Trailer brakes: the weight above which your trailer needs its own
Enter the loaded trailer weight: the calculator tells you, maker by maker, whether its towing guide requires the trailer to have its own brakes.
Does this trailer need its own brakes?
Yes, by Ford and Chevrolet
| Ford (all models in its towing guide) | required above 1,500 lb |
| Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe | required above 2,000 lb |
| Other Chevrolet models (Colorado) | required above 1,500 lb |
Ram, Jeep, Kia and Toyota print no threshold in the documents read. State laws set their own; check your state too.
Compiled by Radif Partners · Sources and method · makers’ towing documents read October 20 to 21, 2026
Above a certain loaded weight, a trailer must brake itself rather than lean on the tow vehicle. Ford's towing guide says separate, functional trailer brakes should be used for trailers weighing more than 1,500 lb loaded, for every model it covers. Chevrolet's trailering guide sets 2,000 lb for the Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe and 1,500 lb for its other models, such as the Colorado. Those are the makers' conditions for their own vehicles; they sit alongside state law, and each state sets its own threshold and equipment rules, sometimes lower, so read both and follow the stricter one. Most travel trailers, all fifth wheels and many boat and utility trailers are far above these figures once loaded. Electric brakes also need a brake controller in the tow vehicle, and Ford warns against towing a trailer with electric brakes without one. Use the loaded weight, never the dry weight, to decide.
The makers' thresholds
The table gives each rule as printed and the vehicles covered here to which it applies. Ford states its rule on page 6 of its towing guide, Chevrolet on page 6 of its trailering guide.
| Maker rule | Brakes required above | Vehicles on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Ford (all models in its towing guide) | 1,500 lb | Ford F-150, Ford F-250 Super Duty, Ford Expedition, Ford Explorer, Ford Ranger, Ford Maverick |
| Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe | 2,000 lb | Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Tahoe |
| Other Chevrolet models (Colorado) | 1,500 lb | Chevrolet Colorado |
The Ram and Jeep charts and the Kia specification pages we read for the Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Kia Telluride do not state a trailer brake threshold, so the site gives none for them; their owner's manuals are the place to look. Kia's page, for instance, gives towing capacities but no brake or hitch condition. The same holds for the Toyota product information sheets we read for the Tundra, Tacoma, 4Runner, Highlander and RAV4: their towing tables print ratings, weights and sometimes a tongue limit, but no brake threshold.
Why a light threshold
A vehicle's brakes are sized for its own GVWR, not for the extra mass of a trailer pushing from behind. Without trailer brakes, every pound of trailer has to be stopped by the tow vehicle's tires and pads, and the stopping distance grows with the trailer's weight. The thresholds are low, 1,500 lb to 2,000 lb, because the penalty starts early: a small utility trailer with a heavy load can cross them. Weigh a loaded trailer at least once before deciding it is light enough to go without.
Loaded weight, not dry weight, decides
Loaded camper weight to compare with your rating
2,900 lb
| Dry weight | 2,400 lb |
| Water (8.34 lb a gallon) | 0 lb |
| Gear and supplies | 500 lb |
| Trailer GVWR, the most it may weigh | 3,200 lb |
Controllers and the Explorer note
Most travel trailers use electric drum brakes, driven by a brake controller in the tow vehicle that sends current in proportion to the braking you apply. Ford's Explorer notes warn that certain states require electric trailer brakes above a set weight, and that a trailer with electric brakes should not be towed unless an aftermarket electronic brake controller is fitted (Ford guide, p. 39). Set the controller's gain with the trailer loaded, on a dry road at low speed, so that the trailer slows the rig without locking its wheels. Boat trailers often use surge brakes instead, which a hydraulic actuator in the coupler applies as the trailer pushes against the hitch; they need no controller, but check that your vehicle maker allows them.
Before each trip, plug in the trailer connector and check that the controller sees the brakes, then test them at walking pace in a parking lot: the rig should slow as soon as you press the pedal or squeeze the manual lever. Brakes that went unused over a winter often need their magnets, shoes and wiring inspected, and a trailer whose brakes do not work is, for the maker's rule, a trailer without brakes.
State law sits on top
The makers' figures are conditions of the vehicle's ratings, not traffic law. Each state sets its own weight above which a trailer must have brakes, and many add a breakaway device that applies the trailer brakes if the trailer comes loose. Those limits differ from state to state and from the makers' figures, and you are bound by the state you are driving in. Read the vehicle code of your state, and of the states on your route, then follow the stricter of the state rule and the maker rule.
Putting it together
Take an example loaded trailer of 3,200 lb. It is above every threshold in the table, so it needs working brakes and, if electric, a controller. Check the tongue next, at 10 to 15% of the trailer, 320 lb to 480 lb, and the payload. The travel trailer weight page turns a brochure figure into a loaded one, the hitch class page gives the hitch it calls for, and the checker runs the full test.