Where should I throw my rocks now?
I've called several CHP offices and not been able to get a "straight" answer. I called the DOT in Washington, spoke to an attorney (R.A.Scott, a pleasant gentleman who in his own words "knows nothing about nothing"). Alan (the apparent "Pro from Dover") at the CHP station at the top of the Grapevine (the huge hill on I-5 north of L.A.) was busy with the rain we're getting today. What he's doing with it, I'm not sure. So, I'll call him tomorrow when, hopefully, he won't be quite as busy with the rain.
Below is what I've found to date as far as brake requirments here in Ca. are. It appears that my setup meets the letter of the law and is redundant to boot.
Cheers,
Gus
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26302.htm
Trailers
26302. (a) Every trailer or semitrailer, manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1940, and having a gross weight of 6,000 pounds or more and which is operated at a speed of 20 miles per hour or over shall be equipped with brakes.
(b) Every trailer or semitrailer manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1966, and having a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more shall be equipped with brakes on at least two wheels.
(c) Every trailer or semitrailer manufactured after January 1, 1982, and equipped with air brakes shall be equipped with brakes on all wheels.
(d) Brakes required on trailers or semitrailers shall be adequate, supplemental to the brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the combination of vehicles to comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454.
(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any vehicle being used to support the boom or mast attached to a mobile crane or shovel.
Amended Ch. 774, Stats. 1981. Effective January 1, 1982.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26304.htm
Breakaway Brakes
26304. (a) Power brakes on any trailer or semitrailer manufactured after December 31, 1955, operated over public highways and required to be equipped with brakes shall be designed to be automatically applied upon breakaway from the towing vehicle and shall be capable of stopping and holding such vehicle stationary for not less than 15 minutes.
(b) Every new truck or truck tractor manufactured after December 31, 1955, operated over public highways and used in towing a vehicle shall be equipped with service brakes capable of stopping the truck or truck tractor in the event of breakaway of the towed vehicle.
Amended Ch. 733, Stats. 1972. Effective March 7, 1973.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648pt12.htm
Trailer Brakes
In California, brakes are required on any trailer coach or camp trailer having a gross weight of 1500 lbs. or more. Usually the braking capacity on tow vehicles is good, however, it may not be good enough to safely stop the several hundred to several thousand additional pounds that your trailer weighs. Most conventional and fifth-wheel trailers have electric brakes, activated by a controller in the tow vehicle. The controller automatically coordinates the tow vehicle and trailer braking so the two systems work together when the brake pedal is applied.
The controller can also be helpful in stabilizing a trailer that sways because of bad road conditions. Manually applying the trailer brakes by using the hand lever on the controller will restabilize a trailer that is likely to sway.
Folding camping trailers and boat trailers are usually fitted with surge brake systems which operate separately from the tow vehicle's brakes. Surge brakes are applied by a mechanism attached to the receiver/ball connection. As the tow vehicle slows, the forward motion of the trailer compresses the mechanism which in turn applies the trailer brakes.
Motorcycle trailers do not need brakes unless the weight exceeds 1500 lbs. gross.
The rest of the post didn't make it due to lenght. See link for full text.
The opinions in this post are my own. My comments are directed to those that might like an alternative approach to those already espoused.There is the right way,the wrong way,the USMC way, your way, my way, and the highway.
"I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it." Klaatu-"The Day the Earth Stood Still"
"You can't handle the truth!"-Jack Nicholson "A Few Good Men"
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. The Marines don't have that problem"-Ronald Reagan