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I am very concerned that some of Unibrakes competitors are misleading the general public by quoting or directing them to documents and/or Websites , in the hope of discrediting the Unibrake product, thus misleading the public; I am very concerned that this is happening on our forums! So please read below so we can put this particular document to bed!
The Department of Transport information sheet, issued on September 2011 for towing American trailers fitted with electric brakes, does not apply to the Unibrake servo towing system
Unibrake is not towing an American trailer fitted with electric brakes, it is towing a car, with vacuum assisted brakes. This information sheet only addressees, and is only relevant to trailers fitted with electric brakes.
The current legislation which is relevant to the Unibake the system, is the EU regulation: 71/320/EEC which is to be rescinded in 2014 and replaced by UN ECE regulation 13. These are the EU regulations covering the towing of cars with A frames, with which the Unibrake system fully complies.
I hope that there will be no more misleading information given out about any products on our forums by competitors as this is not in the spirit of our forums.[size=18] [/size]
Location: Brimington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire and Acharavi, Greece
Status: Offline
After a lot of thinking and toeing and fro-ing I have booked my new car in to be fitted with the Unibrake system it must be getting VERY popular cos I am booking in two months in advance I go down on 2nd May.
VERY Impressed with what I have discovered, A-Frame weighs 9kg at the side of many others coming in at 25kg+ and it can tow up to 2000kg
All reports on this AND other forums give it a VERY High recommendation indeed as has already been stated Brian is very knowledgeable indeed.
______________________________________________________________ Travel Safe
Les
I am very concerned that some of Unibrakes competitors are misleading the general public by quoting or directing them to documents and/or Websites , in the hope of discrediting the Unibrake product, thus misleading the public; I am very concerned that this is happening on our forums!
I hope that there will be no more misleading information given out about any products on our forums by competitors as this is not in the spirit of our forums.
ElddisElvis
I am sorry if I have upset you, I am in no way trying to mislead the general public. In fact it is quite the opposite, I am trying to ensure people are correctly informed.
I am told Brian is your father, hence I was careful not to comment personally on your fathers company or imported American product. I therefore just made people aware, without comment, of the Department for Transport Information Sheet that states:-
All trailers with a maximum laden weight of 3500kg1 or less are permitted to have electric brakes regardless of whether they are from America or from somewhere else. Regulations specify that the transmission method by which the signal is used to apply the brakes may be mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic and, electric.
Your father’s web site also states on its Legal page:
At this juncture it is important to note, that a towed car is regarded as a trailer so far as the legal regulations are concerned.
We do not disagree with this and I am told by an American colleague that; “UniBrake is the old U.S. Gear Unified Tow Brake. They have been around for quite some time and are all but phased out here is the states. They actually sold the system years ago to a company named A.P. Products, but they paid to still run it under the US Gear name.”
Smart-Tow.com also consider its SmartBoxDUO dual sensing electronic vacuum braking system to be an American product as it is supplied by SMI Inc.
Hence we believe that both our products are towed trailers fitted with American electronic brakes and these should comply with this Department for Transport information sheet dated September 2011 as well as 71/320/EEC.
The Department for Transport further comment:
It is common on American caravans/trailers with electric brakes to have an electrical device mounted in the towing vehicle which the driver operates manually to apply the brakes of the trailer independent to the brakes on the tow vehicle. This is prohibited in Europe where the regulations demand that the service braking system must be applied without the driver removing his hands from the steering control.
I note that UniBrake mention on their web site that the Motorhome Towing Control Unit is mounted in the cab of the towing vehicle and that one of the functions is manual braking of the towed vehicle in an emergency by the driver operating a plunge down leaver on the side of the Towing Control Unit. I cannot see how this is done without the driver removing at least one of his hands from the steering control during the emergency?
Your father’s web site also states on its Control-Unit page:
The controller incorporates a solid state gyroscopic sensor, which constantly monitors the towed vehicle’s proportional braking function
The Department for Transport further comment:
Alternatively, American caravans/trailers with electric brakes can have an electrical device mounted in the towing vehicle which senses deceleration in the towing vehicle and transmits a signal to the caravan/trailer braking system to operate the brakes. European requirements demand that this type of device must be mounted on the caravan/trailer.
The ECE regulation 13.11 came into force for anybody wanting to a type-approval to that standard from November 2011, but compliance with it will not be mandatory until the 2014 date. In the meantime compliance with the EC 2002/78 revision to EC 98/12 is mandatory.
I hope this clarifies the situation for you, is not misleading and that there is no animosity generated. I believe these forums are precisely the place to discuss and clarify information that is complex and often not fully explained on Company web sites or advertising.
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Don't be mislead! Re: Towing Systems/A Frames
