Is it bad to get to big of Equalizer hitch

[mfoster711]

Is there anything wrong with getting an Equalizer hitch that is a size too big? I am following the instructions on their website and it recommends a 10k but if I add a lot of extra cargo weight then it starts to recommend a 12k. The amount of extra cargo weight I put into their formula is probably more than I would ever have so a 10k hitch would probably be fine but I am wondering what is the harm in just getting the 12k hitch "just to be safe".

To put it another way, if somebody asks me what size truck do they need to tow a popup then I would say any half ton should be fine but there is no harm in getting a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. Is this true for the Equalizer hitch also?

[Huntindog]

EQUALIZER wrote:
The only negative report I’ve heard about going bigger is a stiffer ride, and even this is when the “proper sized” hitch is a 6K and they go with the 14K.

This pretty much proves what I said earlier.

"I think that it's a pretty safe bet that EQUALIZER employed some engineers when designing their products.... And they designed it with different sizes.

I also think that it's a pretty safe bet that those calling EQUALIZER for advice are not speaking with any engineers... But just someone with a customer service title paid to answer the phones and stroke the callers egos. (that is what customer service is about, making the customer feel good.) I believe that EQUALIZER employs some who are very good at their customer service job.
I also believe that they employed some who were very good at their engineering job.."

The customer service person has spoken.. EVERYONE should just get the 14K hitch.

Now that the egos have been sufficiently stroked, they can save a bunch of money by firing all their engineers and making /stocking only the 14K hitch.

I love some of the terminology.

"The only negative report I’ve HEARD about going bigger"

That is not something an engineer would say... It is something that should be called heresay.... Which is not necessairily fact.

[mfoster711]

I think a lot of the replies have got a little off course from what my original question was (and I may have contributed to that).

To reword my question: The recommended hitch for my setup is the 10k hitch but if I slightly overestimate the amount of tongue or cargo weight then it starts to suggest the 12k hitch. I was wanting to know if there was any harm in getting the next size up "just to be safe" in case I do happen to load my truck and camper with this much additional weight.

The reply I got from Equalizer says this is 100% OK and they actually recommend getting the next size up if their is any possibility you might need it.

Realizing a lot of you are not talking specifically about the Equalizer hitch, I did some looking around and I also found this chart for Reese hitches.


This chart shows which hitch Reese recommends depending on your hitch weight. Based on this chart, there are two hitches you could choose for all hitch weight between 400-1500 pounds. From 1000-1200 you could actually choose between 3 hitches.

So in summary, when I take into account the reply I got from Equalizer and when I review this information from Reese, I would have to say it is completely safe to get the next size up if you have any doubt whatsoever that you might need it.

Is it OK to pull a popup with a 14k hitch? That is probably a different debate and is not what I really was asking.

[mfoster711]

Thanks again for the replies. Since the responses still seemed varied, I decided to email Equalizer and ask their opinion.

Here is my email:

I currently have an equalizer hitch and my friend is considering a purchase. Both of our trucks and campers are almost the exact same size and we both have the same questions regarding exactly which size hitch to get. We used the form on your website and it typically recommends the 10k hitch but depending on how much tongue weight or cargo weight we estimate then it sometimes starts to recommend the 12k hitch. When I bought my hitch I just went with the idea that it is better to get the larger hitch and not worry about it so I bought a 12k hitch. My friend is having doubts if this is the best logic to use and if he should get the 10k to make sure it properly fits his camper.

I started an RV.net forum topic on this subject to get opinions and the answers I am getting inconsistent.

In my opinion, how the hitch is set up is what determines the amount of weight being transferred from the trailer to the tow vehicle and you could buy the 14k hitch to tow a pop-up and it would be fine as long as it is setup properly. Others seem to them that this would cause a horrible ride or possibly cause damage to the trailer because too much weight is being distributed.

What is Equalizer's professional opinion on this?

And their response

I’m glad you contacted us as there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about this topic! First let me go ahead and dispel the biggest myth about getting a larger size hitch: a bigger sized hitch will NOT damage or bend your trailer tongue. I’m not sure how this rumor was started, but these frames are constructed to carry these humongous trailers and it will take much more than a hundred pound hitch to damage one. Especially since the Equalizer attaches to brackets that are attached to the frame and not the frame itself. So that is not an issue at all.

