Best Breakaway System?

[Neal]

Alert - PSA: Check your baseplates (and tow bars)

Disaster averted!!! I left Newmar service and at my next stop after disconnecting the TOAD I noticed something caught my eye, movement that shouldn't be! Holy $h*! batman! Okay, probably just a loose baseplate, I have not had it checked since install in Feb 2017, nothing led me to believe...

rvforums.com

 

[CaptainGizmo]

I had M&G and they have a nice break away system but I never got it. I used two very stout safety cables, securely attached to both the jeep and coach, so there was simply no physical way the jeep could get loose.

The only thing that could happen is that if the tow bar failed, the jeep would probably rear end the coach when I stopped, but I always used a good well maintained tow bar too. So after thinking it through and analyzing all the possibilities, I decided not to bother with a break-away system.

(Sorry…I just saw the above responses after I posted mine!)

Rich, and any others…

I’d be remiss if I didn’t let you know of how many failures I’ve been made aware of over the past years in which the BASEPLATES failed. And, if those are safety strapped to the frame…well…bye bye whole assemble and the TOAD is running wild.

So, take every measure to insure that the baseplates are intact, tightened, and if possible…strapped to the frame.

 

[Neal]

As @redbaron said, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Well, he/you wouldn't, you'd have close company and great new friendships. And your wealth would be on tap by the lawyers. Don't take chances like this.

 

[Rich W.]

I’d say the key points are 1) Make sure your equipment is up to the task, 2) know it inside and out and maintain it properly, and 3) If for any reason you don’t think you can make these judgements with absolute certainty get professional help.

I never liked the standard/typical baseplate mounts (they seem too wimpy to me) so I made my own and built a system that can’t fail (you could hang the jeep from it). That said, if there was ever any doubt at all, I’d use a break-away system and I’d never recommend that anyone forego all safety measures available. There’s just too much at risk here. I may have seemed to indicate otherwise, but that was not my intention.

If I were using a conventional baseplate (I still have one new, unused in my garage) I’d have a break-away braking system because those things look to me like they are designed to fail. For anyone in doubt, these are the conventional connectors to which I’m referring:

 

[team bradfield]

If I understand you, you think these are designed to fail? Please explain, I have 30k miles on mine

 

[team bradfield]

I hear Craigslist is a good option

 

[BGMAC]

I believe the brake away brake systems are required by law in states now when flat towing a vehicle, so if your in the state that it’s required and it brakes away you may have a costly lawsuit if your vehicle damages anything.

 

[BGMAC]

In my previous post I was meaning if you didn’t have the breaking system.

 

[Neal]

There is no reason anyone should NOT have a toad braking system installed. Let this be your nudge to get it done.