Supplemental Brakes Confession Time

msmith1199 wrote:

Sully2 wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Don't look for TRAILERS. Look for, or do what I did, ask the State Police, what the requirement is for a "VEHICLE IN TOW".
Then try to remember when you saw any tow truck operator put a supplemental braking system in a car that they were towing. TRAILER requirements are what the people put in the ads to fool people in to buying their braking system. It works, so they keep doing it. msimth1199 is ex-police and he is telling you the truth.
As I mentioned, I contacted most States that I would travel in and never found a single one that required brakes in my toad. I posted the names of the people that I contacted. Here is a typical reply from Florida. NOTE that no weight limit is ever mentioned. Compare this with what BrakeBuddy tries to tell you:
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
www.flhsmv.gov/fhp
Jefffrost@flhsmv.gov

Which is why I went to my state police and inquired. Was told that "the book" says if the vehicle was never DESIGNED to be towed ( and cars ARENT) then no Aux braked are needed. A TRAILER which IS designed to be towed...DOES require braked.

And again, as far as I know there is no state that has a law that says aux brakes are never needed. All the states have a braking performance requirement and if your motorhome and toad can't meet that requirement then yes aux brakes are mandated as it's the only way you'll be able to comply with the law. If your motorhome is a 21 foot Class C and your toad is a Ford F-250 4x4 crew cab long bed truck, then I assure you every state in the land will have a law requiring you to have aux brakes on your toad because you'll never be able to stop that combination with just the brakes on the motorhome.