WDH bar selection

handye9 wrote:
Blue Ox for example, has bars rated for 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 lbs.

The Blue Ox Sway Pro is offered with spring bars in six weight ratings - 350, 550, 750, 1000, 1500, and 2000 lbs. The OP is running an average gross tongue weight similar to what I'm running, around 600 lbs or so ... some time ago I contacted Blue Ox and was assured that as long as I didn't exceed ~ 600 lbs gross tongue weight the 550 lb bars would be fine. However, in giving this more thought I decided that if I were to buy a Sway Pro I'd select the 750 lb bars instead for a bit more latitude in weight as I often run with content in the three holding tanks. 750 lb bars would also be an excellent choice for the OP, given the numbers he's provided.

I contacted a local hitch shop here yesterday that sells Equalizer, Fastway E2 and Reese hitches. What they told me is not to exceed the bar rating but that the manufacturers usually allow each weight rating to overlap with the next lower rating. So as it was explained to me that 600 lb bars would cover 300-600 lbs. 800 lb bars would cover 500-800 lb. So in my case at 4800 lbs wet camping weight and a few pounds in the TV I would be over 500 lbs and the 800 lb bars would be the correct choice. If I was towing the totally dry trailer with no weight in the TV then I would want the 600 lb bars because the 800 lb bars would not be able to easily go to that low of tongue weight. If I ran a 15% tongue weight of the total GVW of 5400 lbs then I would need the 1000 lb bars but if I didn't load everything to the max I might not be able to adjust for a 650 lb tongue weight. I really didn't like calling them and picking their brains and not buying from them but they are $155 more than Etrailer for the same hitch. That's the price of a new P3 controller.

I think you're on the right track with 800 lbs bars.

As far as under / over size?

I've always heard, you don't want to under size at all.

Oversize amount is questionable. Some manufacturers have a very large jump between sizes. Some have bars rated in one hundred lb increments, some have them in two hundred lb increments, and some have larger jumps.

Blue Ox for example, has bars rated for 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 lbs. If your tongue weight is just over 1000 lbs, you would need to jump to 1500 lb bars.

Save yourself a lot of agony and go for the Andersen WDH. I towed 12000 miles over 3 years and it was perfect. Trailer 7500# dry. Tongue loaded 600# to 800#. Its lighter and easier to remove, install and store. My TV was a 2010 Mercedes GL450 gasser.

TV cargo/passengers/etc consumes a percentage of your GVWR, and so does tongue weight, but they are two different things.

They interact in that they both are consumers of TV GVWR.

You'll see several opinions on this one. I just went through this when changing WD system for new trailer. I was installing an Eqaulizer system and they recommend including the cargo behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle in the load the tow bars will need to accommodate. This is not tongue weight but weight the bars need to handle in transferring weight to front axle. Other mfg.'s and individuals don't include this for various reasons and some don't feel it's necessary at all. I felt comfortable including the extra weight and going to 14k bars instead of 12K bars. Set up is nice and I end up with only 1/4" rise in front. Trailer TW is about 1100 lbs and with my generator and other stuff behind rear axle I'm guessing well over 100 lbs. back there.