As far as getting a bigger hitch, if there is any possibility of going over the GVWR or tongue weight ratings of a certain hitch, I would get the next size up. It is much better to have a bigger hitch than be caught down the line towing more than the hitch can handle. The only negative report I’ve heard about going bigger is a stiffer ride, and even this is when the “proper sized” hitch is a 6K and they go with the 14K. That being said, all Equalizers will be a bit stiff when they are new. This is due to the new steel-on-steel friction surfaces and the sockets being torqued a bit higher than usual. However, as you start to tow with the hitch will begin to wear together and break in and any stiffness will vanish after a couple of trips.

Anyway, long story short, you and your friend should have no issue going with the 12K as long as it is set up correctly. I would try to have your tongue weight ~10% of the trailer weight for the best ride, but even that can be compensated for with hitch adjustments. I hope this helps shed some light on the situation, but feel free to ask any questions you might still have.

:

[Ron_Gratz]

Huntindog wrote:
I think that it's a pretty safe bet that EQUALIZER employed some engineers when designing their products.... And they designed it with different sizes.

I also think that it's a pretty safe bet that those calling EQUALIZER for advice are not speaking with any engineers... But just someone with a customer service title paid to answer the phones and stroke the callers egos. (that is what customer service is about, making the customer feel good.) I believe that EQUALIZER employs some who are very good at their customer service job.
I also believe that they employed some who were very good at their engineering job..

I fully agree.

AFAIK, Equal-I-zer was the first WDH manufacturer to abandon the antiquated "equal squat" approach to WDH adjustment in favor of the 50-100% Front Axle Load Restoration approach.
This ORF post from 2010 explains their rational for making the change.

This post, along with changes to the Equal-I-zer Owners Manual, convinced me that the management and engineering staff at Progress Mfg. actually understood the potential danger of using a WDH to transfer too much load to the TV's front axle.
Now, if they would just do away with their "Hitch Size" Calculator which uses "Weight of cargo loaded behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle" as an input parameter, I would have even more respect for their understanding of proper load transfer.

IMO, it is incongruous to imply the WDH should be used to compensate for any of the TV cargo load while advocating the notion of restoring not more than 100% of the load which was removed from the TV's front axle via application of tongue load.
On the one hand they are saying, if there is cargo behind the TV's rear axle, you need more hitch capacity -- and on the other hand they are saying, "Don't use it."

Ron

[Huntindog]

Just an observation... After spending a good chunk of change on many "fluff" features on our TTs, many of us turn into skinflints on things that matter.

Buying a bigger hitch than what you need for the current TT, so it will fit the next one (which may never happen) is one example.

Another is wanting to put the cheapest tires possible on it, as it doesn't get many miles on it, and I would just be throwing money away when I gotta replace tires with lots of tread due to age...


This is what gave us, and keeps the ST tires around.

[Ron_Gratz]

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Well go ahead and use a 1400lb hitch on a TT with a lightweight frame and 600lbs of tongue weight then see what happens when you go over a dip in the road or in/out a steep driveway entrance! let us know how that works out. the WD hitch bars are spring bars and need to flex to work properly. this is fact and not opinion! So yes they need to be sized to the trailer you have now and not one you may own 5 years down the road, besides you can replace the bars when you buy a new trailer!

Your above ridiculous scenario just proves the point I was trying to make that some posts like yours are sometimes not even worth what we paid for them .... Nowhere did anyone, Equal-i-zer nor those that spoke with the folks at Equal-zer even hint at what you are now suggesting to be O.K.

Larry, perhaps you missed the previous post by the OP in which he speculated:

mfoster711 wrote:
In my opinion, the amount of weight being distributed from the trailer to the TV is determined by how the hitch is setup, not by the weight rating of the hitch. In other words, I could use a 14k hitch or 6k hitch on a popup and as long as both are properly setup then the amount of weight being distributed would be the same.

In this example, if we were using an Eaz-lift WD hitch, the number of washers used at the shank and the number of links used on the bars would probably be very different between the 14k hitch and 6k hitch when used with a pop-up. But, if setup properly, both should still work the same. Of course, it is very possible you might have difficulties setting up the 14k properly for a pop-up because the springs are too stiff.

IMO, the post by dodge guy is an entirely appropriate response to the OP's belief that it would be okay to use either a 6k hitch or a 14k hitch on a pop-up.
The OP has made reasonable comments, and they deserve more than a "ridiculous scenario" response.

