I have been reading the posts on towing with the Duramax/Allison combination. I have read all sorts of comments on the pulling abilities of this combination. Indeed I have pulled a little with my wife’s truck, about 7,500 pounds gross. The one thing I have not seen much comment on is breaking. It seems to me that is one of the more important things that should be considered when towing.

I intend to pull my 7,500 pounds gross (trailer/load combined) in the mountains of north <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alabama</st1:place></st1:State>. My trailer does not have breaks. I am looking for any comments, suggestions or experiences dealing with breaking and keeping things under control on downgrades.

Hello,


Have you installed an aftermarket overdrive lock out kit? Have you installed an exaust brake?


Are after market trailer brakes out of the question?

Everything is stock. Just the Tow/Haul mode is available. I was trying to avoid putting brakes on the trailer. I will not be towing in the mountains on a regular bases. It will be a sort of one shot thing. Living in the flat lands as I do I am not familiar with mountain driving. I did not think going up a mountain would be much of a problem, but coming down may be another thing.

AG4GT,


Run it in tow/haul mode. With only 7500lbs &amp; no bigger than the hills are in Alabama, you will be OK. Tha auto features in tow/haul will keep you out of trouble.I tow12,500 lbs on 12% grades in Canada with no problems.Just use your common sense &amp; the tranny will take care of you,it is awsome. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif

A 7500lb trailer should definitely have trailer brakes. If you ever have to stop suddenly on wet road coming downhill you're going to be in big trouble with that runaway trailer pushing your back end.

chipper


I've pulled 10k-12k without trailer brakes (long story) in East Tennessee's hills in T/H without any trouble.


Long story short: Use common sense and you'll be fine with 7.5k.

Everything is fine until u have an accident and the other persons ambulance chasing lawyer gets ahold of U.


It isn't worth towing w/o brakes, even if u have to buy new axle/axles cost what a couple hundred each.


I've pulled some good size loads w/o brakes and had some close calls.


I still have a single axle trailer w/o brakes and haul the SSL to some close jobs, but only when I'm desperate.

DmaxTim is absolutely right about the ambulance chasing lawyer if you have an accident, I have seen it happen. Most states require trailer brakes at 7500 lbs, so you are open to lawsuits if you have an accident, even if its not your fault.

In New York State, the law is that all trailers with GVWR of 3000# and greater are required to have their own brakes. I am pretty sure I heard that this same law apply to most of other states.

You could probably safely tow a 7,500lbs trailer around the hills of Alabama, as CStone suggests, IF you control all the variables. But you can't. If you make it to your destination safely, you have experienced the benefits of good luck as much as skill. If it rains a bit and some moron pulls out in front of you, which they always seem to do when I'm towing, you will be a spectator at your own undoing. And possibly liable when the clever plaintiff's lawyer convinces the jury that if your trailer had been properly equipped, something his innocent client assumed you were, you could have slowed or stopped in plenty of time.

TC

When my brake controller took a dump, I drove another 500 mi in the mountains with a ~7000lb trailer using my Ford E-350, which has huge brakes on it. I ended up cracking a front rotor from excessive heat. Ended up costing me about $400, as the ABS rotors were pricey. Your stock brakes are not designed to absorb 70mph-0 stops with 14,000lbs, and at a minimum will wear several times faster than normal. Worse case, is you will find yourself on a downgrade when the brakes fail, and usually the result of that is death.


If I were you, I'd replace at least one of the axles with brakes. It might be cheaper in the long run.

You reminded me of a broken brake controller wire while pulling 8,000#'s over Elk Mountain in Wyoming. 20 miles of terror until I got to a truck stop and found/fixed the problem.


Pa., I think, has a trailer max. of 3,000 #'s without brakes. Hearing you speak of hauling that much without trailer brakes scares me.

im not sure for sure but a trailer place here in ohio siad you got have breaks on a trailer if its biger then 6000 pounds gross i dont no if its true or not but he said if you get pulled over you could get a tikit but thats what the guy said..like (Camstyn)said if your going down a wet hill you and have to stop your eather not going to ro going to slide.

I would definitely be putting brakes on the trailer before I towed it again, mountains or flat ground. Way too much load to stop in an emergency grade braking or not. I don't think you should put your life, the life of your passengers, and those of other innocent drivers in harms way to save a few dollars not installing brakes. That's an accident waiting for a place and time to happen, hills or not. Like the others said about the lawyers, if you are in an accident and hurt someone, you will get sued into oblivion, and personally I wouldn't blame someone for doing it either, I would if you injured me or my family. When you are on the road, it's not just about you. If you can't put brakes on the trailer, park it. Edited by: srode

This is Ohio's laws on trailer brakes



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(4) When operated upon the highways of this state, the following vehicles shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold the vehicle, designed to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle from its cab, and also designed and connected so that, in case of a breakaway of the towed vehicle, the brakes shall be automatically applied: </TD>
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(a) Every <A name=LPHit4></A>trailer or semitrailer, except a pole <A name=LPHit5></A>trailer, with an empty weight of two thousand pounds or more, manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1942; </TD>
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(b) Every manufactured home or travel <A name=LPHit6></A>trailer with an empty weight of two thousand pounds or more, manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 2001. </TD></TR></T></TABLE>

There are too many unknown variables in your post (what you haul; how it is positioned; etc.) to make an informed recommendation. If you have too much load in the rear end of the trailer the tongue weight may not be enough to keep your rear end on the ground in a panic stop. Exhaust brakes do nothing when your back wheels lose contact with the ground. Can't tell you how many times I've seen accidents where improper load distribution was the culprit. "Srode"'s recommendation is sound. Only you know your personal towing experience, driving habits, etc. When you tow a trailer, of any type, you take on an added dimension in terms of manueverability, braking distances, etc., and your options to avoid an accident are reduced significantly. For yourself and those of us on the road with you proper equipment is a must. Get the brakes!

Your trailer should have brakes on it already, your truck is pre-wired for trailer brakes. It cost me about $120.00 installed, but you can get them for under $100.00. Is the safety of your family &amp; yourself not worth this much? Who cares about getting caught, I would want to get caught in an accident on the down side of a mountain.