I'd forget the "no brakes" thing as a limiting factor- they're cheap, cheap, cheap and if electric an excellent safety device, as anyone who's ever used them manually to stop a sway event knows.
Also, and regulatory limits aside, brakes may well be required by both of your tow vehicle makers for trailer weights above a thousand pounds....this regardless of the bigger engine size of your Equinox's V6. Such limitations have to do with the tow vehicle's braking/stopping capacity rather than pulling power.