A dip in the road or steep driveway entrance, where the TT's rear tires are are below TT's front tires and the TT's tires, will cause the WDH to exert more force on the A-frame.
That's not an opinion -- it's a simple result of physics. The stiffer the WD bars -- the greater the added force.

Similarly, when the rig goes over a hump in the road, such as a RR crossing, the load on the WD bars will be reduced. The stiffer the bars -- the greater the unloading. This temporarily can reduce, or completely eliminate, the load transfer to the TV's front axle.

It is theoretically correct that both a 6k hitch and a 14k hitch could be set up to give the same amount of static load transfer. This can be verified on a scale.
However, in a dynamic situation where the vertical angle between TV and TT is changing, the stiffer bars will cause greater changes in bar loading and load transfer. This can adversely affect both ride and handling.

Also, as pointed out by the OP, with the stiffer WD bars, it can (probably will) be more difficult to fine tune the load transfer. With a stiffer bar, adding/subtracting one washer or one chain link will have a coarser effect than with a more flexible bar.

The OP also is correct that the amount of load being distributed is determined by how the user chooses to set up the hitch -- not by the rating of the hitch.
If you want to restore only 50% of the load removed from the front axle, you certainly won't be using 100% of the WD bars' capacity.
Even if you restore 100%, you probably still will not be using 100% of bar capacity.
If you subscribe to the antiquated approach of adding equal loads to TV's front and rear axles (and actually can achieve it), you might get close to 100% of rated bar capacity.

Equal-I-zer sells WD bars with ratings of 400, 600, 1000, 1200, and 1400#.
You should be able to purchase a hitch with bars which are closely matched to your particular needs based on how much load transfer you desire.
Or, you can purchase based on the expected loaded tongue weight.
Or, you can purchase based on any degree of conservatism you desire.
It's your money and your choice.

Then you can report your experience and become another entry in the anecdotal data base.

Ron

[dodge_guy]

LarryJM wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Well go ahead and use a 1400lb hitch on a TT with a lightweight frame and 600lbs of tongue weight then see what happens when you go over a dip in the road or in/out a steep driveway entrance! let us know how that works out. the WD hitch bars are spring bars and need to flex to work properly. this is fact and not opinion! So yes they need to be sized to the trailer you have now and not one you may own 5 years down the road, besides you can replace the bars when you buy a new trailer!
I don`t know why so many find this hard to process! like I said this is fact and not opinion. many of us here have 10`s of thousands of miles towing. I would trust the Expert that has towed their TT 4-5K miles a year vs. someone who is just trying to sell them a product!

Your above ridiculous scenario just proves the point I was trying to make that some posts like yours are sometimes not even worth what we paid for them .... Nowhere did anyone, Equal-i-zer nor those that spoke with the folks at Equal-zer even hint at what you are now suggesting to be O.K.

I guess you can believe that what you post is factual, but to say it's fact and not an opinion is IMO the height of arrogrance when faced with counter information to your alleged FACTS and what must be considered more expert and factual from like the maker and designer of the product in question. Again I would only suggest those reading this is if they really consider someone to be an EXPERT who has towed their trailer 4 to 5K a year ... IMO that would make a whole lot of us here "EXPERTS" which often disagree with each other on I guess what you would call THE FACTS.

My fact to add I guess is that as I previously stated I have now been using an Equal-i-zer system one size larger than needed for close to 9 years and over 20K miles with no adverse ride quality issues and no damage to my 7500GVWR trailer frame. I have little doubt that I could have also used the 1.4/14K system with the same results, but I choose not to spend the extra for that system knowing I could never have those TWs because of my vehicle and it's receiver inherent limitations.

Larry

Larry

OK Larry! Apparently you can't read between the lines. What my post states is that there are different WD bar ratings for a reason! Period. My above scenario is ridiculous, but I'm sure it can happen because someone read somewhere that it is OK to have heavier rated bars if you don't tension them all the way!

Why not just get the proper bars for the application and be done with it? This I don't understand. Trying to save a few bucks (worrying about purchasing new WD bars) now for something you may use in the future is ridiculous!

Good luck everyone!

[canoe_on_top]

I talked to the folks at Equal-i-zer some years ago when I purchased my first one. I have owned three. While you could probably make it work, it doesn't make sense to have 14K bars with a 600 lb tongue weight. What the guy at EQ, who, by the way seemed very knowledgeable, told me, was, if you are close, go to the next size larger. You can loosen the tension on the heavier bars but you can't tighten bars that are too light enough to do the job. I think it does make sense to have bars that are at or one size above your real tongue weight.
My current set up has a tongue weight of just over 12K. I have the 14K hitch and, SET UP PROPERLY, it works very well.

