Supplemental Brakes Confession Time

Well now - THAT'S THE ANSWER - let's all make sure we don't do any sudden braking.

I confess :)

When we first got our MH I didn't have braking system and we towed a season without. Colorado requires one over 3,000 lbs. I figured I should get one someday so I started asking around the campgrounds what they use and I soon found out I wasn't alone in towing without.

I decided I should have one for the breakaway if nothing else. I bought a Stay-n-play but ran into issues with our brake lights coming on with the exhaust brake, plus I wasn't sure when we would be replacing the Jeep, so I traded for an RVi2 portable. It works - not a miracle, but I'm sure its doing something back there.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Don't buy the the opinions that it is required by law.
Buying small tractor in Nebraska, I was offered new 7000 lb equipment trailer with no brakes. I was driving 4000 lb SUV and would be perfectly legal.
Toads are not trailers and are legal to tow with no brakes in all states last time I was checking, but there might be updates in last years.
Still if you can find brake system that is really reliable and doesn't cost more than the toad, you can't go wrong with it.
BTW since the incident above, whenever I drive in Nebraska I make sure I don't do sudden braking.

A 4000 lb vehicle pulling a 7000 lb. trailer with no brakes may be legal. Just because there is no law saying a toad is a trailer you can throw common sense aside!
It is pure stupid in my opinion. Even if you are clairvoyant and can avoid a sudden stop.

I would have brakes on the towed. We have a 2013 edge and had a 2010 edge. Behind a Revolution. The extra braking is good to have in an emergency situation.
The Edge weighs around 4100 lb with awd. A little less without.
We can tell the difference in stopping with and without the brakes.
We have air brakes. Next one will be air brakes too but perhaps the air force one, I think it is called, which you don't have to remove the cylinder, from brake pedal, to bracket to drive.
I really didn't know Tn allowed 4,000 lbs without brakes. I'm glad we have them anyway.

PastorCharlie wrote:
Green Salsa, in NY and NC under 1,000 lbs. is the limit for no brake system. There is no state where it is legal to tow without a braking system if the tow is 1,000 lbs. or more.

http://www.brakebuddy.com/towing-laws

Brake Buddy is lying to you and they are doing it on purpose. In California, the State with the most laws in the land, it is NOT required to have brakes on a toad if you can meet the requirements in a braking performance chart. Never once have I seen CHP pull any motorhome over and require the driver get up to the appropriate speed and slam on the brakes.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Don't buy the the opinions that it is required by law.
Buying small tractor in Nebraska, I was offered new 7000 lb equipment trailer with no brakes. I was driving 4000 lb SUV and would be perfectly legal.
Toads are not trailers and are legal to tow with no brakes in all states last time I was checking, but there might be updates in last years.
Still if you can find brake system that is really reliable and doesn't cost more than the toad, you can't go wrong with it.
BTW since the incident above, whenever I drive in Nebraska I make sure I don't do sudden braking.

Like most states, Nebraska has a braking performance requirement. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll bet if you load that trailer to 7,000 pounds and put it behind your 4,000 pound SUV that you cannot meet the performance requirements required by Nebraska law.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/

North Carolina

Every semitrailer, trailer, or separate vehicle attached by a drawbar or coupling to a towing vehicle of at least 4,000 lbs., and every house trailer weighing at least 1,000 lbs., shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the driver of the towing vehicle.

Down Home, it's not 4,000 lbs. for TN. All I can find at the moment is for trailers. But, I'm still looking.

Here is what I found for TN regarding trailers: "Every trailer or semitrailer of a gross weight of 3,000 lbs. or more must be equipped with brakes that may be applied by the driver of the towing vehicle from the cab and must be of a design such that in case of an accidental breakaway of the towed vehicle, the brakes will be automatically applied."

Every Tow equipment site that I pull up says that TN has a 3,000 lb. requirement for brakes and equipment.

TDOT doesn't have a very easy site to navigate.

Safe travels,
MM.

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

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

Now that almost sounds Legal - you mean to tell me that the tow truck driver does not have a Brake Buddy:)






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