Wrangler toad

[racer99]

We are thinking of buying a older 2002-2006 wrangler which would be auto trans and want to tow it 4 down,are brakes a must or can we tow it without brakes

[dubdub07]

I use one and yes it is a pain. I didn't have one right away due to cost and was coming down US285 into Denver and it was raining. The brakes on the MH were smelling and I got white knuckled on the slick highway as the Jeep was pushing me around pretty good. It is a pretty cheap thing in time and money used to have that piece of mind now.

WW

[tomkaren13]

When we towed a Jeep Wrangler we used a Brake Buddy. In our opinion it was pain. It relyed on the seat to position BB correctly. If you do a braking system look at a different one.

[conceptumator]

I have to agree with Effy - this topic comes up every time you turn around. Just to note, someone had said it depends on your home state's rules and whether or not they require a braking system. It also depends on any state you intend to drive through. Regardless, what if the vehicle comes lose? It's not going to stop itself without a supplemental system in place. For our Wrangler, we went with the Invisibrake and love it. Out of sight, stays in place, doesn't eat the battery alive. Whatever you do, definitely put something on it.

[dodge_guy]

I would have brakes for that "worst case scenario" moment. I would want to be sure I did everything possible to prevent a catastrophe! And if there ever was a serious accident that included "serious" injuries to someone else because the toad came loose, you would be up the creek and wish you would've sprung the extra $$$$ for a brake system!

[Effy]

I'm still amazed that this question comes up every 2 weeks. Isn't there enough debate on this from the 50 pages of previous posts on toad brakes?

Willing to bet this topic will be 5 pages long in 2 days and it will contain all the same arguments that have already been stated the last time this came up. And the time before that, and the time before that....

[Hikerdogs]

racer99 wrote:
We are thinking of buying a older 2002-2006 wrangler which would be auto trans and want to tow it 4 down,are brakes a must or can we tow it without brakes

In your case brakes will be required. Chevrolet/Workhorse says towing anything weighing over 1,000 lbs. requires it's own supplemental braking system. They don't get into the semantics as to whether a vehicle is considered a trailer. They say ANYTHING being towed weighing over 1,000 lbs. needs brakes.

Ford takes a similar stance in saying the chassis brakes are rated for the GVWR not the GCWR. They say brakes are required when towing anything weighing over 1,500 lbs. In short if you have a gas chassis you'll need a braking system for the Jeep.

We've towed a 2004 Wrangler automatic over 100,000 miles with no problems. We use a Roadmaster 9060 braking system. We chose it because of it's a truly proportional system, and there's only an air cylinder to install and remove. We wanted to stay away from the "brake in the box" systems that sit on the floor, and take substantial storage room when not in use. Our 2004 Wrangler Sport weighs 3,750 lbs. empty.

[mowermech]

bighatnohorse wrote:
Towing Laws

It's not only where you live, it's also where you are going. Click on the states that you are traveling through. If what you are towing exceeds the weight, an auxiliary braking system is required.

Speaking only to Montana, that site is only factual for TRAILER BRAKES!
In Montana, a towed motor vehicle is NOT a trailer! See MCA 61-1-101 (82) (a).
Montana is also a Braking Performance Law state. See MCA 61-9-312.

IMO, that site is NOT to be trusted! The only purpose it has, IMO, is to convince people that they MUST have a Brake Buddy!
That, also, is not true, IMO. I believe the Ready Brute Elite is a much better system.

Come to think of it, while it states "3000 lbs" for Montana, it does not say whether that is unladen weight or GVW. It is GVW here. In some states it is 1500 lbs.; usually that is unladen weight.

[msmith1199]

And as always in a conversation about toad brakes, somebody posts a link to a chart that has completely incorrect information on it and thinks its actual towing laws.

[bighatnohorse]

Towing Laws

It's not only where you live, it's also where you are going. Click on the states that you are traveling through. If what you are towing exceeds the weight, an auxiliary braking system is required.

[mowermech]

racer99 wrote:
We are thinking of buying a older 2002-2006 wrangler which would be auto trans and want to tow it 4 down,are brakes a must or can we tow it without brakes

It depends on what you mean by "must".
Is a braking system required by law? Probably not, especially if you can meet the FMVSS braking performance requirements that are codified into the laws of many states. See MCA 61-9-312 for a good example of the performance requirements.
Is a braking system a "good idea"? Yes, it probably is.
I towed a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited for many miles without any such system. Nothing bent, nothing broke, there were no accidents or incidents, nobody was injured or died.
But then, in all those miles I never had one of the dreaded "emergency stop" events! Keep in mind that if one of those events does occur, at 60 MPH your vehicle will travel nearly 200 feet before you can get your foot on the brake pedal and start slowing down!
Also remember that braking requirements do not have Reciprocity. You must comply with the laws in the state in which you are operating! So, you will have to know the law in every state you enter.

[msmith1199]

racer99 wrote:
We are thinking of buying a older 2002-2006 wrangler which would be auto trans and want to tow it 4 down,are brakes a must or can we tow it without brakes

Depends on what you're towing it with. I had a Wrangler that I towed with my 35 DP and I did not use brakes. The Wrangler is pretty light.

[Pass42]

I have a supplemental braking system with breakaway on my 2011 Wrangler.... wouldn't leave home without it.... my down the street neighbor had his toad come loose and pass him a few years ago.... I don't worry about that... and I can stop the MH quicker with the toad "helping"

[gbopp]

I think it's wise to have brakes on the toad, and a breakaway system.
Just in case.

[Tom_Barb]

racer99 wrote:
We are thinking of buying a older 2002-2006 wrangler which would be auto trans and want to tow it 4 down,are brakes a must or can we tow it without brakes

That will depend upon the rules of your home state.

we here in Wa. we must have a brake device if any thing being towed is over 3000#.