Flat Towing Braking System for Towing Jeep Behind School Bus

Question:

I want to tow a Jeep behind a school bus that has hydraulic brakes. I would like to have a breaking system for the Jeep what do you recommend?

asked by: Julie R

Expert Reply:

There are primarily two different types of supplemental braking systems used for flat towing one vehicle behind another, the portable or the permanently installed variety.

Why would I recommend one over the other? For a newer vehicle that you're planning on hanging onto for many years, a permanently mounted system like the Roadmaster Invisibrake, part # RM-8700 is what I'd recommend. The installation is certainly more complicated than a portable system, but it only takes seconds to set up the vehicle for towing, which is very convenient.

If the vehicle is older and you're unsure about how long you'll keep it, or you might want to swap a braking system back and forth between vehicles a portable system like the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR might make more sense for you. The system is initially a bit more expensive, but going this route would prevent you from having to pay for a couple hours of shop labor needed to install a permanently installed system. The portable braking system can be installed or removed in less than 5 minutes, which isn't a big deal.

If you'd care to reply with the model year of your Jeep, I'd be happy to make specific recommendations for a tow bar, base plates, wiring and other parts you might need.

I've linked to demonstration and install videos for the parts I recommended above.