Brake requirements towing with dolly

[JRBF]

I have rented tow dollies several times from U-Haul over the years, they all had brakes.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by JRBF

I have rented tow dollies several times from U-Haul over the years, they all had brakes.

The local U-Haul dealer told me that none of their tow dollies had brakes and when I emailed U-Haul support they told me that none of U-Haul's dollies had brakes because they did not need them. They said something about only needing to measure the weight of the dolly and the front weight of the car when on the dolly, and that that weight was less than 3000 pounds.

I am not questioning what you are saying, but perhaps the new ones no longer have brakes.

[AJMike]

Well, that is interesting.

I spoke with the Arizona Dept of Transportation today to ask some questions about tags and lights for a tow dolly and while I am on the phone I also asked them whether or not the required weight for a trailer to have brakes is the loaded or unloaded weight. Arizona requires that any trailer weighing 3000 pounds or more have brakes and I wanted to know how that applied to the tow dolly. Was the specified 3000 pound brake limit for a dolly when it was unloaded or when it was loaded. The answer surprised me.

Any trailer in Arizona that weighs 3000 pounds or more when unloaded requires brakes. If it weights 2800 pounds unloaded, but 3500 pounds when loaded, it still does not require brakes because it is the weight of the trailer itself that matters.

But a tow dolly is not a trailer according to the Arizona DOT. It is simply a tow dolly and does not require brakes, loaded or unloaded. The one I buy will have brakes because I do worry about stopping distance, but it is not required by the state of Arizona.

It makes me wonder about other state laws.

[AZAspect]

Originally Posted by AJMike

Well, that is interesting.

I spoke with the Arizona Dept of Transportation today to ask some questions about tags and lights for a tow dolly and while I am on the phone I also asked them whether or not the required weight for a trailer to have brakes is the loaded or unloaded weight. Arizona requires that any trailer weighing 3000 pounds or more have brakes and I wanted to know how that applied to the tow dolly. Was the specified 3000 pound brake limit for a dolly when it was unloaded or when it was loaded. The answer surprised me.

Any trailer in Arizona that weighs 3000 pounds or more when unloaded requires brakes. If it weights 2800 pounds unloaded, but 3500 pounds when loaded, it still does not require brakes because it is the weight of the trailer itself that matters.

But a tow dolly is not a trailer according to the Arizona DOT. It is simply a tow dolly and does not require brakes, loaded or unloaded. The one I buy will have brakes because I do worry about stopping distance, but it is not required by the state of Arizona.

It makes me wonder about other state laws.

This is not surprising for AZ. You are lucky you got someone who would actually make a definitive decision...that has not been the case for us with other matters regarding the AZDOT! They are very good at passing the buck up the line, but then supervisors are unwilling to even make a call on what exactly the law states.

Another thing that now has me wondering is that when we bought our Aspect 30J from La Mesa RV in Phoenix, they told us that if we were going to tow anything behind it then we would need to have the brakes since we would be greater than 35' total length (I may have that total length wrong, maybe it was 36'?). They told us AZ law requires that. They didn't say anything about weights of trailers or tow dollies. Either way, I think you're smart installing the brakes...we would!

Al

p.s. LOVE the KOA in your neck of the woods!

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by AZAspect

Another thing that now has me wondering is that when we bought our Aspect 30J from La Mesa RV in Phoenix, they told us that if we were going to tow anything behind it then we would need to have the brakes since we would be greater than 35' total length (I may have that total length wrong, maybe it was 36'?). They told us AZ law requires that. They didn't say anything about weights of trailers or tow dollies. Either way, I think you're smart installing the brakes...we would!

Al

p.s. LOVE the KOA in your neck of the woods!

I would think that pretty much any RV towing pretty much any car would exceed 35 or 36 feet in length. We have a Winnie Fuse (24') and a Honda Fit (13') and with the 3-4' length of the tow dolly hitch that comes to something like 40'. Aside from a very small Class B and a Smart Car it is hard for me to think of any RV + car + hitch that would not exceed that limit. The sales guy at LaMesa RV (where we also bought) never said a word about either weight or length limits for Arizona but I will use brakes because I worry about stopping or slowing down distances without them.

Are you referring to the KOA in Apache Junction? That used to be a relatively isolated location away from lots of traffic but gentrification has brought lots of new homes and traffic to that area. And they call that "progress" although I get more and more skeptical as I get older.

[AZAspect]

Yes, the KOA in Apache Junction. We've stayed there a couple of times going to/from. Nice people and lots of room. I agree with you about the new homes and traffic...the same is going on here in Flagstaff but mostly the sprawl of NAU and off campus housing. Flagstaff is not the same as it was even a few years ago.

Al

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by AZAspect

Yes, the KOA in Apache Junction. We've stayed there a couple of times going to/from. Nice people and lots of room. I agree with you about the new homes and traffic...the same is going on here in Flagstaff but mostly the sprawl of NAU and off campus housing. Flagstaff is not the same as it was even a few years ago.

Small world. When we come through Flagstaff on our way from southern Utah (Bryce Canyon or Zion National Parks) we typically stay at the KOA on US 89 just north of I-40.

Flagstaff in December is one of the coldest places I have ever been. Came through there many years ago on my way to Tucson during an ice storm and the roads were so slick from ice that the car actually threatened to slide off the road on one of the banked curves just north of Flagstaff. And it was really, really cold. Always thought it was so odd that there was a 100 degree temperature change between Flagstaff and Phoenix. One minute -20 and 90 minutes later +80.