Jake brake, Jake brake, Jake brake.  Yes I know it is not a real jake brake but my exhaust brake on my 3/4 ton Dodge that pulls my 31' aluminum LQ is the best money I spent in a long time.  I can come off of any of the steep passes in California and Nevada, usually in third gear, without hardly touching my brakes.............mb

----- Original Message -----
From: ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 2:21:06 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [RC] Trailer towing

"...When you drive a "small"
towing vehicle, you must reduce your speeds and/or increase your
"envelope" sufficiently to account for the fact you ..."

If the tow vehicle is to small, if the trailer has no brakes how do you
compensate for the moose (or small child) that jumps out in front of you
as
you go down a steep hill?

The manufacturer's recommended towing capacities are MINIMUM  for
safety.
As far as I know all states require trailer brakes on trailer units that
are
the weight of even the lightest trailer and one horse.  If you were to
hit a
child, or whatever and the police and liability lawyers found out that
the
trailer brakes were not operating, I suspect you would be in a world of
trouble.

As I have posted in the past.  Heavy duty, used vehicles are cheap in
North
America.  Buy a truck to haul, and a small car to dive around the rest
of
the time.  Run the numbers.  You can own, put fuel in, and maintain two
proper, used vehicles for less money than one almost new vehicle that
can
NOT SAFELY pull a trailer but still gets less fuel mileage than a small
auto.

Ed

Ed and Wendy Hauser
2994 Mittower Road
Victor, MT 59875

ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx
(406) 552-4516



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