Brake systems- Motohome Magazine
Just curious. This month's issue of Motorhome mag has an article on towd brake systems. There is no mention of the NSA Ready Brake surge units. To my recollection, there never has been. Ready Brake se...
Forum Discussion
D.E.Bishop wrote:
Just curious, if as I believed it is, CA auxiliary brake law is a performance law, ie, Must be able to stop in X - Distance at Y - Speed and I can pass that test, am I legal to tow without an auxiliary brake system in the other 48 continental states?
As those of us from CA know, the test is very expensive to administer and, therefore, most combinations of RV and Towed are safe in CA. If I were in say, be in New York and towing my Sidekick without an auxiliary system, does NY law rule or does CA law rule.
Just wondering, not worried, just wondering.
Legal in other states? Maybe.
CA is a little more liberal in that the distance within which you must be able to stop is 45 feet, IIRC. Many other states require stopping within 40 feet, as does FMVSS.
At least one state requires that the driver of a towing unit must have control over the brakes on the towed unit. All electric brake controllers that I know of have a manual control on them. Surge brakes, however, have only minimal driver control. Does this mean that surge type brakes are illegal in that state? I don't know if it has ever been brought out in court.
Generally speaking, Reciprocity Agreements between the various states cover only driver's licensing, vehicle registration, and insurance. Equipment rules (brakes, tires extending beyond the body, lights, etc.) are not covered by Reciprocity. So, technically, if your state requires brakes on only one axle of a tandem axle trailer, that trailer would be illegal to use in Montana. In your example, if the braking performance law in New York requires stopping within 40 feet, and you met the CA guidelines by being able to stop in 43.5 feet, you would not be legal in New York.
