How many tow 4 down that has brakes?

melvonnar · 06-14-2011, 01:35 PM

Those that I have talked to tow with no brakes in their tow vehicle; although this forum says otherwise.
Ive traveled over 25 years; in a motorhome towing; put on more than 300,000 miles, have yet to meet someone that has brakes in his toad.

Sayonara · 06-14-2011, 01:40 PM

I do. Always have, always will.

Oldkarphart · 06-14-2011, 01:41 PM

I've towed three cars thousands of miles in the last 10 year without brakes; I reciently broke down and purchased a brake set up and not used it yet. Trip planned next month...we'll see what I've been missing!!

Bob/Becky D - VA · 06-14-2011, 01:43 PM

Got them on mine.

texnet · 06-14-2011, 01:45 PM

I have brakes on my toad, 2008 Ford Escape, US Gear brake system. If I ever have an accident then my insurance can't say it was because of not having brakes on the toad. Besides, it is the law in most states and it makes good sense!

Norm4015 · 06-14-2011, 02:01 PM

I have towed over 110,000 miles and have always used auxillary braking. I would not consider towing without braking on the toad. I have dozens of fulltiming friends and many snowbird friends and every darn one of them has braking and a break-a-way system on their toads.

Hipshot · 06-14-2011, 02:02 PM

I have US Gear in a HHR. Three of my golf buddies that have MH have brake systems in their toads.

jprisbe · 06-14-2011, 02:03 PM

We do too.

Coached · 06-14-2011, 02:14 PM

they're allot like quarters and hand guns .... "better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it"??
I'm convinced they've saved our bacon on at least two occassions, both in a panic stop scenario, and both times with a 42' tag that you would think has lots of 'stopping power'. Like the other two items, don't leave home without 'em!

Mr_D · 06-14-2011, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texnet

Besides, it is the law in most states and it makes good sense!

Not really, in fact most states do not require aux brakes on a towed. There are several sites out there that claim to have the correct info, but in every case I can easily disprove it.
WA, CA, & OR each have "performance specs". If you can stop your combination vehicle from XX mph in XX feet than you don't need aux brakes. Most of the charts I've seen say differently but the state laws say I'm right.
BUT, just as it takes more HP to accelerate more weight it also takes more braking power to stop, just a law of physics and I have brakes on our dolly and I I decide to tow four down I have brakes in the towed also.
Another thing, Federal Law only requires the brakes in an RV to stop the GVWR, NOT the GCVWR. Ford and Workhorse state that towing anything being towed that weighs 1500#'s or more must have supplemental brakes.

RustyJC · 06-14-2011, 02:28 PM

The laws of physics don't really pay much attention to the laws of man......

Personally, I would no more pull a 4500 lb toad with no brakes than I would pull our 16000 lb 5th wheel with no brakes.

Rusty

**Gary RVRoamer** · 06-14-2011, 02:30 PM

We too have toad brakes and always have - over 100k miles of towing now. And nearly everyone I know (and that is a LOT of RVers) has brakes on their toad too.

paz · 06-14-2011, 02:40 PM

We have brakes on our toad. I have made 2 panic stops with the rig - the toad brakes absolutely saved me from an accident on one of them, and it probably saved an a accident on the second. Why would you take a chance on it taking an extra 10, 20, or 50 feet to stop? Ten more INCHES would have been an accident on the first panic stop, and another 20 feet would have been one on the second.