Which weight distribution setup do you recommend?

[bsmith95610]

Hello,

I just purchased a travel trailer and am now looking to get a weight distribution hitch. My trailer is 23 ft long and weighs about 5000 lbs loaded. I don't want to buy a cheap weight distribution hitch but I definitely don't have the funds to get an expensive one either. I am hoping to get something that comes with sway control but if not then I'll add it later on. Below are the hitches I've been looking at in order of what I'm thinking about buying with the most likely on top so please let me know if you have any feedback on any of them. I picked out three on the cheaper side and three in the mid-range side. Any help would be much appreciated.

Pro Series Weight Distribution System w/ Friction Sway Control - Round - 10,000 lbs GTW, 750 lbs TW - $256
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Pro-Series/PS49902.html

Curt Weight Distribution System with Shank - Pin-Style Trunnion Bar - 8000 lbs GTW, 800 lbs TW - $255
http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Curt/C17341.html

Eaz-Lift 48057 Elite Weight Distributing Hitch Kit - 800 lbs Capacity - $241
http://www.amazon.com/Eaz-Lift-48058-Elite-Weight-Distributing/dp/B005SB6S3Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1464973279&sr=1-1&keywords=Weight+Distributing+Hitch

Curt TruTrack Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control - Trunnion - 10,000 lbs GTW, 1,000 lbs TW - $379
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Curt/C17500.html

Husky Center Line Weight Distribution w/ Sway Control - Trunnion - 12,000 lbs GTW, 1,200 lbs TW - $400
http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Husky/HT32218.html?feed=npn&gclid=Cj0KEQjw1cS6BRDvhtKL89em1oIBEiQAtZO5x9g5xZMpJWPI9FkZ7_HeacRZgClGVGH9pGrt4x0vBZUaAm5y8P8HAQ

Strait-Line Weight Distribution with Sway Control - Trunnion Bar - 10,000 lbs GTW, 800 lbs TW - $480
http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Reese/RP66073.html?feed=npn&gclid=Cj0KEQjw1cS6BRDvhtKL89em1oIBEiQAtZO5xwocJbkZNm-nuz_73emfNEbEBwtYDuTlBTh9XCKDHxkaAjWz8P8HAQ

Thanks

[camp-n-family]

camp-n-family wrote:

Skip the friction sway bars and go for ones with built in sway control. Top 3, in no order, seem to be Equil-I-zer, Reese dual cam, and Blue Ox. Might be a few more bucks but pennies considering the investment you are protecting. Worth every penny.


Sway control, sure. Sway elimination is a step up to the Hensley Arrow or ProPride 3P.

I absolutely agree as I use a Hensley but the list from the OP includes mostly cheap basic hitches so I don't think they are looking at spending $3k. That being said, the occasional used one comes up for cheaper. I just bought (stole)a 3rd Hensley yesterday for $150!! Don't need it but couldn't pass it up.

[Muddydogs]

fireman41 wrote:
This is like asking what truck is the best.

Now I have only had 3 different hitches. A cheap round bar a pro serious and a Anderson no sway. Out of the 3 I like the Anderson the best, now it by no means perfect, but it is close.

The pros about the Anderson is that it is real easy to set up. Just set the ball height and attached the brackets and adjust the change the move the amount of weight you need moved.

The cons.
People have reported that with real heavy trailers they can't get them to move enough weight
Not compatible with some trailer hitches
Also you should carry and extra nylon spring bushing, cause if you break one the sway control and weight distributing part of the hitch can't be used.
It's not perfect but I like it. I towed my jayco 26bh with my F250 out of of the Outer Banks last year a day of two before the hurricane came ashore and it was Rock Solid.

I like my Anderson No Sway as well but I think my 28' toy hauler loaded down with toys and liquid is probably about max for the system, somewhere around 10,000 pounds behind a Ram 2500 pickup. I tend to not recommend this hitch if I'm asked about it because it seems that people are wanting to tow big trailers with marginal tow vehicles and I just don't think this is the hitch for that.

I can run 70+ with the tractor trailers up and down hills and have no problems, even bucked some stiff WY crosswinds on I80 and the trail just rides along smooth a silk. But then again I never had a problem towing 34 foot camp trailers with the old round bar with chains equalizer hitch or no equalizer hitch what so ever.

