Any trailer over 1650 pounds needs brakes?

JimG_AZ

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Not sure if you have ever been in a lawsuit after an accident but lawyers use highly paid specialists to testify and they definitely will bring facts such as this to the jury. Once there is personal injury with multi million dollars lawsuits nothing is off the table. My DIL got over 3 million for a 3/4 inch mistake by NY in the location of a bridge abutment from the center of the lane after being hit by an under insured driver. Lawyers will pursue every option and the vague documentation by ford removes them from any liability. Never ever ignore documented facts or claim they have no meaning.
Show me the statute that makes a manufactures tow rating a low. If your that concerned about this then err on the side of caution and order the trailer with brakes.
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VAMike

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But there is no lower limit provided for "Light Duty Trailer Hitch" in the Towing Capacities section, just the 3,500lb max towing limit. The 1,650lb limit is in a table that clearly is only intended to apply to "Heavy Duty Trailer Hitch".
I'm actually somewhat curious about whether you actually do understand and just want to argue, but not enough to read any more of this.
 

ControlNode

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The tow rating is not a legal number, but rather a guideline. if the tow rating was a true legal number, it could be challenged in court. Regarding the insurance company looklng at the owners manual and deciding they have no liability in the event of an accident - please provide proof. If they could do this, it would stretch well beyond trailer towing. So, if you got into an accident with unsafe tires due to limited tread, texting on your phone, or had a few drinks, they could say you were acting negligently and they are not covering you.
I was curious about this enough to call an agent with my insurance company. She stated that if the report, or the follow-up investigation, for an accident you were found at fault for found that you had exceeded the limits of the vehicle's documentation or laws where you were, they would still pay out on that incident, but would cancel your coverage and perhaps flag you as high risk, not sure on that flagging part as when I asked for more details on that she didn't want to elaborate.
 
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Fordup

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Show me the statute that makes a manufactures tow rating a low. If your that concerned about this then err on the side of caution and order the trailer with brakes.
I just did. Wound up getting a 7000 gvwr aluminum trailer same size (7 x 14 ft) with dual axles and brakes on all 4 wheels that just came in. Was just a little more then special ordering a single axle with brakes. Plus didn't know how long the wait would before a special order. Trailer is only 960 pounds empty compared to 600 for a single axle. Hopefully others make the right choice also.
 
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Fordup

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You are legally bound by d.o.t. regulations, irregardless of what anyone thinks. D.o.t. can pull you over for an inspection, same as an 18 wheeler. I wish an endorsement on operator license was required for towing anything over 1500 lbs. I see way too many amateurs out there that think they have mad skillz, when the reality is they are commuter level nonsense with a trailer, a danger to everyone around.
I was pulled over into a random parki g lot dot check when I had my F350. Had an empty 7k car trailer behind it and they had portable scales I was flagged into. It was my personal truck with no DOT numbers and I was questioned about that because the truck was 11000 gvw. Luckily they let me go after questioning. Those guys are worse then State Police and check every thing.
 


jsphlynch

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Let me get this straight. Even though Illinois law states brakes are not required until you hit 3,000 lbs, Ford has it at 1,650?
Yes. But the Illinois law is a firm legal requirement for operating on their roads, whereas Ford's requirement is not. If you're pulling a 3001 pound trailer without brakes, you could get cited even if you don't get in an accident. If that trailer is only 2999 pounds, you won't get cited just for driving, but if you get in an accident and the investigation concludes that insufficient braking power to adequately control your 2999-pound trailer likely contributed to the accident or its severity, you'll be held accountable for the accident. Ford putting the limit at 1650 lb in the manual helps ensure that you don't then try to pass the blame onto them, since they've given you notice that 2999 pounds is outside the operating conditions that they endorse.

Edit to add: Keep in mind that there's no requirement for Ford or any other manufacturer to rate their vehicles at the maximum allowed under the law.
 

Cabose-1

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Short answer

No

GEN-Y HITCH. What i do, i only use a trailer brake on 3500 or more pounds. Ranger does not have the best brakes. Yes what if you have to emergency brake. What if i win the lottery, and get an f450. I have been around more people that have been stuck by lightning than car accidents i have been in.

