Sorry Maverick - I didn't mean to come across as impolite or disrespectful. You obviously have experience pulling heavy trailers with no brakes with the VX and I've only pulled lightweight trailers.

Today I made a PERSONAL DECISION not to pull a heavy trailer with the VX unless the trailer has brakes though - based on these simple facts:

1. The physical laws of the universe dictate that the VX will take a lot longer to slow down in a panic situation if it's got a lot of dead weight behind it. Strong and fade-resistant brakes don't mean squat when I have double the momentum and the same size contact patch between the tire and road and essentially the same mass pushing down on the contact patch. Friction between the tire and the road is the limiting factor for braking distance with all modern vehicles - not how strong the brakes are.

2. Sometimes things are beyond my control. It doesn't matter how far ahead I'm looking, there will come a time when the unexpected happens. It always does. And when it does I want to know I'm as safe as I can be, since lives depend on it.

Look - there is always a point of no return when it comes to braking - a point beyond which it is physically impossible to avoid a crash - whether you've got trailer brakes or not - or whether you're just tooling around town in the VX not even towing anything. Having more braking rubber on the road just brings that point of no return closer to the VX and gives you more room for error.

Having good driving skills - the ability to see well ahead and anticipate - also helps. But even with the best skill and equipment there is still a point of no return travelling along in front of you at all times - and if something pops up between you and that point you're going to nail it and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. The prudent solution is to try to bring that point in as close to you as possible. Trailer brakes do that. I stand by my OPINION that - although I'm sure you've got good skills - you have also been LUCKY that your braking needs have not exceeded your ability to anticipate the need for braking. I hope your lucky streak continues.

Anyway - Sorry for the tone of my message. I'll shut up now.