So I've finally decided on a trailer (Jayco Jay Flight) and am now looking for a weight distribution hitch with sway control. The gross weight capacity for the trailer is 7500#, but it is 5045# unloaded. My tow vehicle is a Toyota Tundra with a towing capacity of 9700#, payload capacity of 1420#. The dealership wants to sell me a "Husky" WDH with sway control for like $400. Is there a particular brand of WDH I should buy or a certain kind (ie. Reese, Pro-Series, Equal-I-zer)? Any help will be most appreciated since I'm a real newbie to towing. Thank you!BadBeans

Husky is a generic and functional WDH. Get bars rated for up to 1,000 pounds and you should be good to go. Do be aware that the 1,420 pounds of payload will be used up very quickly. Take it to the scales to verify setup.

On my previous TT I used a Reese staight line with dual cam and the trunion bars. Worked well for me. for a 7500 pound TT and 15% tongue weight fully loaded you are at about 1125 tongue weight. I think the Reese may cost a little more than $400. If I ever went back to a TT I would use the Reese with dual cam again. I really liked it. depending on how far you are from the dealer you may want to load the TT up and see what your actual tongue is going to be since the bars come in different weights. Your tongue weight should fall below that weight. Check etrailer and check out all of the WD on their web site. I purchased and used a tongue scale. fairly reasonable in price and you can find them on the internet.

TomG2 wrote:Husky is a generic and functional WDH. Get bars rated for up to 1,000 pounds and you should be good to go. Do be aware that the 1,420 pounds of payload will be used up very quickly. Take it to the scales to verify setup.Unfortunately, I'm well aware of my truck's light payload and will be making sure to go easy on it. Hopefully I won't be traveling at max trailer weight much and my understanding is WDH can be anywhere from 10% to 15%. Once my setup is complete I will load it down and hit the scales near my house to verification. Thanks!

WyoTraveler wrote:On my previous TT I used a Reese staight line with dual cam and the trunion bars. Worked well for me. for a 7500 pound TT and 15% tongue weight fully loaded you are at about 1125 tongue weight. I think the Reese may cost a little more than $400. If I ever went back to a TT I would use the Reese with dual cam again. I really liked it. depending on how far you are from the dealer you may want to load the TT up and see what your actual tongue is going to be since the bars come in different weights. Your tongue weight should fall below that weight. Check etrailer and check out all of the WD on their web site. I purchased and used a tongue scale. fairly reasonable in price and you can find them on the internet.Since I could theoretically tow 7500# with a 1125# tongue weight... should I look for a WDH that tows 12000#/1200# Tongue? Or is that overkill?

BadBeans wrote:WyoTraveler wrote:On my previous TT I used a Reese staight line with dual cam and the trunion bars. Worked well for me. for a 7500 pound TT and 15% tongue weight fully loaded you are at about 1125 tongue weight. I think the Reese may cost a little more than $400. If I ever went back to a TT I would use the Reese with dual cam again. I really liked it. depending on how far you are from the dealer you may want to load the TT up and see what your actual tongue is going to be since the bars come in different weights. Your tongue weight should fall below that weight. Check etrailer and check out all of the WD on their web site. I purchased and used a tongue scale. fairly reasonable in price and you can find them on the internet.Since I could theoretically tow 7500# with a 1125# tongue weight... should I look for a WDH that tows 12000#/1200# Tongue? Or is that overkill?Ideally, get the bars that will cover the MAX weight that your tongue could ever be. The 1200 lb bars would be fine IMHO. The Tundra is an excellent TV. Great Choice.Thanks!Jeremiah

What maker of WD hitch with sway control? | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

N7SJN
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
I have a Reese Dual Cam and have traveled back and forth across the US and Canada with out any trouble at all. My TT weighs 7K and I'm pulling it with a 3/4T Burb with the 6L engine.
calewjohnson
Explorer
Oct 05, 2013
Recently purchased a new TT and with that, we also replaced our WD and Sway...went from a round bar Reese with friction sway to an Equalizer...WOW, the trailer tows like a dream... I did tow the new TT three times with a Husky WD system before I had the EQ installed, night and day difference. It is an amazing little system.

Cale
djsamuel
Nomad
Oct 03, 2013
At what point do you not need a WD hitch? I have a 21' Camplite 21BHS Travel Trailer (3499 dry weight, 5000 lb GVWR). My TV is a 2009 Ram 1500. When I lower the trailer onto the hitch ball (no WD hitch), the truck squats about an inch and the trailer ends up level. The trailer has tandem axles. I haven't towed it too far yet, but I have driven down the Interstate at 65 MPH, been passed by trucks, etc, and no trailer sway. The biggest thing I've noticed is a bit of bouncing when I hit a patch of rough road, but other than that, the truck handles great. We've taken it on one 60 mile trip to camp to test the camper, and it towed great. Even though we experienced no sway, should I have a WD hitch or anti-sway bars? Eventually we want to increase the distance, and for our 30th anniversary in Sept 2014, would like to return to Arizona with it. Before I make a long trip, I want to make sure we are properly equipped, so any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug
orlandimal
Explorer
Sep 21, 2013
Whatever hitch you decide on and if you are moderately handy, I would recommend buying on Ebay as you can the hitch you want for hundreds less than buying from a local retailer.
WoodGlue
Explorer
Sep 21, 2013
wrvond wrote:
One important note. In the land of "some's good, more's better", it's not necessarily so with WD bars. The higher the bar capacity, the stiffer the ride in the TV and TT is going to be, which can result in accelerated wear or even breakage. You do want to have enough bar to cover your loaded weight, but avoid overkill.

X2 on this!

You can damage your frame by overdoing it on the weight rating, etc.

WoodGlue
wrvond
Explorer II
Sep 20, 2013
One important note. In the land of "some's good, more's better", it's not necessarily so with WD bars. The higher the bar capacity, the stiffer the ride in the TV and TT is going to be, which can result in accelerated wear or even breakage. You do want to have enough bar to cover your loaded weight, but avoid overkill.
eluwak
Explorer
Sep 13, 2013
We've been pleased with our Blue Ox SwayPro. I've put 2000 miles on it in the last year. Going down the road I think it's as good as any sub $1000 system, but where it shines is during hookup/disconnect.

As always YMMV :)
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Sep 12, 2013
They basically break down into 2 types; WD with add on friction sway control (probably the Husky model the dealer is pushing) and hitches with integrated sway control like the Equilizer or the Reese Dual Cam. You probably won't have an issue with either. I used the old EZ Lift WD hitch with add on friction sway control for about 8 years with not issues. Virtually ALL dealers push this type because it's what they know and can make a profit on it. I recently stepped up to an Equalizer when I went to a bigger trailer and really like it. Got my EQ for $495 with free shipping btw. Blue Ox is another popular set up with a loyal following.
CND_SuperCrew
Explorer
Sep 12, 2013
I've been using my Equal-I-zer since we bought our TT exactly 5 yrs ago. I have ~30k kms on our TT and haven't had one issue with the product. It has surpassed all forms of sway issue by what ever forces have been thrown at it, without incident.
APT
Explorer
Aug 30, 2013
I highly recommend a WDH with integrated sway control. The Equal-i-zer 4-pt and Reese Straight Line are very effective, about $450-500 for parts, and have a high percentage of satisfied owners.

1000 pound bars seems appropriate.