Weight Distribution for a 2014 Ford Expedition and 6,500 to 9,200 Pound Jayco Travel Trailer

Question:

I own a 2014 Expedition 2WD with the trailer tow package from Ford which is rated at a max weight of 9,200 lbs. I plan to tow a 2016 Jayco Jay Flight 28BHBE which has a dry weight of 6,510lbs and a dry hitch weight of 685lbs. GVWR for the trailer is 9,250lbs. What WD hitch would best suit this setup? Thanks for your help.

asked by: Carlos

Helpful Expert Reply:

First be sure to stay under the gross towing capacity of the 2014 Ford Expedition which you have stated is 9,200 pounds. The trailer's max gross weight is higher than the capacity of the vehicle so just avoid loading the trailer to the maximum and you should be good there.

To choose a weight distribution system you will need to go by the total tongue weight of the set up. This is calculated by taking the tongue weight of the trailer, when loaded and ready to tow, and adding to that the weight of anything loaded behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

Based on a gross trailer weight between 6,510 pounds and 9,250 pounds the tongue weight can range from 685 (which is 10.5 percent of the dry trailer weight) pounds empty to 1,387.5 pounds fully loaded. Or if at 9,200 pounds and 10.5 percent then the range would be 685 to 966 pounds.

Based on these figures I recommend a system that is rated for 600 to 1,200 pounds tongue weight such as the new Steadi-Flex # RP66560. In either case you would just need a ball, # 19286.

expert reply by: Michael H