Hi
I am wondering if it is necessary to have a spearate brake system on the car I am towing behind my 32' motorhome using a blue ox towing system.  The car will be a 2017 Hyumdai Elantra. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks

I believe it is required by state law, there may be 1 or 2 states that don't require brakes but that would be pretty limiting to your travel.

We saw dozens of cars being towed down the interstate yesterday with tow bars.  They all obviously didn't have braking systems but it looked like they were headed to Mexico.

  On 10/15/2019 at 5:13 AM, SWharton said:

I believe it is required by state law

I'm not certain, but I believe it depends on the weight of the towed vehicle in the state being towed.  Many states it is over 3,000 lbs.  Texas is over 4,500 lbs.

  On 10/15/2019 at 5:27 AM, oldbutspry said:

We saw dozens of cars being towed down the interstate yesterday with tow bars.  They all obviously didn't have braking systems but it looked like they were headed to Mexico.

And you determined that how?   You can't see the supplemental braking system we have for our toad - it sits beneath the navigator's seat.  There is nothing visible from outside.

  On 10/15/2019 at 4:58 AM, Nanny&Timbo said:

Hi
I am wondering if it is necessary to have a spearate brake system on the car I am towing behind my 32' motorhome using a blue ox towing system.  The car will be a 2017 Hyumdai Elantra. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks

Some states require all cars to have supplemental system when being towed, some it is dependent upon wait.  If going into Canada they require all to have it and (as I understand) are know to pull out the break-away to check to make sure it engages.

Why would you not want to have one?   Yes, I know they are expensive, but .....

I just picked this up on Brake Buddy.

http://www.brakebuddy.com/towing-laws.html

  On 10/15/2019 at 5:39 AM, Barbaraok said:

And you determined that how?   You can't see the supplemental braking system we have for our toad - it sits beneath the navigator's seat.  There is nothing visible from outside.

These were cars/pickups towing other cars/pickups, usually both somewhat wrecked. Yesterday we saw many groups of 3 or 4 of them headed towards Juarez.  I'm guessing they are transporting them into Mexico or Central America.  Technically they could have had braking systems but I'd bet anything they didn't.

Edited October 15 by oldbutspry

I would imagine they didn't either. The point is you can't tell by just looking on the exterior.

  On 10/15/2019 at 5:56 AM, oldbutspry said:

These were cars/pickups towing other cars/pickups, usually both somewhat wrecked. Yesterday we saw many groups of 3 or 4 of them headed towards Juarez.  I'm guessing they are transporting them into Mexico or Central America.  Technically they could have had braking systems but I'd bet anything they didn't.

We've seen those convoys of junkers headed south to Mexico for twenty years. I agree that it is highly unlikely that they had braking systems on the towed cars. Even the tow vehicles themselves often look like they barely run...

And the banter about cars being towed south, with all of its connotations, have what to do with pulling a toad behind an RV?   

Edited October 15 by Barbaraok

Nada. Typical thread drift. Not a new thing on the internet...?

  On 10/15/2019 at 4:58 AM, Nanny&Timbo said:

I am wondering if it is necessary to have a spearate brake system on the car I am towing behind my 32' motorhome using a blue ox towing system. 

The answer just depends on how you define the word necessary. I have towed several different vehicles behind two different motorhomes and while I began towing without any braking on the vehicle I was towing, I soon realized that the real answer is one of safety. As far as I have ever found, there is no state law anywhere that specifically requires a auxiliary brakes on a car being towed as most of the laws are actually based on towing of trailers. While I have heard stories of "someone who knew a person" who was ticketed for not having braking, I have never known of anyone who was ticketed and I have never had an LEO check to see if I had an auxiliary brake system, not even when crossing the border into Canada. But never forget that the laws do clearly state that you must be able to stop before you hit someone or something and there is no question that an auxiliary brake system will enable you to stop more quickly. In addition, most such systems allow the driver to apply braking to the towed vehicle without using the motorhome brake, which can help to stop the vehicle from sliding in wet weather. I consider it foolish to tow with no braking because it is a safety issue. If someday a child darts out from between parked cars, you will want every bit of stopping ability that you can get and heavy vehicles just do not stop as well as a car. 

  On 10/15/2019 at 6:16 AM, Barbaraok said:

And the banter about cars being towed south, with all of its connotations, have what to do with pulling a toad behind an RV?   

I don't know if it is legal. Just pointing out it is commonly done - and with significantly smaller tow vehicles than the OP is talking about.

Edited October 15 by oldbutspry

  On 10/15/2019 at 7:42 AM, oldbutspry said:

I don't know if it is legal. Just pointing out it is commonly done - and with significantly smaller tow vehicles than the OP is talking about.

  On 10/15/2019 at 6:16 AM, Barbaraok said:

And the banter about cars being towed south, with all of its connotations, have what to do with pulling a toad behind an RV?   

The general rule of thumb for folks that are NOT transporting cars to Mexico, is that you can tow doubles as long as the First trailer connection is a 5th wheel type hitch.  The 2nd trailer/toad has to have lighting and a braking system powered by the tow vehicle.  The Gross tow rating of the Tow vehicle/truck is usually scrutinized harder if the combination is pulled over. 

Google knows.