[Motor31]

Congrats on recognizing that towing overloaded is neither legal or smart. Lots of others never do. Towing a trailer that out masses your tow vehicle 3 to 1 means that higher mass will win the argument when they have a conflict. The trailer brakes are both mandatory and a good idea but the do not have the same power or ability to stop as do the vehicle brakes. They also depend on a cable connection that can fail without notice. Putting 18,000 + lbs on 4 tires with less power means the brakes do not have the same power to stop the vehicle like the tow vehicles brakes do. They do help to maintain the directional stability so that the trailer does not jack knife under hard braking and handle part of the braking load.