Weight Distribution for a 7,500 Pound Trailer

Question:

Hi! I am renting a trailer for a week get away and considering buying a trailer after that. The rental has a GVWR of 7500 lb and a tongue weight of 700 lb, while the one I am considering buying has a similar GVWR but a tongue weight of 865 lb. I need to purchase a weight distribution hitch with sway control for the rental and would like it to work with the trailer I might purchase. It seems to me like I will have trouble finding a product that works in both ranges?

asked by: Randy A

Expert Reply:

Before getting into my answer I first have to ask if you intend to tow with your 2017 Toyota RAV4? If not you can skip to the second paragraph. The reason I ask is because RAV4 will be an issue. The available trailer hitches are not rated high enough, even with weight distribution, to tow a trailer weighing 7,500 pounds. And when I went to check the vehicle towing capacity in the owner's manual it said if you have an SE model then the vehicle can't be used for towing. For other models it says "The gross trailer weight must never exceed 1500 pounds."

That 700 pound tongue weight for the rental trailer is the dry tongue weight. The loaded and ready to tow tongue weight will be higher. Trailer tongue weight is usually 10 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight so a trailer weighing 7,500 pounds would have a tongue weight in the neighborhood of 750 to 1,125 pounds. The trailer you are looking to buy with the 865 pound tongue weight could be the loaded tongue weight. It is hard to say without knowing the gross trailer weight rating.

Also, when calculating tongue weight for weight distribution you have to add in the weight of any cargo loaded behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. So for example if the trailer's tongue weight is 800 pounds and you have 100 pounds of stuff behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle then the total tongue weight is 900 pounds.

For a weight distribution with sway control that has a wide tongue weight capacity range I recommend the Reese Steadi-Flex # RP66561. This system is rated for 700 to 1,400 pounds tongue weight. The only other part needed is a ball, # 19286.

expert reply by: Michael H