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The Equal-i-zer has a reputation as strong as its American-made steel. We love this hitch's solid build quality and that it helps to proactively stop trailer sway instead of just dampening it after it starts. Ball and shank included.
Features:
Specs:
| Included w/ System | Required - Sold Separately | Optional Add-Ons |
|---|---|---|
90-00-0400 Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution Hitch
| n/a |
|
Pro Tip: Before you invest in a weight distribution hitch, make sure your cargo is evenly loaded in your trailer to keep the weight balanced. If you still have a hard time even after balancing your tongue weight, a weight distribution hitch should help.
Does it seem like no matter where you go, you meet someone who owns - and has vouched for - the Equal-i-zer weight distribution system? There's one really good reason for this: the Equal-i-zer's build quality is second to none. Many companies have tried to imitate it, and they just can't. Sure, they might preempt trailer sway just as the Equal-i-zer does. But for over 75 years, using American-made steel, the Equal-i-zer's unique design has kept haulers from white knuckling the steering wheel.
Let's talk about how it does that. Essentially, this system is built to hold your trailer in place both at the connection point and along the trailer's frame. Inside the system head, the trunnions are tightly pinched in place to create resistance. Because the trunnions are held in so tightly in the head, with the help of some torqued socket bolts, once the spring bars are installed, they won't be able to move side to side without a ton of resistance. At the other end of the bars, frame-mounted L-brackets provide a rigid surface that also helps prevent any unwanted movement. Just like the tension in the head, these brackets help hold your trailer in place. All of this tension throughout the system helps to create a rigid steel-on-steel setup that keeps your trailer in line and your ride level.
If a particularly strong wind gust crosses your path and your trailer starts to get off track despite the Equal-i-zer's firm hold, the steel-on-steel friction of the bars on their brackets will stop the bars from moving, and ultimately dampen any remaining trailer sway. Between the 2 friction points inside the system head and the 2 that you get at the L-brackets, the Equal-i-zer creates up to 3 times more side-to-side resistance than other weight distribution systems, or the equivalent of adding 8 friction sway bars. And because you won't need any of those add-on sway bars, you'll actually be able to use this system when towing in the rain or over gravel roads, and you can back up without having to disconnect a thing!
Because the steel-on-steel friction between the bars and brackets is noisy, don't be alarmed if you hear a lot of banging, creaking, and grinding. It's just the system working to correct sway in much the same way that locomotives keep multi-ton railcars from swaying. If the noise becomes too much of an issue for you, there are a few things you can do to address it. You could get some of Equal-i-zer's replaceable nylon sway bracket jackets (EQ95-01-5150). Or you could lubricate any friction points with their high-performance lubricant (EQ91-00-4250). But keep in mind that cutting down on noise isn't the only thing this will do. These quick fixes will limit the system's ability to prevent sway, too.
If you're determined to have a rock-solid towing setup without making any compromises, and you have to have an an American-made weight distribution hitch, and noise is kind of a deal-breaker for you, you may want to spring for the B&W Continuum or the Blue Ox SwayPro instead.
Once you've got the hitch ball torqued down, you'll have to adjust the tilt of the head to ensure proper leverage. To do this, simply slide washers onto the spacer rivet and insert it into the head assembly. Once the spacer is in place, tighten the shank bolts to secure the head to the shank. To check if your truck and trailer are level, you'll need to hook up and release your tongue jack. If you find that the rear of your truck is still sagging, add washers to increase leverage. If it looks like too much weight has been taken off your truck's rear axle and is sitting on your front axle, try removing a few washers.
While the washer-stacking method allows you to fine-tune the setup at the time of installation, it's going to require some patience. It can be time consuming because, if you don't get everything right the first time (which, you probably won't), you'll have to take the head unit apart to adjust the washers. You might have to raise or lower the L-brackets too to get the tension just right, and that's a bit of a pain also. Not to mention that you might have to repeat this process if your tongue weight changes or if you swap out your tow vehicle.
Pro Tip: For a step-by-step guide on how to fully install the Equal-i-zer, check out our videos at the top of this page. Our installers even have some advice to offer on measuring your vehicle's squat.
