TO BRAKE OR NOT TO BRAKE?

[Loc]

We have a 2004 Tahoe with an M&G brake. We have towed it for 5 years with no issues at all with the M&G. I highly recommend them.

[Larry W]

Two summers ago our jeep came loose from the coach. The break away worked so no damage was done to anything but the tow bar. Most of that damage was done because the tow bar was dragging on the payment util we got stopped.

[Yankee802]

We have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee without a braking system. I've been told by so many people that being it's farily lightweight (3660lbs) I don't realy need an aux braking system. I would prefer to not only be legal but protect myself from liability. I would prefer something unobtrusive and incognito, nothing I have to attach to the brake pedal, something simple where I just have another cable to attach from the coach to toad. Any suggestions? Any of the vendors at the rally going to have these?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I have the Brakemaster, which is air operated off the bus braking system. It does attach to a mounting plate on the floor and the brake pedal, but once you have that stuff installed in the Jeep, putting in and taking out the brake actuating device (basically and air cylinder) only takes about a minute.

It was my choice because I can use it in multiple vehicles although the MG and Air Force One are better systems, but unfortunately are permanently installed in the toad.

[Kenneth Brewer]

I would appreciate a short meeting being arranged with those who wouldn't mind showing one representative of each system, (I have never towed a car), but only if there are more interested than just me. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes per?

[gershwin]

http://www.readybrake.com/state_laws.html

Above is a link to the laws state by state. They all do not require it. I do agree if you are in an accident and in court you would be wishing you did have the correct set up for that state. Many states also require break away.

Confused if your state has a max of 40 and you have a 45 can you not register?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Apparently that is not an issue. Originally the laws were interpreted as meaning only buses could be 45 feet in 1993 or 1994. But soon Newell and than all high end motorhomes were producing 45 footers so the states don't enforce their own laws.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Confused if your state has a max of 40 and you have a 45 can you not register?

There are/were six remaining states that have a registration limit of 40'. Two these (I am not sure about the rest) are NJ and Md. I am not going to say it has not been done, but in my case, for NJ, I made an official inquiry through the DMV for a ruling/statement. The official answer, on a state department letterhead was: up to but not over 40 feet. No. At the time I was contemplating a 47'3" Newell (yes, they made a very few over 45'). That is why I made the inquiry. NJ and NY were 2 (CA was the third) of the 8 states that were restricting to 40 feet. NY changed when the then Gov. Pataki administration was reportedly asked to review/relent - related to an upcoming FMCA event. NY changed, CA changed, NJ did not. But often DMV officials at state inspection sites do not know about certain issues. That does not absolve the owner (like the IRS). State inspection of large diesel RVs was subsequently changed to private contractors licensed by the state, because the state facilities could not handle the weight and sizes.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

BUSES can be 45 feet. That is federal law, but states may restrict where they can go. Where the problem begins I think is when an owner of a 45 foot motorhome conversion draws attention to himself: speeding, tailgating, hogging the fast lane, etc.

You can bet your first born child that Prevost service in NJ doesn't restrict its work to 40 footers because 45's aren't allowed.

[Kenneth Brewer]

BUSES can be 45 feet. That is federal law, but states may restrict where they can go. Where the problem begins I think is when an owner of a 45 foot motorhome conversion draws attention to himself: speeding, tailgating, hogging the fast lane, etc.

You can bet your first born child that Prevost service in NJ doesn't restrict its work to 40 footers because 45's aren't allowed.

In conjunction with what Jon said; I refer to getting a non-commercial private vehicle (RV) over 40' registered, otherwise no real problems I have heard of. (Side note: as far I know, NJ turnpike will not accept tow dollies). MD was unhappy with the feds and ticket/ticketed combined lengths over 55' and, as well, 102" widths on non-federally regulated roads (often bridges). Interstates and ICC routes were tolerated because they had no real choice other than harassment, since they were fed regulated.

If you were caught, by being obvious in ways that Jon mentions, you had hassles. People were escorted to interstates or other fed roads, with or without ticketing, and followed. There was a parallel effort years ago by some state or municipal authorites to block double or triple semis leaving interstates until ICC routes caught up with the road listings, especially when new truck terminals/stops were built.