Braking device in tow vehicle

[John Monroe]

I have a 2005 Winnebago Adventurer and tow a Honda CRV. I do not have a braking device in the tow. We live in Texas but travel in other states.Braking has not been an issue, but fortunately to date I have not had to brake in an emergency.My question is if I am being "stubborn" to not get and use a braking device? I have looked at the Blue Ox device and I do like their products.Any
advice is appreciated.
John in Texas

[Eez Moose]

Originally Posted by John Monroe

I have a 2005 Winnebago Adventurer and tow a Honda CRV. I do not have a braking device in the tow. We live in Texas but travel in other states.Braking has not been an issue, but fortunately to date I have not had to brake in an emergency.My question is if I am being "stubborn" to not get and use a braking device? I have looked at the Blue Ox device and I do like their products.Any
advice is appreciated.
John in Texas

First and foremost.

Before we get into the he said she said and all the arguments on both sides just remember the old adage;

It's better to have an auxiliary braking device and not ever need it than to not have an auxiliary braking device and suddenly need it.

[Dark Sky]

Here's an interpretation of the law in Texas, provided on www.infinitytrailers.com:

"As per section 545.409 inscribed in the transportation code of Texas, the connection between a trailer and its towing vehicle has to be sufficiently strong for pulling the entire weight of the trailer. The tow bar should be highlighted all the time using a cloth or white flag. Section 545.410 makes usage of safety chains and warning signs or flares necessary. Moreover, trailers that weigh over 4500 lbs. should have brakes and breakaways must be present on trailers more than 3000 lbs."

If the minor difference between the weight of your toad and 4500 lbs gives you comfort, I suggest you read the post 'The physics of towed vehicle braking' that is pinned near the top of this forum.

[TonyDi]

John it would help if we knew what kind of MH you have, is it gas/diesel. If it is diesel, a system like SMI's Air Force One which ties into your MH's air system is excellent. Easy hook up, and it doesn't need to be set up everytime you use the toad. There's nothing on the floor either.

[Arch Hoagland]

I have had three full on emergency panic braking situations where the ABS activated on my motorhome.. Each time a had person cut in front of me to take an exit.

I've got auxiliary brakes in my toad and mighty glad I had them.

The other reason you need auxiliary brakes is in case your toad breaks away from your coach. The auxiliary brakes will lock up and stop it, hopefully before it hurts anyone. And toads do come off.

[Kraken]

I have an RVI 3 which I like. Portable, and touch a button 3 times and it's setup. On our last trip I had to hit the brakes hard, and the tablet lights up with the amount of braking. There is a red circle in the middle of the tablet, the more braking, the bigger the circle gets. You can also touch the circle and it manually applies the brakes. It cost about $1000, but priceless if it helps you avoid an accident.

[txcpl]

We have a 2013 CRV and use the M&G braking system on our DP. We live south of Ft. Worth and went to Athens to have them install their system. We made a long weekend out of the trip and had a blast. Check their systems out, as well as others. There are a number of good braking systems on the market today. Do your homework and you will discover the braking system right for you.

[Sweetbriar]

I also tow a CR-V, 2005 model, behind my 2006 coach built on an F53 chassis. Besides what each state requires regarding towing safety I figure if I can tow the Honda, with a braking system, and not increase the distance necessary to stop the coach and CR-V combined that would be a very good thing.

[Winemaker2]

John
The braking systems on that era Adventurer are nothing like a DP and you WILL experience a difference in an E Stop situation. (I know I had a '03 Adv)
Just do it.!
Your choice will then be which one... bottom line there are many decent systems out there and even many used units if you are reluctant to go big.
Basic and first choice is between a portable box and permanent install.... +/- a both... you decide... I find a box install each time takes 1-2 min and do it while the CRV is warming up
next choice will be on/off or E Stop only vs proportional braking... again +/- with both.
I had a Brake Buddy on/off w my Wbgo Adv but sold it w my old CRV as a toad package... now had a proportional RVi3 and like it... EZ light etc and stays w me if / when I swap toads.
Lastly brand... lots of comments on here... scan or search (using the Google search bar on the website and not the app) you'll get more hits than you want.
Your decision should be which one not should I
Good luck and drive safe

[JPeterson]

After years without a toad brake and traveling all over the US, I bought one. I doubt anyone would argue that it improves stopping distance especially in an emergency situation. With more and more states adopting stricter auxiliary brake laws, I worried about insurance claim denial if the need ever arose.

[Jake21]

I will wait until this thread gets to about 200 replies and deep into the “do it or not do it” debate before I chime in. Making the popcorn..

[Solask]

Originally Posted by Jake21

I will wait until this thread gets to about 200 replies and deep into the “do it or not do it” debate before I chime in. Making the popcorn..

Ohhhhhh, I’m at the edge of my chair in anticipation...

[Mr_D]

Remember, some states don't consider a motorized vehicle being towed to be a trailer. WA is one of those.
However just as it takes more power to move more weight it takes more braking force to stop it.
My rig can easily pass WA, OR and CA braking "performance" requirements with it's all wheel disk brakes but I still have a RoadMaster Brakemaster 9160.

[Excesses]

Our rig, see signature, is also an F53 chassis. Our tow bar is an Alladin Blue Ox and our CRV is assisted with A Blue Ox Patriot braking system.
Although the new Patriot was pricey in Canada, I feel that it is cheap insurance for our well being in the exposed front of the A Class. There is an E Stop type button on the dash mounted remote, and although we haven't had to use it yet, we are comforted knowing that the extra braking distance may be the difference between personal injury, injury to others, damage to the RV and just filling the air with a few choice expletives.
If you buy life or house insurance, a braking system in the towed will probably be best insurance for $$$ spent. JOHO.
We like the Patriot as it is easy for the wife to set up while I perform the walk around and systems checks elsewhere.