brakes needed on a enclosed trailer with cycle in it?

When someone dies, the "odds" or the likelihood of the "what ifs" are pretty much irrelevant, especially if it could have easily been prevented. What you are "comfortable with" while driving is also irrelevant. Do the research in the states you are going to be driving in, and then comply with those laws. If you find a grey area (unlikely, but...) then err on the side of more compliance, not less.

In an emergency braking situation, trailer brakes can only help, never hurt, and may be the difference between maintaining control or someone dying. You never know what the conditions will be; rain, steep hills, tight curves, oncoming traffic, pedestrians...why chance it just because you are "comfortable" without trailer brakes? Have you actually tested your ability to control and stop your full rig in every possible scenario? No. Get the brakes.

Forget about the state laws. It just makes sense to have brakes on a trailer of that weight. Even if the state law allows for no brakes on that GVWR. Just get a trailer with brakes. It's the right thing to do. Maybe you don't need them. But they aren't going to hurt anything. And I'll bet your tow vehicle brakes will last a bit longer too.

So buy the trailer with brakes and don't worry about the laws. Protect your cargo with the best you can. The only laws you need to worry about is the laws of physics. And those indicate you should get brakes on that trailer. And those laws always trump state laws.

"Just because you have never had such a scenario is a very poor excuse to advocate not having trailer brakes on towed trailers."

Now, just WHERE did I advocate not having trailer brakes on any trailer that the law requires brakes on?
Actually, what I advocate I have stated many times:
1. KNOW the law!
2. COMPLY with the law!
3. DOCUMENT your compliance with the law!

I just don't much care for "WHAT IF" scenarios.

Just like a breakaway towed unit. I know of ONE such incident, and it resulted in a fatality. Actually, it wasn't a breakaway, it was a trailer on the wrong size ball, no safety chains, no breakaway braking, EVERYTHING that could be done wrong WAS!
That is the ONLY such incident I have ever heard of!
Yet, almost weekly, a post will be made describing the dire consequences of not having this or that gadget or gimmick.
IMO, we are frightening many of the newbies unnecessarily. The scenarios that are described may never happen to anybody. They certainly won't happen to EVERYBODY, the way some descriptions seem to imply.
Over the years, I have done many things that would give many people on these forums grey hairs! But, y'know, as I have said, nothing bent, nothing broke, there were no incidents, accidents, or occurrences, and nobody was injured or died.
Here's a couple of "What If's" for your consideration:
WHAT IF you are sitting there waiting for Old Faithful to go off, and the Yellowstone Caldera explodes? (the chances are VERY slim!)
WHAT IF you are driving down I-90 near Greycliff, MT, and a 1500 lb. bull elk jumps off the bank right in front of your car? (That one I can describe, I have seen the results! It was not pretty, either for the elk or the 3/4 ton pickup.) Again, the chances are pretty slim. A LOT of vehicles go by there every day, and an elk gets hit about once a year, maybe.
BUT, it HAS happened, so maybe it would be best to take another route across Montana! On another road you might only hit a deer. Or a bear. Or a bison, or a racoon. or a skunk. or...
Get the idea?

mowermech wrote:
"WHAT IF!" scenarios are SO much fun.
OK, it happened to one person. Once. Therefore, the entire motoring world MUST adapt to it happening again.

Ok...

On the other hand, an unplanned need to apply heavy braking has happened to more than one person and happened more than once too...

I'd even bet it's happened to several people today.

Might want to think about that for a minute.

mowermech wrote:
"WHAT IF!" scenarios are SO much fun.
OK, it happened to one person. Once. Therefore, the entire motoring world MUST adapt to it happening again.
I have been driving since 1958, mostly on 2 lane roads in Montana. I have never had the described scenario happen. When I have SEEN the described scenario (or similar), there was no "coming to a rapid stop" by any of the parties involved, they just slowed down or sped up and/or moved over as needed to avoid crashing.

I have been driving since 1962 and I have had the situation happen to me twice. Once in South West Idaho on US 20 with a truck camper and a boat in tow.

Second was US 95 in California south of Las Vegas. Had a 5th wheel in tow with a utility trailer behind the 5th wheel.

I am probably here to tell about it as all of the trailers had good operational trailer brakes.

I am sure I am not the only one that has had to stand on the brakes and pray the brakes were in good condition to prevent a head-on on a two lane highway.

Just because you have never had such a scenario is a very poor excuse to advocate not having trailer brakes on towed trailers.

"WHAT IF!" scenarios are SO much fun.
OK, it happened to one person. Once. Therefore, the entire motoring world MUST adapt to it happening again.
I have been driving since 1958, mostly on 2 lane roads in Montana. I have never had the described scenario happen. When I have SEEN the described scenario (or similar), there was no "coming to a rapid stop" by any of the parties involved, they just slowed down or sped up and/or moved over as needed to avoid crashing.

If someday you are going down a two lane road coming head to head with a motorhome that has decided a 5th wheel trailer was not going fast enough you will wish you had all of the braking possible.

Had such a thing in California on US 95 south of Las Vegas.

In such a situation the following is a real possibility.

"With no brakes on the trailer it is more likely to jackknife if you need to come to a rapid stop and jam on the brakes. When this happens all bets are off as to the end result"

With no brakes on the trailer it is more likely to jackknife if you need to come to a rapid stop and jam on the brakes. When this happens all bets are off as to the end result.

I have had too very close calls while pulling a boat trailer with vehicles cutting me off and then hitting their brakes and my needing to pull into the next lane to keep from slamming into the back of them. Both time it was with sheriff deputies in their patrol cars who were oblivious to my truck and trailer.

What you are comfortable with and what is legal may be two different things.
I know that I am on the highway everyday surrounded by people that are operating half assed rigs.
You own a class a and a Harley,you can afford a trailer with brakes. Please get them.

Three weeks ago, I installed electric drum brakes on a 3,500 pound rated single axle, torsion suspension, 6x12 enclosed trailer I've had for some time. Virginia does not require brakes, nor inspections, on single axle trailers with gross weight under 3,000 pounds. I installed the brakes because I already have over 3,000 pounds of truck camper on board and wanted the additional safety margin. We returned from a trip to The Keys and Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this week, and I was very happy to have the trailer brakes on some of the wonderfully twisty off-shoot roads from the Parkway and for the crazy, idiot Florida drivers (and I thought Wash., D.C. was bad). It cost me about 200 bucks total for a brake kit with new bearings/seals, a break-away system kit and a 7-way plug for the trailer - plus 20 bucks for a couple tubes of Mobile-One grease. Although I pulled the trailer thousands of miles without incident using lighter weight vehicles like a Ford Ranger, I can see now that I should have put brakes on it a long time ago.