rlking wrote: Much of this discussion is really a mute point. There are only 14 states (as of 2010) that do not require a break-away switch. Toed weight varies from state to state bus most say anything over 3 thousand pounds they are required. I didn't read all of the foot notes in the Trailer Life directory but the information is there. The one I use is from Night Shift Auto, Ready Brake, part # is RS 5000. The cable is connected to the frame of the MH so even if the receiver falls off. the brakes will still be applied. I don't know if it works and hope I never find out but at least I know it's there.
I'm curious about the states that require a brake a way system and especially how it's worded. If I remember correctly trailer equipped with surge brakes, like rental, boat trailer, and etc don't have break a way capablities. Could be wrong but I know the last UHaul I rented certainly did not seem to.
I'm wondering if the requirement was for trailers with electric brakes.
My boat trailer has surge brakes and it has a brake away. It is a cable that attaches to a handle on top of the hitch and to the master cylinder. If you happen to accidently come unhitched the cable will pull on that lever and lock the brakes on the boat trailer.
2002 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser
330 HP Caterpillar
3000 Allison Transmission
Neway Freightliner chassis
2013 Honda CR-V EX
Aventa II
FMCA member
daveB110 wrote: With a break away system installed a motor home lost its Ford truck on a mountainous Mexican road when the tow bar assembly tore out of the towed vehicle's frame, went over the side and down a ravine. Whether the break away system activated is unkown and the truck was a write-off. Some people advocate chaining your tow bar directly to the frame of the towed vehicle. After seeing portions of that truck's frame still attached to the entire tow bar, still at the back of his motor home parked in a Mexican campground, I agree.
We saw the same Vehicle and spoke briefly to the Owner at Chimulco !
Had the Safety Chains been attached to the Frame of the Motor Home and the Frame of the Ford Ranger Sport Truck this would not have resulted in the Total Loss of the Truck.
In this particular instance the Tow Bar was still attached securely to the MotorHome .
The Weak point was that the Tow Bar was attached/connected to the Truck only at the two Tie down Rings (Loops). There weres NO Safety chains/Cables evident whatsoever. The Torn Truck frame pieces and the Loops were still bolted to the Tow Bar.
I'm pretty sure that the place that installed the Tow Bar and the Manufacturer of said Tow Bar were to blame for the problem.
Why they used those Tie Down rings as an attachment point for the Base Plates is beyond Me!
There have been other instances of poorly attached Tow Bars.
One about a Year ago was apparently attached only to the Sheet Metal. When it broke free the Lower Front Facia of the Car was still attached to the Tow Bar. The Tow Car passed the Motorhome, whose Driver actually, attempted to Ram it into a guard Rail, thus damaging the side of the Rig. It eventually came to a stop.
Rob & Jean
98 Dutch Star Diesel Pusher ..92 Tracker 4X2
Yes Rob, that was at Villa Corona, 'o8 or '09. What we heard was that folks near the roadway alerted the driver of his loss. Could have been on hwy 80 out of Melaque, that's quite a steep and twisty stretch of road, we always drove it separated, easier on the 454 with its limited gears.
I have used my breakaway twice. Both of them were due to pilot stupidity (me). One was when I went around a sharp corner and my breakaway cable was a litte too short and it pulled the pin out and the brakes were applied (Blue Ox Toad Stop). I lengthened the cable and problem solved. The other time, one clevis pin on my towbar arm fell out due to not have it snapped down properly (I think). I was 80 miles from the campground and in the middle of the Everglades. I found the pin in the middle of the road. I now carry spares of each. No matter how good the design is, when you are doing something hundreds of times, eventually a mistake will show up. We now have my wife check everything after I hook up. As the Amish say, "Horse apples happen".
After your breakaway pin comes out, it will be scared up by bouncing on the pavement and needs to be sanded down smooth so it will fit in easily and come out easily if needed the next time.
I always use my breakaway when towing my race car. I live in MA but race at Lebanon Valley NY. This facility is located on RT 20 and the NY state police set up a road block to check that your breakaway switch is working. After you come to a stop they will disconnect the cable from the switch box and have you pull forward a little bit. If all goes well your trailer tires should lock up, if not you can expect a ticket and a tow if you cannot get them to work. It happened to my friend he could not get the breaks to lock up.
Steve B
4100 lb 8.872@ 156 MPH naturally aspirated
Square peg in a round hole is the way to go
A friend of mine had his come loose a couple of years ago. It happened on a freeway when someone cut in behind the motor home before the toad was clear. Broke the towbar at the point where it went into receiver - at the point of the "V". Breakaway stopped the toad, but it hit a retaining wall and that damage plus what the other vehicle did to it made up a total loss. At least the toad didn't hit anyone else, probably because the break away stopped it fairly quickly. By the way, my friend said he felt a "bump" and looked in his rear view camera to see his toad spinning away!
2002 Southwind 37U Ford F53 - V10
2007 Jeep Liberty Toad
TexasH wrote: A friend of mine had his come loose a couple of years ago. It happened on a freeway when someone cut in behind the motor home before the toad was clear. Broke the towbar at the point where it went into receiver - at the point of the "V". Breakaway stopped the toad, but it hit a retaining wall and that damage plus what the other vehicle did to it made up a total loss. At least the toad didn't hit anyone else, probably because the break away stopped it fairly quickly. By the way, my friend said he felt a "bump" and looked in his rear view camera to see his toad spinning away!
Wonder what happened to the safty cables that allowed the toad to take off. Properly sized and connected they should have remained intact.
Dick
2000 40" DP Beaver Patriot Thunder Cat C-12 425 HP, 1550 Tq
1997 Jeep GC Limited ---toad
2008 Toyota Tundra Crew Max Limited TRD (Retired)
2009 Cougar 268 RLS ~8700 lbs road wt (Retrired)
2006 Jeep Liberty Turbo Diesel.....TV in Training
In my 33 years on CHP I don't recall a toad breaking loose. I personally investigated several accidents where trailers broke loose, almost all as a result of the trailer whipping.
rlking wrote: Much of this discussion is really a mute point. There are only 14 states (as of 2010) that do not require a break-away switch. Toed weight varies from state to state bus most say anything over 3 thousand pounds they are required.
But is that required on trailers, or towed vehicle? I'm thinking that applies to trailers only.
In response to the OP thread; in 2011 I observed a receiver failure on an Winnebago Gas Pusher. I was first on the scene. Some of the bolts attaching the receiver to the frame were missing and some were backed out, the receiver mounts were torn, the receiver also had broken welds. The receiver had partially disconnected from the frame and was dragging on the pavement. The break-away cable was mounted to the semi-detached receiver. The electrics were pretty fubar. Looking further, the TOAD braking system and break-away were powered from the MH. We had to connect the TOAD battery to start and move the TOAD off the road. After observing this incident, I sound my receiver and baseplate bolts once a year and I remounted my break-away cable to the MH frame away from the receiver. Hopefully I won't have a problem in the future. Once, I almost caused my own incident. During a bug-out, I forgot to install one of the locking pins. About 50 miles down the road, the pin fell out of my pocket onto the floor of the MH. Couldn't stop the MH fast enough. The attaching pin was still in place, but the next good bump probably would have shaken it loose. I've been towing for the last 15 years and thought I was experienced and something like that couldn't possibly happen to me. Now I would surmize that operator error would probably be the most likely cause of any TOAD event, probably not material failure, but it can happen. Just my two cents...
Ted & Carmella in the DreamCatcher a
2008 Challenger 371PE on F53 w/ 2010 Cobalt R'V there yet?
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