tow vehicle

downtheroad wrote:

mtrumpet wrote:
C'mon guys, lighten up on the guy. He's a "new member". Clearly, he's referring to an auxiliary braking system for the toad.

Who is being rude to the new member?
His question is vague and confusing? We are only trying to clarify so that we can help.

His question: "is it neccessary to have an extra braking system on the tow vehicle." This doesn't mean that he is specifically meaning a toad.

I have a "tow vehicle" and it's not a toad.

I guess we'll have to wait and see if he comes back to clarify his question.

Moved to Dinghy Towing forum from Towing.

mtrumpet wrote:
C'mon guys, lighten up on the guy. He's a "new member". Clearly, he's referring to an auxiliary braking system for the toad.

Who is being rude to the new member?
His question is vague and confusing? We are only trying to clarify so that we can help.

His question: "is it neccessary to have an extra braking system on the tow vehicle." This doesn't mean that he is specifically meaning a toad.

I have a "tow vehicle" and it's not a toad.

mtrumpet wrote:
C'mon guys, lighten up on the guy. He's a "new member". Clearly, he's referring to an auxiliary braking system for the toad.

My answer to the question is, yes, you should use one. Many states here require it while others do not. However, much safer to use one, law or not.

X2 We are using Invisibrake system on our towed vehicle.

C'mon guys, lighten up on the guy. He's a "new member". Clearly, he's referring to an auxiliary braking system for the toad.

My answer to the question is, yes, you should use one. Many states here require it while others do not. However, much safer to use one, law or not.

Please tell us what your tow vehicle is, and what you're towing.

If towing anything that weighs more than a thousand pounds or so, you should have functioning brakes on the towed item. If you tow a trailer, you may simply need a 'brake controller' in your cab. A brake controller senses the application of your brakes and sends a signal to your trailer through the 7-pin plug.

I, too, am confused by the question. I know of no "extra" braking systems available. The vehicle doing the pulling is generally considered "the tow vehicle," and no government in the world that I have ever heard of allows any self-powered vehicle on any public road unless it has a braking system. "Extra?" Never heard of such a thing, however.

Because the question makes no sense to me, however, I'm going to make a wild-eyed guess as to what the OP meant to ask: is it necessary for a vehicle combination such as a truck and trailer, or a motorhome and trailer/towed-car to have functioning brakes on the towed trailer/car. This would require both brakes in the towed part and a control system of some sort in the towing part.

The answer to THAT question is "maybe." And maybe relates entirely to the weight of the towed part. All governments that I know of require it, save for exceptions for light trailers/cars. That is, if the trailer is below a certain weight, then no brakes will be needed. What that weight is varies from location to location, but in the US and Canada, that generally is in the 3,000 to 3,500 lbs range, although there are a few as low as 1,000 lbs.

Necessary is a confusing word. Many States require a braking system on the toad...a few do not. Should you have one..:h..IMHO, having spent 20 years as a LEO, YES!..another must have, IMO is the ReadySTOP, which will stop the toad in its' tracks if it becomes separated from the towing vehicle.

There are many different braking systems available, many reasonably priced. Some easier to use than others. I use the ReadyBrute/ReadyBrake tow bar which incorporates the braking system into the tow bar rather than an add on to the toad. Most reasonably priced system and nothing to break. Couple that with the ReadySTOP and you're golden. They are available from Night Shift Auto but you can also find them used on FleaBay or Craigslist.....Dennis

What do you mean by "extra braking system?"

I'm confused by your question. (I'm often am confused however)