Motorhome / Towed Car (toad) Break away system

matt86m

matt86m

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Going to pull a Jeep behind the MoHo. 

Diesel pusher with air brakes, looking at the Roadmaster, Brakemaster. There are 2 models, 9100 & 9160. The difference is a break away system on the 9160. In the unlikely event that the toad separates from the RV it will have an air tank of its own to apply brake pressure to stop the Jeep.

The 9100 doesn't have a braking system of its own for the toad.

I will be using safety chains.

My enclosed and 5th wheel had break away systems. The enclosed has safety chains, none on the 5th wheel.

If I didn't attach the coupler to the ball correctly and it slipped off I'd have chains to keep the Jeep with moho with no break away system.

If the same thing above happens with a break away system the Jeeps brakes will activate and I may drag it a little until I realize there's something wrong.

There is a price difference of $145 but that's not the concern (not after buying an RV & Jeep!)

It's having to mount the air tank (although small) on the Jeep.

SO, Question:

Do you have a break away system on your towed car?

I have been told some states may have a requirement for a break away system but isn't that what the chains are for?

 
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Break Away System is Good!!!  mount the tank and use it to run a train horn in the Jeep 😄

 
well when my stacker came off the Moho I wish it had the brakes on when it hit the back of the moho.  If your jeep comes off without the system you are going to do some damage for sure. I rather drag it a mile then have it loose and free wheeling.  It takes some time stop and to notice that something is wrong. lots can happen in 15 sec.  I would put a bigger tank in there you can use to fill tires.  BTW did the owner of the jeep tell you he ran his tires at 18psi when offroad.

 
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Squatcher said:
well when my stacker came off the Moho I wish it had the brakes on when it hit the back of the moho.  If your jeep comes off without the system you are going to do some damage for sure. I rather drag it a mile then have it loose and free wheeling.  It takes some time stop and to notice that something is wrong. lots can happen in 15 sec.  I would put a bigger tank in there you can use to fill tires.  BTW did the owner of the jeep tell you he ran his tires at 18psi when offroad.
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HaHa! Yes, he must have just got back.  He had the fronts at 35 and the rears had 19 in them! It was a little squishy on the road till I filled them up!

 
I just tow my jeep. No brakes or brake away system. If your going to do it right, does 145.00 really matter?

 
IFLY said:
I just tow my jeep. No brakes or brake away system. If your going to do it right, does 145.00 really matter?
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It's not about the 145, its the tank and the other stuff to attach to the jeep

 
matt86m said:
It's not about the 145, its the tank and the other stuff to attach to the jeep
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Its a jeep like a AR of the offroad world.  you can bolt a ton of Crap on there.  I would mount an air compressor and tank. More useful than just using for tow brakes. 

 
Squatcher said:
Its a jeep like a AR of the offroad world.  you can bolt a ton of Crap on there.  I would mount an air compressor and tank. More useful than just using for tow brakes. 
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Guess I should have kept the Vair air compressor and 2 gallon tank I sold with my dually!

 
I think having brakes on a Towd is overkill if you have a DP with air brakes. As far as a breakaway, could be nice. My hitch snapped a few years ago on the 86 north of Red Earth. I've always upgraded my safety chains and in this situation it definitely helped save the trailer (I'll upload pics from my laptop later). My trailer didn't have a breakaway cord but  the chains held so the breakaway wouldn't have done me any good. This enabled me to let out of the throttle and coast to the shoulder and stop. The trailer did hit my RV but just cosmetic damage, nothing serious.

 
Squatcher nailed it. Imagine yourself if the Jeep uncouples and it’s back there on just chains? How much front end damage will you have on the Jeep and how much rear damage to your Moho. And if you have a DP you have some really important and expensive stuff in the rear of that Moho. There is no guarantee the brakes will activate but I would want every opportunity possible if it were me, 

 
Don't use a breakaway system on my jeep, just the safety chains/cables that came with the BlueOX tow bar.

 
I have the air force 1 brake system on my jeep and it has the breakaway system I use a Blue Ox tow bar and use safety cables and the brake system is proportional by a mercury switch and inertia it is an electrical system not air activated although my DP has air brakes all in all it works great and I don’t have to deal with one more line to hook up. I personally think the brake away system is a good idea if it should happen to come unhitched I would rather have the brakes locked up than have it freewheeling. Class 8 trucks have a break away in the air system if you have a trailer come un hitched.

 
If nothing else, think about the liability when its required by law and you don't have it. Also, to those who say supplemental brakes on a DP are not needed, BS! If you think an extra 4k-5k lbs. pushing you won't make a difference during a panic stop, guess again! And again, LIABILITY when you don't have it and it's required by law. Lastly, think about the tow bar and mounts. that extra force plays hell on them making them wear faster.   

 
ROBERT L said:
I was curious if you still had them. 
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Never installed them in the dually so I included them when I sold it, set of airbags too

Thank you for those! Wish I had kept it.

 
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