Yes, the auxiliary braking system makes a difference. A couple times over the years our braking system(s) have failed and we had to travel without them. We could feel the difference in braking, even with a 40' diesel pusher and a Honda CRV. A motorhome does not stop in as short a distance as a car, you want all the help you can get in a panic stop. We also have a friend whose car plowed under his motorhome in a panic stop. A braking system also comes with a breakaway, which stops the car if it becomes detached. This does happen, sometimes by forgetting to lock the towbar properly, sometimes from failures or an accident. You want the car to stop when detached, not keep moving and potentially kill someone or get totaled. A friend broke his towbar on a very uneven railroad track and was happy he had a breakaway.

Now, I am not a fan of Blue Ox braking systems. We had problems with two of their products, neither of which is now made. These were the Autostop, a surge brake that installed in the towbar tongue and the Apollo, a predecessor to the Patriot. I am sure the Patriot is better than the Apollo, I just do not know how much better. But, if the installer is happy, you shoudl be happy.

I do like the Blue Ox towbars, we had the Alladin, which is the aluminum version of the Alpha. We used it for ten years and only changed to Roadmaster brand with a new car since Roadmaster itself was a 2 hour drive from the installer. Blue Ox is in Pender NE, about 80 miles north of Omaha. Roadmaster is in Vancouver WA, a suburb of Portland OR.