General Boards > General Discussion
Towing
Joel Weiss:
Personally, I'm far more concerned about an "off-axis" situation in which the mass of the toad is not in a straight line with the axis of the MH. That's what a jackknife is. With toads weighing ~4000-5000 lbs behind 32,000 lb coaches, the toad is an appreciable fraction of the MH mass. A toad that is not lined up behind the MH will produce a sideways force that pushes on the rear wheels. Under the right set of circumstances (slippery conditions, road surface, etc), the rear wheels will move sideways.
Gil_Johnson:
I too favor supplemental braking for your towed vehicle. Although some will debate state requirements for a self contained break-away braking system, I'm in the camp of common sense. If supplemental braking is required for a trailer, it's likely required for your towed vehicle. Regardless, in the event that your towed vehicle separates from your coach, which I hope is extremely remote, I would rather see the towed vehicle stop on its own rather than stopping after becoming an unguided missile.
I use SMI’s Air Force One braking system. I’m installing it now on my 2012 Explorer after taking it off the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee I no longer have.
I also favor Roadmaster over Blue Ox. This too is almost a religious debate. I would only suggest that you look at the installation instructions for each for your vehicle and see which looks like a more resilient set-up.
I’m only voicing my opinion,
Gil_Johnson:
I forgot to say congratulations John on your new coach.
Bill Sprague:
I pulled a 3,000 pound Subaru behind our 33,000 pound Beaver for about 60,000 miles with no braking system. I had one panic stop in West Virginia where I had a couple feet to spare. When we traded to a 4,000 pound Ford Edge I got a Brakemaster by Roadmaster. It is an air cylinder that gets air directly from the air brakes on the Beaver. There are no electronics. The more I press the pedal the more it presses the pedal. I have no idea if it is enough or too much. With fuel prices up, I drive a little slower, have driven another 30,000 miles and have not had any panic stops with the new system.
IMHO, I really don't think anyone has ever done a side by side comparison of all the choices. I don't think I could even do my own with or without the Brakemaster test. If I did, all the dishes would break and I would be in big trouble. Legally required or not, I don't know how to establish what works and what doesn't.
But, I feel better having it.
Phil N Barb Rodriguez:
John, congrats on your new coach. I've had tow vehicles behind four different motorhomes we have had since 1986. I wouldn't consider towing without a supplemental braking system on my toad.
I have the same type Brakemaster system on my Cherokee that Bill has. I have 70k + miles on it between two Beavers including a round trip to Alaska. It has been very good to me and kept me out of a couple of tight situations. If a person keeps at safe following distances on a flat road and in town you might think you are ok without a braking system. However, driving a heavy coach with a toad on mountain grades changes the entire dyanmics of controlling the coach.
The only thing I would change if I were building the Brakemaster for RoadMaster is I would make it easier to change the system to another vehicle. The model I have is interconnected to the power brake system on the Cherokee. So changing it to another vehicle would be the same as a new install, which takes hours.
I would encourage you to install a supplemental brake system on your toad, regardless of toad weight.
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