.

regardless of what you tow - you would be smart (and likely required by law) to have a supplemental breaking system (i.e. brake buddy, etc) on the towed vehicle.

above and beyond the supplemental braking system, many states ALSO require a break-away braking system. A break-away braking system will activate the brakes on the towed vehicle when it becomes detached from the primary mover (aka coach).

Towing Laws by State - CLICK HERE