[braindead0]

I've been using a pro-series for a number of years, works fine for me. I've used the sway control in the past when towing with a Nissan Frontier however as my new truck weighs more than my TT and the integrated brake controller has sway control built in.. I haven't used it or felt the need to do so.

[JD_and_Beastlet]

camp-n-family wrote:
Skip the friction sway bars and go for ones with built in sway control. Top 3, in no order, seem to be Equil-I-zer, Reese dual cam, and Blue Ox. Might be a few more bucks but pennies considering the investment you are protecting. Worth every penny.

Sway control, sure. Sway elimination is a step up to the Hensley Arrow or ProPride 3P.

[DinTulsa]

Whatever you do if you want sway control make sure it's built in. You don't want a system where you have to remove parts just to back up.

[Golfcart]

Reese and Curt are a good starting point. I bought a very basic setup on amazon and installed it myself for very cheap. Havent had a single issue out of it and it works great on my smaller trailer

If you plan on doing ALOT of pulling loading down your hitch/truck bed, I'd recommend spending a little more money on a more advanced system. Every little bit help on a thousand mile journey

[Durb]

I had a Reese SC hitch on a similar length trailer but towed at 6,000#. Wonderful hitch, never swayed once. Fairly easy to load bars with included lever handle. Backing up with it connected not a problem. A little noisy going slow through campgrounds. I paid mid $400s at CW but that was 6 years ago.

[PatRenee]

We have a 38" TT that weighs a little over 10,000.... I use Husky Centerline... It works great... I have had no sway issue in the 5 mionths I have owned mine.... I give it a thumbs up....

[fireman41]

This is like asking what truck is the best.

Now I have only had 3 different hitches. A cheap round bar a pro serious and a Anderson no sway. Out of the 3 I like the Anderson the best, now it by no means perfect, but it is close.

The pros about the Anderson is that it is real easy to set up. Just set the ball height and attached the brackets and adjust the change the move the amount of weight you need moved.

The cons.
People have reported that with real heavy trailers they can't get them to move enough weight
Not compatible with some trailer hitches
Also you should carry and extra nylon spring bushing, cause if you break one the sway control and weight distributing part of the hitch can't be used.
It's not perfect but I like it. I towed my jayco 26bh with my F250 out of of the Outer Banks last year a day of two before the hurricane came ashore and it was Rock Solid.

[Need-A-Vacation]

If possible try to find out what your actual loaded tw is before you buy a wdh. You probably are in the 650lb or so area based on the 5k lb loaded tt, but a lot of us have been surprised at the scale results.

A wdh w/ bars rated higher than 1k lbs is probably overkill for your set up.

Also consider the Reese SC wdh. Very similar to the Equal-I-Zer 4 way system, and a little cheaper than the Straight Line system. The Reese hitch head (both models) does offer a little more fine tuning adjustment vs the Equal-I-Zer hitch head, and the ability to swap out the wd bars for different rated ones, but you can't go wrong with any of the 3 systems.

Good luck!

[Earl_E]

OK...here's another one not on your list. I've pulled various trailers for 50 years and by far the easiest most effective one I've found I now use and that's the Andersen. I've heard that they are not so good on really large trailers, but don't know that for a fact. I do know on my setup there is absolutely no blow by or suction from large semis passing me and it is very easy to hook up.

[camp-n-family]

Skip the friction sway bars and go for ones with built in sway control. Top 3, in no order, seem to be Equil-I-zer, Reese dual cam, and Blue Ox. Might be a few more bucks but pennies considering the investment you are protecting. Worth every penny.

[geneeich]

I had a blue Ox Sway Pro and was a white knuckle drive. Change to the more expensive Reese Straight Line Dual Cam system and it turned into an easy 2 hand drive. Went to bigger truck and bigger trailer, now a one handed piece of cake. Still it's better to keep both hands on the wheel. Reese hitch is noisy turning a corner, but really works great on the highway. If you have the right setup like I do now, you won't even notice the 18 wheelers unless you see them coming.

[bikendan]

neither is my 4 point Equal-i-zer w/built-in sway control, in the OP's list.
only cost around $450 with free shipping from RVW.

i have a similar weight trailer and i would never purchase a WDH without built-in sway control