Your tongue weight is the first thing you need to know when figuring out which weight distribution system you need. Most people think that if they get the highest-rated system possible, it'll be smooth sailing. But actually, this will create a rigid ride and a bouncing trailer. On the other hand, if the system isn't strong enough, it won't be able to distribute the weight properly, making it virtually useless.
Once you know your trailer's tongue weight, add it to the weight of the cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle. Then just choose a weight distribution system rated for that combined tongue weight.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (783 Customer Reviews)
The Equal-i-zer has a reputation as strong as its American-made steel. We love this hitch's solid build quality and that it helps to proactively stop trailer sway instead of just dampening it after it starts. Ball and shank included.
This WDH has been terrific. My only complaint and why I only gave it 4 stars is because on the initial set up you have to have a special thin walled socked for the bolt for the ball. I tried several thin walled sockets including and etrailer one and all were too thick. So I ended up getting the equilizer socket, but that one is VERY expensive. It seems a bit much to first pay top-dollar for the WDH AND then have to buy their special socket.
The Equilizer hitch has made towing much, much better for a short, single axle travel trailer. There is zero sway. The only issue we've had is that the brackets mounted to the trailer frame tend to slide or tilt occasionally, so periodic adjustment is needed. The hitch isn't as noisy as I was expecting. Love the easy setup and tear down, too.
Towing 3400 lbs hybrid camper with ford flex (tow rating 4500). Makes a world of difference. Car downshifts less, rides more level and experiences very little sway. Wasn't cheap, but was worth the money as an improvement over towing without distribution hitch.
Great product. Pulled a rockwood A212 with a Nissan Murano made a world of a difference. Good Distribution of the weight.
I ordered a weight distribution system for my camper. I needed rush delivery. The folks on the phone were great and I received the order on time and it worked out great.
Love the equalizer Hitch. Even more so I love this site. Awesome prices and I received my Hitch three days before I thought it would come.
Preston took a lot of time researching the right product for my application.
He was patient while I got him the measurements.
Thanks much.
Excellent customer service and follow up thru the the entire process. Found what we needed when no one else could on etrailer
We’ve only used the hitch once but it’s been easy to use. Service was great! Would definitely buy again.
Love it! Highly recommend it!
Well made, heavy duty, easy to assemble, and install. Only one issue, the sockets that the sway bars go into are virtually immovable. I had to loosen the bolts and beat on them with a rubber mallet to get them to move (they are supposed to move freely). I contacted the manufacturer directly via their customer service, and was informed that there is a 4 trip break-in period and that “eventually” the sockets will move easier. This disclaimer should be noted in the advertisement for this hitch.
Although it seemed expensive at the time, it has turned out to be well worth the cost. Towing with vehicles without a solid rear axle leads to aggressive tire wear, and this makes that aggressive tire wear go away. That means, for me, it's saving me from buying a new set of tires every year for the tow vehicle, so it's more than paid for itself.
I didn't buy it for the sway control, but it makes a big difference. Well worth it if you have trailer that can't be loaded perfectly, like a contractor trailer. The only downside is that it takes about twice as long to get it hooked up to the tow vehicle.
First 400 mile tow today, 50% of that way loaded. Performed flawlessly, although I don't think I have it set up 100% yet. Finding a perfectly level spot in MA is an exercise in futility. I did the best I could with the trailer level in my shop on concrete, but the truck hanging out and nose down and to the left a bit. I think I need more tension. Rides real stiff compared to the Reese SC system I was forced to retire early due to parts being NLA (lost a torsion bar on a recent tow - don't know if it broke, or just slipped out - either way, I'm DONE with Reese!). As of right now, the bars feel like they have unequal tension, too. When unloaded, the left bar sits tight to the L-bracket, while the right bar is easily lifted by hand. Could be that my receiver is worn out - she's got some miles on her. Don't think anything is bent anywhere, but who knows. Anyway, these parts are HEAVY, strong, American metal - I have no doubt this thing will outlast that Reese system I had. Now to put in some work to try and get the ride quality back like the old system.
I'm sure it's a good hitch. However the description as well as etrailer chat support told me the hitch ball would come installed and torqued on the shank but that is not true. Now I have to find and pay someone to torque this ball to 450ft lbs or I have to buy more tools.