[LarryJM]

dodge guy wrote:
Well go ahead and use a 1400lb hitch on a TT with a lightweight frame and 600lbs of tongue weight then see what happens when you go over a dip in the road or in/out a steep driveway entrance! let us know how that works out. the WD hitch bars are spring bars and need to flex to work properly. this is fact and not opinion! So yes they need to be sized to the trailer you have now and not one you may own 5 years down the road, besides you can replace the bars when you buy a new trailer!
I don`t know why so many find this hard to process! like I said this is fact and not opinion. many of us here have 10`s of thousands of miles towing. I would trust the Expert that has towed their TT 4-5K miles a year vs. someone who is just trying to sell them a product!

Your above ridiculous scenario just proves the point I was trying to make that some posts like yours are sometimes not even worth what we paid for them .... Nowhere did anyone, Equal-i-zer nor those that spoke with the folks at Equal-zer even hint at what you are now suggesting to be O.K.

I guess you can believe that what you post is factual, but to say it's fact and not an opinion is IMO the height of arrogrance when faced with counter information to your alleged FACTS and what must be considered more expert and factual from like the maker and designer of the product in question. Again I would only suggest those reading this is if they really consider someone to be an EXPERT who has towed their trailer 4 to 5K a year ... IMO that would make a whole lot of us here "EXPERTS" which often disagree with each other on I guess what you would call THE FACTS.

My fact to add I guess is that as I previously stated I have now been using an Equal-i-zer system one size larger than needed for close to 9 years and over 20K miles with no adverse ride quality issues and no damage to my 7500GVWR trailer frame. I have little doubt that I could have also used the 1.4/14K system with the same results, but I choose not to spend the extra for that system knowing I could never have those TWs because of my vehicle and it's receiver inherent limitations.

Larry

Larry

[Huntindog]

I think that it's a pretty safe bet that EQUALIZER employed some engineers when designing their products.... And they designed it with different sizes.

I also think that it's a pretty safe bet that those calling EQUALIZER for advice are not speaking with any engineers... But just someone with a customer service title paid to answer the phones and stroke the callers egos. (that is what customer service is about, making the customer feel good.) I believe that EQUALIZER employs some who are very good at their customer service job.
I also believe that they employed some who were very good at their engineering job..

[dodge_guy]

Well go ahead and use a 1400lb hitch on a TT with a lightweight frame and 600lbs of tongue weight then see what happens when you go over a dip in the road or in/out a steep driveway entrance! let us know how that works out. the WD hitch bars are spring bars and need to flex to work properly. this is fact and not opinion! So yes they need to be sized to the trailer you have now and not one you may own 5 years down the road, besides you can replace the bars when you buy a new trailer!
I don`t know why so many find this hard to process! like I said this is fact and not opinion. many of us here have 10`s of thousands of miles towing. I would trust the Expert that has towed their TT 4-5K miles a year vs. someone who is just trying to sell them a product!

[LarryJM]

Deep Trax wrote:
I understand what you are saying and see why you think there may have been a misunderstanding. I don't think so, but anything is possible.

Rather than disagree or try to explain things further, I would encourage the OP's friend to contact EQ directly and allow them to help make the best choice for their application. I found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful. I'm very comfortable that they helped me make the wisest choice for my situation.

If I was choosing strictly for todays TT & TV, I would own a 12K model hitch. Since I also wanted to consider my hitch needs should I go to heavier trailer later down the road, I opted for the 14K model. To each their own.

I'd also recommend that people use caution when listening to what an RV dealer tells them. I bought from a dealer claining to be the "second largest RV dealer in the world" (McGeorge's Rolling Hlls RV) and they put the wrong components on my truck & trailer not once but twice.

Ron Gratz wrote:

Deep Trax wrote:
The E4 hitch is designed to work properly as long as your TT has tongue wt greater than or equal to 10% of the rated tongue wt of the hitch. If you buy the 1,200 / 12,000 lb hitch, your TT must have at least 120 lbs of tongue wt for the hitch to function properly.

I believe there is a misunderstanding here.

The WARNING section of the installation manual states:

"Always tow with a minimum tongue weight of 10% of gross trailer weight."

