New to dingy towing and have questions
We are looking at purchasing out first vehicle to tow 4 down be hind the motorhome. We are looking at a low mile 1999 Chevy Tracker 2 door. I have a bumper mount tow bar from many years ago and am wo...
Forum Discussion
mowermech wrote:
IMO, the surge/cable operated braking systems are the ONLY way to go. Having read several horror stories about one of the electronic boxes malfunctioning and burning up the towed vehicle brakes, I would never own one of the things!
As for braking systems in general, I recommend that you do your own research. However, do NOT believe anything stated in one of the "lists of towing laws" found on the internet. They are notoriously incorrect! Research the laws of your state, and every state you wish to enter. Reciprocity agreements do not apply to braking requirements. Many states have performance requirements, where if you can stop from XX feet from XX MPH, on a clean, hard, fairly level surface, you are legal. For Montana, you will find that in MCA 61-9-312. There is also a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) that addresses the issue.
I agree with Jon... Also, California is another state that uses a performance requirement. However, I would like to add that it's not always about what is legal or not. It's been proven (and it's just common sense) that an mh with toad that has supplemental braking will stop faster and in a shorter distance than without.
Ron
