[A/S] Re: Equalizing Hitches

[travelingbill@xxxxxxxxxxx]

I just got this from the Iowa DOT 


321.430  Brake, hitch and control requirements.
1.	Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, or motorized 
bicycle, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with brakes 
adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such 
vehicle, including two separate means of applying the brakes, each of 
which means shall be effective to apply the brakes to at least two 
wheels. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are 
connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of 
any one part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor 
vehicle without brakes on at least two wheels.
2.	Every motorcycle and motorized bicycle, when operated upon a 
highway, shall be equipped with at least one brake, which may be 
operated by hand or foot.
3.	Every trailer or semitrailer of a gross weight of three 
thousand pounds or more, and every trailer coach or travel trailer of 
a gross weight of three thousand pounds or more intended for use for 
human habitation, when operated on the highways of this state, shall 
be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to 
stop and hold such vehicle, and so designed as to be applied by the 
driver of the towing motor vehicle from its cab, or with self-
actuating brakes, and

*****
 weight equalizing hitch with a sway control. 
*********

Every semitrailer, travel trailer, or trailer coach of a gross weight 
of three thousand pounds or more shall be equipped with a separate, 
auxiliary means of applying the brakes on the semitrailer, travel 
trailer, or trailer coach from the cab of the towing vehicle. 
Trailers or semitrailers with a truck or truck tractor need only 
comply with the brake requirements.
4.	Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, every new motor 
vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer hereafter sold in this state and 
operated upon the highways shall be equipped with service brakes upon 
all wheels of every such vehicle with the following exceptions:

a.	Any motorcycle or motorized bicycle.
b.	Any trailer or semitrailer of less than three thousand pounds 
gross weight need not be equipped with brakes.
c.	Trucks and truck tractors equipped with three or more axles 
and manufactured before July 25, 1980, need not have brakes on the 
front wheels, except that such vehicles equipped with two or more 
front axles shall be equipped with brakes on at least one of the 
axles; however, the service brakes of the vehicle shall comply with 
the performance requirements of section 321.431.
d.	Only such brakes on the vehicle or vehicles being towed in a 
driveaway-towaway operation need be operative as may be necessary to 
insure compliance by the combination of vehicles with the performance 
requirements of section 321.431. The term "driveaway-towaway" 
operation as used in this subsection means any operation in which any 
motor vehicle or motor vehicles, new or used, constitute the 
commodity being transported, when one set or more of wheels of any 
such motor vehicle or motor vehicles are on the roadway during the 
course of transportation, whether or not any such motor vehicle 
furnishes the motive power.


I guess it is purely academic now.
Bill