The yaw-resisting torque (sway control) generated by the Equal-I-zer WDH is a function of the amount of load transfer.
The amount of load transfer is determined by how the WDH is set up, and usually is a function of tongue weight.

I doubt that having a 1200# TW rated hitch means the sway control will operate properly with a 120# TW -- especially if the trailer weighs 12,000#.

I believe the 10% minimum tongue weight guideline refers to the actual loaded trailer weight rather than the rated tongue weight of the hitch.

Ron

IMHO this is very sound and sage advice. All the comments, analysis (sorry Ron), recommendations here other than from Equal-i-zer are simply PERSONAL NON EXPERT OPINIONS worth just slightly more than you paid for them .... I would give the advice from the maker, designer and one with mega more experience about a godzillion times the weight of all these personal opinions. The only area I might question in the advice directly from Equal-i-zer is how much consideration they included concerning "ride quality" as I hinted to in my previous post in this thread. The only other consideration is what if anything the actual maker of your particular trailer might say about WDH systems and IMO a vast majority are silent at least at to sizing and those that do include something might just flat out say you CAN'T use a WDH with that particular trailer.

My gut instinct tells me there is probably little difference in the operational characteristics between the three top end Equal-i-zer WDH systems ... the 1K, 1.2K and 1.4K TW models with the differences being in the individual strengths of the hitch parts, especially the hitch head which is obvious with the 1.4/14K model when compared side by side with either of the other two lower rated models.

Larry

[mfoster711]

Thanks again for all your replies. It is always interesting to hear the different opinions.

Here is the one thing that continues to confuse me.

In my opinion, the amount of weight being distributed from the trailer to the TV is determined by how the hitch is setup, not by the weight rating of the hitch. In other words, I could use a 14k hitch or 6k hitch on a popup and as long as both are properly setup then the amount of weight being distributed would be the same.

In this example, if we were using an Eaz-lift WD hitch, the number of washers used at the shank and the number of links used on the bars would probably be very different between the 14k hitch and 6k hitch when used with a pop-up. But, if setup properly, both should still work the same. Of course, it is very possible you might have difficulties setting up the 14k properly for a pop-up because the springs are too stiff.

In my case I am talking about the difference between a camper that is rated on the high end of a 10k hitch and stepping up to the 12k just to be safe.

A couple other notes:

• I don't trust what dealers say. In my experiences they are clueless and just trying to sell campers
• A couple of you mentioned the Travel Trailer MFG had a warning in the owners manual regarding getting the right size. I would love to read that somewhere.

[danimal53]

here's a thread I started on this topic, and my personal experience:
link

3700lb trailer, dealer sold me and installed 10k bars (1,000 tongue, 10k total weight)

600/6,000 bars were MUCH better in my experience. I agree with previous post, why would the manufacturers make different sized bars if the big bars worked for everything?

[Deep_Trax]

I understand what you are saying and see why you think there may have been a misunderstanding. I don't think so, but anything is possible.

Rather than disagree or try to explain things further, I would encourage the OP's friend to contact EQ directly and allow them to help make the best choice for their application. I found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful. I'm very comfortable that they helped me make the wisest choice for my situation.

If I was choosing strictly for todays TT & TV, I would own a 12K model hitch. Since I also wanted to consider my hitch needs should I go to heavier trailer later down the road, I opted for the 14K model. To each their own.

I'd also recommend that people use caution when listening to what an RV dealer tells them. I bought from a dealer claining to be the "second largest RV dealer in the world" (McGeorge's Rolling Hlls RV) and they put the wrong components on my truck & trailer not once but twice.

Ron Gratz wrote:

Deep Trax wrote:
The E4 hitch is designed to work properly as long as your TT has tongue wt greater than or equal to 10% of the rated tongue wt of the hitch. If you buy the 1,200 / 12,000 lb hitch, your TT must have at least 120 lbs of tongue wt for the hitch to function properly.

I believe there is a misunderstanding here.

The WARNING section of the installation manual states:

"Always tow with a minimum tongue weight of 10% of gross trailer weight."

The yaw-resisting torque (sway control) generated by the Equal-I-zer WDH is a function of the amount of load transfer.
The amount of load transfer is determined by how the WDH is set up, and usually is a function of tongue weight.

I doubt that having a 1200# TW rated hitch means the sway control will operate properly with a 120# TW -- especially if the trailer weighs 12,000#.

I believe the 10% minimum tongue weight guideline refers to the actual loaded trailer weight rather than the rated tongue weight of the hitch.

Ron