trailer without brakes - max weight

[MechanicalGuy]

Most people will toy with the brakes vs no brakes on utility trailers up until they are involved in an accident that results in major injuries or death, and them towing a trailer without all the proper gear gets them serious hot water with lawsuits in the millions.

Reminds me of an articles from year ago, I believe it was in Connecticut with a construction company towing a equipment trailer with a loaded skid steer behind a Chevy 3500 that was involved in a serious accident that cost the company $6M and the basis for the successful lawsuits against the company was due to the lack of the required weight distributor hitch.

 

[RandyT]

Most people will toy with the brakes vs no brakes on utility trailers up until they are involved in an accident that results in major injuries or death, and them towing a trailer without all the proper gear gets them serious hot water with lawsuits in the millions.

Reminds me of an articles from year ago, I believe it was in Connecticut with a construction company towing a equipment trailer with a loaded skid steer behind a Chevy 3500 that was involved in a serious accident that cost the company $6M and the basis for the successful lawsuits against the company was due to the lack of the required weight distributor hitch.

A few years back there was a case in Indiana that went all the way to the IN Supreme Court that ruled in the favor of the insurance company.

Old retired couple that drove all over the country to car show towing a toy hauler with the restored car of some sort that I don't remember what. Anyway the were driving through Indiana and were T boned by a drunk driver that had ran a red light that killed the wife instantly. So the insurance company was able to deny paying out the deceased life insurance even though they had no fault in the accident because the trailer they were towing exceeded the tow rating of the vehicle which if I remember correctly was just over the rating by a few hundred pounds. The tow vehicle was rated for something like 7800# and the trailer weighed 8200# or something like that.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Insurance companies will refuse to cover any accident where you were violating the law in any way, no matter how little you broke the law. Same thing with home owners insurance and fires. If you have a wood stove and did not pull a permit or get it inspected, they can refuse to cover damages.

 

[4570Man]

Insurance companies will refuse to cover any accident where you were violating the law in any way, no matter how little you broke the law. Same thing with home owners insurance and fires. If you have a wood stove and did not pull a permit or get it inspected, they can refuse to cover damages.

That’s not true otherwise they would pay nothing ever. How are you supposed to wreak without breaking a law?

 

[MechanicalGuy]

Insurance companies will refuse to cover any accident where you were violating the law in any way, no matter how little you broke the law. Same thing with home owners insurance and fires. If you have a wood stove and did not pull a permit or get it inspected, they can refuse to cover damages.

This is a fictional dystopia that does not exist.

 

[Renze]

Brakes vs no brakes is a discussion mostly held on whatever people are accustomed to, without any factualities.

Its not the brakes which are limiting, its the friction between tires and the road, in relation to the mass you want to brake. With non brake axles in your combination you have mass pushing you forward, without using the weight to generate stopping power.

Indeed on 60k pound big rig you wont notice a 3500 pound trailer. But on a 5k pickup truck with said trailer, youre going from 100% of weight aiding in braking, to 58% of weight aiding in stopping power. Thats rather substantial, and also increasing your brake distance in similar ratio.

 

[Threepoint]

[snip]
1) Towing a 3500lb single axle trailer (loaded total weight) with a 5500lb F-150 or similar pickup truck vehicle is safe, reliable, predictable and friendly WITHOUT trailer brakes.

No doubt true, in most situations. Can it be done legally in Virginia, Maryland or West Virginia? Nope. Just sayin.

 

[Jstpssng]

No doubt true, in most situations. Can it be done legally in Virginia, Maryland or West Virginia? Nope. Just sayin.

We got stopped and had the weight checked while pulling a hay mulcher behind a C65 with a 20 foot rack body and 200 hay bales. Everything else was fine but the trailer weighed 3300 lbs so the company was told to get brakes on it, pronto.

 

[AndyMA]

Conn requires brakes on any trailer over 3000 pound gross weight

Andy