new jeep to tow PLEASE HELP

[tncruiser]

just got a new 2dr wrangler need to know(not the laws)
but the reality ,who tows with out a braking system
brian j

[mfire1339]

tncruiser, I tow a 1990 wrangler with an SMI brake system with my Workhorse chassis. My good friend tows his 98 wrangler with no brake system with his f53 ford chassis, No problem for him yet.

Mike

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

I use the M&G system with breakaway. Don't care about the law... I don't want to hurt anyone because of a breakaway or inability to stop!

[BounderFreddy]

I towed my former 2002 Jeep Wrangler all over the Country without a brake system and never had a problem.

We just purchased a 2010 Jeep Wrangler 4 door which weighs 2,400 pounds more so I decided it was time to get a braking system.

SMI Stay in PLay is the way we went and just today I did the test drive. WOW what a difference from not having one to having a system which stops the jeep while your stopping.

Hope this helps.. PS SMI is very helpful and is located in Evansville, In.

[ernieh]

You can do what you want if you are sure that it won't bother you if you kill someone because you couldn't stop short enough.

[Knotdodger]

We tow a 1997 Jeep Wrangler without supplemental braking. No problems. I am currently investigating braking systems. It's probably my age but we'll be adding a system soon but it's not because I've had issues stopping. I've just concluded it's a good idea.

[hardy1000]

We tow an 09 Wrangler Unlimited and use the US Gear Unified Tow Brake and break away system, (Most likely your HR is prewired for the US Gear system). My last Wrangler that I towed was an 01 Sahara with no tow brake. After towing with and without a tow brake I can tell you that I will never have a toad without a tow brake.

US Gear, M&G, and SMI are great products and seem to be the leading brands. Cooltech makes a great wiring harness that is easy to install yourself and Blue OX is my choice for base plate and the Aventa tow bar.

Congrats on the new Jeep.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

We tow a 2007 Wrangler Unlmtd. We use a Ready Brake / Ready brute tow / brake system. Not to be a butt head but why on earth would anyone not want to use aux braking, legal or not? My Ready Brake saved our bacon one day when a macaroon pulled in front of us on the hiway. I know for sure we would of had a crash without it.

[jeepsrule]

Seems to me that a number of states have regulations on towed trailers and vehicles having brakes over a certain weight. This also seems designed to provide a public safety factor. So I have installed the M&G brake system. If it allows me to stop faster, drive legally in all states, and keeps me out of lawsuits if I have an accident. I think the brake system is worth the money. Must be getting old but I don't want to lose my family or my coach, so it's brakes for me.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

When towing, you can never be to safe. Julia and I have traveled 10's of thousands of miles with the Dolphin and Jeep with no issues. We happen to use the ready brake system but there are many good systems out there to make us travel safe. Good on you for getting your set up.
Cheers

[TXiceman]

When we had a motorhome and towed a dinghy, we use the BrakeMaster system with break away. The difference between stopping a foot or tow shorter in an emergency with dinghy brakes may mean the difference between stopping short of an accident or having an accident. The cost of one such accident will far out weigh the cost of a dinghy brake system.

ken

[donie]

FWIW, We have the same setup on our 09 as Hardy does and have had no problem with the setup at all towing with a Class C.
Personally, I would nt feel safe without some type of system on my toad should a failure occure with the tow system. But thats just me.

[Cruzer]

I took one trip with the Wrangler behind a 40' diesel pusher. I just couldn't get my new system installed in time for that one trip. Every other time in about 80,000 miles of RVing I have used a braking system. Okay, you don't want to know about the laws so lets just cover the practical stuff:

Twice I had to nail the brakes seriously when someone pulled in front of me. Each time I was towing and each time I had an auxiliary braking system. Once was a US Gear Unified Tow Brake and the nexct time was the m&G system. In each circumstance I was able to barely stop without impacting the clown ahead of me. Had I not had an auxiliary braking system I would be getting some body work done on the front of my coach at the very least.

With a 34,000 lb coach pulling a Wrangler you'll hardly know it's even back there, even without a toad brake. However, that's under normal conditions. An auxiliary braking system will reduce your stopping distance and, as in my above two situations, saved my bacon. You don't buy auto insurance for when you don't have accidents. You buy it for when you do have an accident. The tow brake faklls into that same category.

Tow bars are not failsafe. Baseplates fall off, pins fall out, bars break, etc. If your toad comes loose it will become an unguided projectile. With a breakaway system that toad will come to a stop real fast. Try to imagine yourself driving in a vehicle on a two lane road when an oncoming RV suddenly launches it's breakaway toad head-on at you. That's one good reason to have a toad brake.

[jeepfreak]

I towed my cj7 for 10 years with no aux system , then had 2 REALLY close calls in one trip so I bought a VIP Mountainmaster , also bought an extra install kit so I can use it in DW grand cherokee . The following year one of the brackets that was bolted to the bumper broke. The brake system paid for itself . The breakaway switch set off the alarm in the coach put the brakes on in the jeep . That could have been a huge disaster. So for those of you that don't have a aux brake system , just remember that s--t happens and when it does it could be deadly!