Weight Distribution System for Use with Different Trailer Tongue Weights
Question:
Hello - I have a 2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 truck with a 12k GTW and 1,200 TW hitch. I pull a 24 ft enclosed car trailer. Empty hitch wt 410# it has a payload cap of 3320# or GVWR of 7000#. My question is: which W/D sway unit would be best. I will not always have a car inside. so I would like the flexibly to quickly set-up the hitch for different uses. The Curt unit seams to be the way to go for set up?? Thanks.
asked by: Scott S
Helpful Expert Reply:
Weight distribution/sway control (WD/SC) systems can be used with differing tongue weight (TW) trailers by changing out the spring bars. All WD/SC systems bars work over a range of TW and the ideal is to have your trailer TW fall in the middle of that range. In addition to the trailer's actual measured TW (which can be determined with scale # 5780) you also need to account for the weight of any cargo in the truck that sits behind the rear axle, say a loaded cooler or generator, since this act just like trailer TW.
Your trailer TW range goes from about 400-lbs empty up to potentially as much as 1050-lbs when the trailer is maxed out at 7K-lbs. TW should be about 15% of gross trailer weight so 15-percent of 7000-lbs is 1050. No one set of bars can cover this range but with a system like the Reese SC # RP66151, you can use the included bars when your trailer is unloaded and when you need heavier bars for the loaded trailer just substitute two of bar # RP58359.
This bar substitution is possible with all brands of WD/SC systems.
