supplemental braking and out of state

rjkfsm wrote:

K Charles wrote:
here

That link shows TRAILER towing laws, not VEHICLE towing laws. Big difference. Trailer towing laws are stricter which is, of course, what a vehicle brake seller will want to show you.

This is a more accurate breakdown of VEHICLE towing laws. Finally, keep this in mind: The 700lb U-Haul tow dolly has no brakes and is 50 state legal with a 4,300lb car or lighter.

RK

"MORE accurate"? perhaps.
However, the list is WRONG when it comes to Montana law. It states you must be able to stop within 35 feet from 20 MPH. HERE is the applicable Montana Code Annotated (MCA):
61-9-312. Performance ability of brakes. On a dry, hard, approximately level stretch of highway free from loose material, a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles, upon application of the service brake, must be capable of stopping at a speed of 20 miles an hour within the following distances:
(1) 25 feet for passenger motor vehicles, except buses and pioneer vehicles;
(2) 40 feet for buses, trucks, and tractor trucks;
(3) 45 feet for motor vehicles registered or qualified to be registered as pioneer vehicles under 61-3-411(3)(a) when equipped with two-wheel brakes or 25 feet when equipped with four-wheel brakes;
(4) 40 feet for all combinations of vehicles; and
(5) 30 feet for motorcycles, quadricycles, and motor-driven cycles.

Note that 35 feet is not listed in there anywhere. Now, look at paragraph (4). "40 feet for all combinations of vehicles" Obviously, a motorhome towing a vehicle would be considered a "Combination of vehicles", and must be able to stop within 40 feet from 20 MPH.
I have never seen a "List of Laws" on the internet that could be trusted!

rjkfsm wrote:

K Charles wrote:
here

That link shows TRAILER towing laws, not VEHICLE towing laws. Big difference. Trailer towing laws are stricter which is, of course, what a vehicle brake seller will want to show you.

This is a more accurate breakdown of VEHICLE towing laws. Finally, keep this in mind: The 700lb U-Haul tow dolly has no brakes and is 50 state legal with a 4,300lb car or lighter.

RK

i believe you are correct. thats what i meant when i said most states do not have an actual rule for a vehicle being towed-that is a different issue than safety.

K Charles wrote:
here

That link shows TRAILER towing laws, not VEHICLE towing laws. Big difference. Trailer towing laws are stricter which is, of course, what a vehicle brake seller will want to show you.

This is a more accurate breakdown of VEHICLE towing laws. Finally, keep this in mind: The 700lb U-Haul tow dolly has no brakes and is 50 state legal with a 4,300lb car or lighter.

RK

since i started this thread-i was looking at lists available from suppliers of these brake systems.

most states actually have no rules under the car being towed.


i am looking at roadmaster invisibrake. any opinions

I would be concerned about the liability.... Call your insurance carriers.

"Depends on what side of the bed the LEO go up on sometimes."

I don't think so. Some things are covered under Reciprocity Agreements, some are not. The usual things that are covered are Insurance (what YOUR state requires is usually good in ALL states); Registration (the license plate requirements in YOUR state are good in ALL states); and Driver Licensing (the driver license issued by YOUR state is good in ALL states).
EQUIPMENT requirements (braking performance, towing two trailers, having fender flares that cover wide tires, etc.) are NOT usually covered by Reciprocity Agreements.
It is worthy of note that the Braking Performance requirements that states like Montana and California have are in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and therefore apply to all states!

"Call you insurance company they DO know the laws and more importantly what laws you broke so they don't have to pay out."

So, then, what you are saying is that if you break any law and have an accident, your insurance will deny coverage.
So, if you are speeding through town, miss a turn, and bash into somebody's living room, your liability insurance won't pay to fix the house?
I would like to see that in the policy language.

6 years on the road and I have met 2 people who did not have the brake in their toad and were involved in an accident. Police report noted no brake assist and their insurance company would not pay for the damage.

Call you insurance company they DO know the laws and more importantly what laws you broke so they don't have to pay out.
IMHO I would follow it.

Yes it's stated that you have to follow the dot laws in the states you are driving in but that does not always compute.

I don't have to have a plate on 'any' trailer under 20 ft. So does that mean I am not allowed to drive thru states that require plates? NO.

Some states do not require front vehicle plates. Does that mean they can not drive thru states that require both front and back plates. NO.

But drive triple tow thru a state that doesn't allow it and you WILL get ticketed.

Depends on what side of the bed the LEO go up on sometimes. But with the toad brake.....I'd just break down and open your wallet and just buy one.

dons2346 wrote:

mowermech wrote:

K Charles wrote:
here

Keep in mind that that site is sponsored by an auxiliary brake manufacturer. While I can't speak to the law in all states, it is inaccurate about the laws in Montana. It quotes TRAILER laws, but in the Montana Code Annotated Definitions (MCA 61-1-101) it quite plainly states that a towed motor vehicle is NOT a trailer!
Montana is, however, a "Performance Law" state (MCA 61-9-312): If you can stop within 40 feet from 20 MPH on a level clean hard surface, you are legal whether your towed vehicle has a braking system or not.
I do NOT trust ANY "List Of Towing Laws" that can be found on the internet. Every one of them that I have seen is inaccurate!
Actually, there are very few states which require a braking system on a towed motor vehicle. Several states, though, have braking performance requirements similar to the law in Montana.

+1 Lots of bogus info out there concerning the requirements for braking systems

I have checked California's law and it is NOT 1500 lbs, it is a performance state. I don't think any LEO conducted test could pass muster. It takes tens of thousands of dollars to do a performance test and a huge area to conduct the test and CA at least does not have the time or wide spread locations needed to perform the tests on a regular basis all around the state.

And by the way, I had a brake system until someone decided they needed it and all my electronic I carried in the towed. Looking for a theft proof systemthat will work in my Suzi GV. Probably Ready Brake by NSA RV Products.

mowermech wrote:

K Charles wrote:
here

Keep in mind that that site is sponsored by an auxiliary brake manufacturer. While I can't speak to the law in all states, it is inaccurate about the laws in Montana. It quotes TRAILER laws, but in the Montana Code Annotated Definitions (MCA 61-1-101) it quite plainly states that a towed motor vehicle is NOT a trailer!
Montana is, however, a "Performance Law" state (MCA 61-9-312): If you can stop within 40 feet from 20 MPH on a level clean hard surface, you are legal whether your towed vehicle has a braking system or not.
I do NOT trust ANY "List Of Towing Laws" that can be found on the internet. Every one of them that I have seen is inaccurate!
Actually, there are very few states which require a braking system on a towed motor vehicle. Several states, though, have braking performance requirements similar to the law in Montana.

+1 Lots of bogus info out there concerning the requirements for braking systems

Safety aside, I am from the don't ask don't tell philosophy. If you were stopped you may get off with a warning if the state you are from doesn't require them. The operative word here is MAY. JMO