Solid hitch, it should last longer then my RV. Started with recommended settings and only needed one more adjustment. Now with everything loaded and scaled I'm sitting level and have zero sway on the HWY.
The 14k Equalizer has been fantastic for our needs. Our tow vehicle is a 2014 Lincoln Navigator L 4x4 and our travel trailer is 33ft long with a scaled weight around 7500lbs. The payload for our Navigator is 900lbs and tow capacity is 8500lbs. Front gross axle weight restriction (GAWR) is 3700lbs and the rear GAWR is 4250lbs. Scale weight of the Navigator with the whole family in it and a full tank of gas had the front axle at 3420lb and rear axle at 3560lbs. 4250-3560=690lbs of actual payload with the family loaded. Our issue that led us to the 14k Equalizer lies in the Navigator’s independent rear suspension (IRS).
We originally started towing with an Equalizer 10k hitch, but despite my best attempts, I couldn’t get enough weight off the rear axle to get it under the rear GAWR of 4250lbs. Despite maxing out the head angle washers, the best I could get the rear axle to was 4480lbs while keeping the tongue weight (per tongue scale) at 700lbs.
Many reviews say “too much WDH hitch will give you a poor ride due to the spring bars being too heavy duty” and “the weight of a WDH doesn’t factor into your payload calculations”. Let me be the one to tell you after MANY passes over the CAT scales that the weight of your WDH absolutely does factor into your payload weight. As for the spring bars, from what I could gather, an IRS suspension vehicle will squat more than a leaf sprung vehicle, which results in a need for MORE weight distribution than you would expect for a given load.
The Equalizer 14k maxed out at 8 head angle washers gets my load balanced to 3240lbs front axle and 4200lbs rear axle with the trailer axles at 6880lbs. I’m just skidding under the rear axle max by 50lbs and flirting with the 10% total trailer tongue weight, but it works. The 14k Equalizer has served my family and I for a year at this point towing from North Alabama to Washington DC and back anywhere between 70-80mph smooth as silk and zero sway. It has also taken a trip from North Alabama to Tampa and back all the same, smooth and stable. When I first got the unit, I disassembled it, sanded the contact surfaces free of paint, greased the contact points with moly lube and reassembled it. The unit still holds all torque specs each time I check it and operates smoothly and quietly.
All that said, we love and recommend an Equalizer to anyone who needs a WDH for towing. If you have an IRS, you NEED to oversize your WDH far more than you would expect.
E trailer had the product and was very quick on the delivery to my home. This 1600 lb Equal-I-zer hitch is well made and I expect it will perform well with towing our 36’ travel trailer. Setting it up was straight forward and I look to taking it out on the road.
I have Torque T333 and the dealer said the 10K hitch would work fine. Which it did for a time. It actually broke most the way off the receiver. When I contacted Equal-i-zer they told me I needed the 14K hitch. I didn't think towing could be much better, but I was wrong. The higher capacity hitch smoothed out the ride even more!
This is the second equalizer hitch I’ve owned, the first was for a smaller camper. Both have performed flawlessly. I think the most important thing is to size the hitch properly for the load, then follow the directions during installation and you won’t have problems. Always torque ball to prevent catastrophic loss of trailer. This happened to me with a uhaul years ago and I can tell you it becomes a handful in a hurry.
Thanks for providing a quality product.
What can I say...the first time my wife pulled our trailer there was a wreck ahead of us. The tractor trailer next to us was smoking his tires while my wife had to lock up the brakes and our trailer stayed straight behind us.
This unit has made towing a breeze and my wife has no problems getting behind the wheel.
The shank is very well built, so it will hold some weight. I got the extended shank to haul with tailgate down and it works. however, the seat bars are very difficult to get on and off even with the supplied tool. It seems to tighten up after traveling. I've adjusted it 3 times now.
I bought a new 8 1/2 x 24‘ bumper pull car hauler. She was fairly unruly with any crosswind. I installed this equalizer hitch on the suggestion of a friend and it settled the trailer right down. It takes a while to get the initial set up configured but after the first set up, the hitch is quick and easy to install.
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Davidd
5/17/2020
Great product, recommended for any towing close to maximum capacity. Excellent sway control