GEN -Y HITCH

drive smart, be safe.
 

JesseS

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Calif is 1500 lbs for needing trailer brakes, but I always have brakes on my trailers, be it surge or electric. The 1st time you have your trailer pass you on a downhill slippery road (rain is enough) when you need to brake hard for any reason, you will really wish you had them. Watched a guy in a downhill curve in the rain have to hit his brakes hard for an Elk in the road, his trailer jack-knifed and flipped his truck, both trailer and truck a total loss. Better safe than sorry, me and my family are worth a lot more than a set of good trailer brakes.
 

TheDo114

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I was looking up the Ford Super Duty's Owner's Manual and it has the exact same line in it but it's 1500lbs...

The rating for the tow vehicle's braking system operation is at the gross vehicle weight rating, not the gross combined weight rating.
Separate functioning brake systems are required for safe control of towed vehicles and trailers weighing more than 1500 lb (680 kg) when loaded.

Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped)

The lawyers at Ford are being extremely cautious wow. Luckliy for me, where I live, the province state the the owner's manual is there as a guide and not the law. They also state the it's mostly there to cover the butt of the automakers and that you should follow the provincial and national law on what's allowed or not.
 

Coyote Southwest

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Hi folks! I'm new to the forum, recently purchased my (new to me) Ranger, and am setting up for towing. I previously had a motor home and flat-towed various Jeeps. Now I'm learning about towing a small travel trailer (thus my joining this thread).

One of the things I discovered in setting up the Jeeps for (flat) towing was that you didn't need to go far before one of the state rules made towing a Jeep illegal without a braking system. It was simply easier (and safer) to always use a braking system. This is a somewhat separate issue than deciding what a Ranger can actually pull or stop on its own.

Here's a useful write-up on current state laws from an RV forum. https://www.rvtravel.com/trailer-brake-laws-50-states-1100/
 

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Hi folks! I'm new to the forum, recently purchased my (new to me) Ranger, and am setting up for towing. I previously had a motor home and flat-towed various Jeeps. Now I'm learning about towing a small travel trailer (thus my joining this thread).

One of the things I discovered in setting up the Jeeps for (flat) towing was that you didn't need to go far before one of the state rules made towing a Jeep illegal without a braking system. It was simply easier (and safer) to always use a braking system. This is a somewhat separate issue than deciding what a Ranger can actually pull or stop on its own.

Here's a useful write-up on current state laws from an RV forum. https://www.rvtravel.com/trailer-brake-laws-50-states-1100/
Super curious about this, can you tie into the jeep's brake when flat-towing? Or is it an external system?
 

Coyote Southwest

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Every system I am aware of uses pressure applied to the Jeep brake pedal.

Ours was essentally an air-powered surge brake (with a built-in air pump and tank). Electricity came from the Jeep battery. A wireless repeater in the cab let us know what it was doing. (We used a Brake Buddy, but there are several other brands out there.)

There are air-powered units that are plumbed into the motorhome brake system (diesel-powered with air brakes). (Shops get nervous about tapping into brake lines, though. Not all shops would install these.)
 
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Fordup

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When we had a motor home I went with a steerable dolly with brakes because it was the the lowest cost way to meet the requirements of all states and not mess with the car warranty.
 

VAMike

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The lawyers at Ford are being extremely cautious wow. Luckliy for me, where I live, the province state the the owner's manual is there as a guide and not the law. They also state the it's mostly there to cover the butt of the automakers and that you should follow the provincial and national law on what's allowed or not.
It's weird that anyone would officially state that the manufacturer's guidance on how much weight a vehicle can safely brake should be completely disregarded in favor of a generic limit.
 

ControlNode

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When we had a motor home I went with a steerable dolly with brakes because it was the the lowest cost way to meet the requirements of all states and not mess with the car warranty.
In most cases a dolly is only of use with a FWD car/SUV though. I had thought about putting flat tow bars on my wife's unreliable work Jeep, but when I got to looking at getting the brakes working, assuming that is not the part that decided to fail that time, it looked to be too much hassle. I have a car trailer now with its own brakes.
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