Do I have to buy a brake system for 2600lb Toad

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Goodbar

Dinghy brakes are mandatory in most states and Canadian provinces; besides, when extra weight is added, there must be a way to slow the mass down without overtaxing the brakes on the motorhome.

Brakes are designed to stop the GVWR of a vehicle, with a margin for safety. If your GCVW is larger than the GVWR you are ridding in that margin.

I also carry a million dollar umbrella liability policy, cheap considering the alternative.

Good that somebody can buy the kids in the other car.

[JPeterson]

I towed my truck all over the country for years without an auxiliary brake and didn't have any stopping issues. Call me paranoid but a couple years ago I bought one to ease my worries about legality questions and insurance denial if ever the need arose. In today's lawsuit crazy world a minor mishap could be a financial disaster with so many people looking to blame someone else.

The brake so rarely activates that after a week or so of traveling I manually test it to make sure it's still working! I have an Rvi3. It takes less than a minute to connect/disconnect.

[georgelesley]

As long as you never have a panic stop you should be fine. However in a panic stop you really want all the stopping power you can get. Don’t ask me how I know this.

I have our toad braking system set to only activate during hard braking so as to avoid the chance of the toad brakes being used too much and maybe be trying to stop the mh.

[KanzKran]

If tire/road friction, including anti-lock brakes, or braking ability (weak brakes) governs, then adding more mass on its own wheels without brakes will increase your stopping distance roughly in proportion to the total mass divided by the coach mass. So an 8% increase in mass from a toad with no brakes will increase your stopping distance by around 8%, give or take. And that doesn’t count brake fade, which is a whole new set of problems.

A 400 ft stopping distance (after perception, reaction, and brake activation time) grows to 432 ft. That extra 10 yards may mean the difference between ramming into a line of stopped traffic or not. Any braking at all on the toad will reduce that distance. Identical braking to the coach would keep the stopping distance the same as the coach alone, of course.

Personally, I’d go for brakes in the toad.

[Easyrider]

It's a no brainer. If your combined weight increases by adding a towed, but you don't increase braking power by adding a brake system for the towed, you will travel longer distances before coming to a complete stop. Some people claim they will just plan to apply their brakes sooner, but how do you plan for an emergency?

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by RVPioneer

Some states are 1,500 lbs. Does being compliant in your state make you compliant in all 50? I don’t know. Would a LEO or claims adjuster actually weigh the car or look at the GVWR sticker?

No, there is no reciprocity on braking requirements. You must abide by each and every states laws as you travel.

[BBBEEBOP]

Let me understand this you are buying a 40 foot Country Coach, and you are worried about a $1000 brake system. Please get real and be safe, a brake system is a necessity!!

[wallynm]

Absolutely IMHO. You got a CC and surly can afford the price of this safety system

Originally Posted by gpounder

I am buying a 40' Country Coach with a 10,000 hitch so that is not an issues. Most if not all the states require trailer brakes if over 3,000 pounds and 40% rule.

So do I need to spend $1000 on a braking system for a toad that weighs under 3,000 lbs. Will I really notice the difference?

[Daycruiser]

Originally Posted by stevemoores

As for the OP, you have a 40' Country Coach, I can't imagine it's cheap, don't try to save $1000 at somebody else's expense.
Steve

Now this guy gets it!! If you didn't I was going to.

[Johnynorthla]

Having a breaking system on your toad will also help reduce wear on your rigs breaks. Also the biggest issue is not having a break-away system in the event your road gets loose from you. A reasonably inexpensive Solution is at http://www.readybrake.com

It’s a surge break system that attaches to your 2” opening on your hitch between the motor home and your toad setup. A cable goes through your firewall of your toad and attaches to the break pedal of your toad.

They also sell the break-away cable seperate . YouTube it.

No electronics just plain old fashion physics., My tow dolly has a surge braking system. I love it.

Hope this helps

[dix39]

I am absolutely not against toad/trailer brakes, but I will say that we started towing things across the US in the early "70's at a rate of nearly one trip annually and have never had brakes on a toad or lighter trailer. Perhaps we have been lucky, but we have never had a problem because of this. When there is more weight one simply drives accordingly, which works until someone pulls in front of you and slams on the brakes. I have always been able to manage panic stops, so far. I would say that brakes on a light toad aren't essential, but they are a good idea. Our toads have always been lighter than 2500 lbs.

Although folding tow bars are much more convenient, and I have one, I always use the solid one for longer trips because I think it is stronger, or at least it has fewer points that could fail. I also go over all the attachment points before leaving on a long trip. I would agree that attaching the safety chains/cables to the toad hitch base doesn't seem as good as attaching them directly to the frame or other secure body member.

After saying this I'm thinking seriously about adding a break away system to our toad. They're only around $100.00 and could prevent a lot of grief if the toad did come loose.

Steve

[StageCoachDr]

When we had a class A, we used a Brake Buddy. Had all the break away systems and I could even control it from the HM. We switched to a 5th wheel several years ago, so it's not an issue for us any more.

[trayl]

There are a jumble of issues here...I shall try to sort out a bit...


First, legal (criminal) (cops, tickets, etc): The issue is whether or not some sort of toad braking system is required by law, ie can you get a ticket if you're not compliant. Unless things have changed, the universal (federal?) doctrine in the US (doesn't apply to Canada, etc!) is called "home state rules". This principle states that if your vehicle is legal in your home state then it is legal in all 50 states. (Disclaimer: I am not a legal or law enforcement professional, so do your own verification.) Note that convincing some local LEO on the side of the road may be its own issue.


Second, legal (civil)(can you be held liable): NOTHING can prevent someone from suing you (remember the hot McDonalds coffee?) but the question is how likely are they to be successful? (...and, of course, how much hassle can they put you through) If if is very highly unlikely for a suit to succeed, there is little motivation for the complainant (or his/her attorney) to press the suit. This generally involves issues such as negligence, reasonableness (whatever THAT is), and so forth. If you're not legal, you're generally toast. Directly related to this is the response from your own insurance company. Same rules apply and if you're not legal (statutory), they may hang you out to dry. I would suggest calling your agent/company and asking them (and keep notes of the conversation). If you have an "appropriate" toad braking/breakaway system, I suspect that would pull the teeth from many potential lawsuits.


Third, physical (braking): If you're towing 12,000 lb diesel tractor with an 8,000 lb class B rv (yes, it's a deliberately outlandish hypothetical) you're going to have some issues trying to stop. Generally, as the towing RV increases and the toad decreases in weight, these issues decrease. Towing a 3800 lb Jeep Wrangler with a 38,000 lb Thor Tuscany (our personal case) will probably not have any readily noticeable effect on braking performance. YMMV. One other consideration: Without a toad brake ALL of the braking force (including panic stops) must be handled by the attachment system. If it fails, YOUR toad is going to crash into YOUR RV.


Forth, breakaway issues: This is a SOMEWHAT separate consideration as there are braking systems without breakaway protection and vice versa. Same legal considerations apply. However, without a breakaway protection system, you're in the realm of -- as a current commercial says -- "If the brakes don't stop the car, something else will." You are strictly playing the odds here: might it break or will it not? See especially notes on legal (civil) above.


Fifth, your conscience: Ticket issues aside, how would you feel if "what if" actually happens? It does happen to some.


Your choice.

[Gypsy 7932]

I’m in CA, and it’s required at 1500 lbs. Safety and compliance with state laws are important to me. Also I believe that in Canada it’s required.
Bottom line I’m installing one in my 2019 Mini Cooper...and it’s about 2800 lbs.