toad behind Truck camper and brakes question

Most states have brake regulations on trailers that exceed 3500 pounds or so. Flat towing your truck could be I guess considered a trailer. Thus, no brakes could get you a ticket.

We have towed a lot of miles with different trailers and with a small truck and a jeep without supplemental brakes and have had no problems.
But we have never had to make an emergency stop either. I think it is a very bad idea not to have brakes on a toad and as has been said in a lot of states it is against the law.
The rig will stop faster and the toad will not try to pass you or shove you around if you hit the brakes while in a turn. You should have some Break away protection also.

Not to mention the GCWR. That is a lot to get stopped in a hurry.

I have a little flat bed trailer that is typically loaded at 1500-2000 lbs gross and I can feel it push my truck more during a stop than my 6000-8000 lb gross enclosed trailer that has brakes. Your brakes are already stopping the 4500-5000 lbs you have in the bed (TC) - How do you feel about adding an additional 3500 lbs to that brake load? Are you confident you can stop safely in a panic braking situation? I doubt the towd will push you around much in turns or slow you under acceleration but do question how well it come to stop and what type of life you will get out of your brakes.

If your toad breaks free, do you want it going into oncoming traffic at 60 miles an hour? My Blue Ox Patriot inertia brake system has a breakaway feature that automatically applies the brakes. Plus with my F350 and a 4500 pound camper, the truck's brakes are pretty much maxed out, and I'm thinking about an upgrade next time the calipers go out. Having the extra braking power in an emergency is reassuring.

If you have it and it works well for you, there is no reason to not use it.

I wouldn't tow anything with out brakes and a break away system.
bumpy

Some states have brake requirements for towed vehicles and some do not. They are not necessarily treated the same as a "regular" trailer. Check your local laws to be sure.

That said, I can't see any downside to using the Brake Buddy, and a lot of potential downside to NOT using it. Might as well use it.

A quick answer for your situation is to go drive your rig fully loaded with your toad attached. Use the brakes for normal stops to get them heated up to simulate normal driving conditions. Then go to an isolated area, mark a chalk line on the road and approach at 20 mph, 40 & 55 mph and apply your brakes for a panic stop as soon as you hit the chalk mark. Mark each stop point with the mph and then hook up your brake buddy and repeat the stops to compare distances.
I did this and was amazed how much longer it took to haul my rig and toad to a stop without supplemental braking. Not to mention the smell of burnt brake pads from the excess weight added to the truck when not using our RVi (Brake Buddy type system). I believe once you try this, you'll have your answer, regardless of whether the law in your state might allow you to tow without the supplemental braking system.

I'd not want to tow that much weight without aux braking.