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Steel-on-steel friction works to prevent and correct trailer sway in this unique weight distribution system. Sway control brackets ensure that your trailer stays in line with your tow vehicle. Shank sold separately. 2-5/16" Hitch ball included.
Features:
Specs:
| Included w/ System | Required - Sold Separately | Optional Add-Ons |
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90-00-1201 Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution Hitch
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Create a more stable ride for your tow vehicle and trailer with a weight distribution hitch. Adding spring bars to your towing system applies leverage, which transfers the load that is pushing down on the rear of your vehicle to all the axles on both your tow vehicle and your trailer, resulting in an even distribution of weight throughout. The result is a smooth, level ride, as well as the ability to tow the maximum capacity of your hitch.
The tongue weight rating is the most important factor in determining which size weight distribution system you should use. If the bars of the system you choose are rated too high for your setup, they will create a rigid ride, which can result in a bouncing trailer. If, on the other hand, the bars are not rated high enough, the system will be unable to properly distribute the weight, rendering it virtually useless.
To determine the proper weight rating for a weight distribution system, you must first determine your trailer's tongue weight. Then add to that the weight of the cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle. These two measurements make up the tongue weight rating for a weight distribution system.
Head Tilt Adjustment
The Equal-i-zer weight distribution system uses the traditional washer-style adjustment method to achieve the perfect tilt. Controlling the head tilt helps you to fine-tune the leverage on your entire system, making it easier to install and hook up the spring bars. To adjust the tilt, simply slide washers onto the spacer rivet and insert the rivet into the head assembly. To increase the angle, add a washer. To reduce the angle, remove a washer. Most setups take four to six washers to achieve the proper height. Once you get the desired tilt, insert the shank bolts to secure the head to the shank (sold separately) and then tighten it in place.
Construction of Spring Arms
The Equal-i-zer spring bars are not made of traditional spring steel. Rather, they are constructed of a chromium-molybdenum alloy steel. Chromoly steel has a high tensile strength for extreme durability. It also features excellent dexterity, which allows it to give as required and then return softly back to its original form. This pliability is important in minimizing trailer bounce while still ensuring that the weight of your rig is adequately distributed.
Fixed Sway Control Brackets
The unique sway control brackets of the Equal-i-zer are easy to install and simple to use. They clamp onto your trailer frame and conveniently adjust to a position anywhere between 27 inches and 32 inches back from the coupler. These brackets provide the attachment points for the weight distribution spring bars. To position the spring bars during hookup, simply use the included snap-up lever to lift each bar into place on the L-shaped brackets. Then secure the bars in place with the included L-pins and clips.
The Equal-i-zer weight distribution system works to stop trailer sway before it begins. This is achieved through the rotational friction that is present in the weight distribution hitch itself. Within the system head, the downward pressure that is placed on the hitch ball by the trailer is combatted by the upward pressure exerted by the spring bars that are mounted in the sockets. This upward force is placed on the spring bars on either side of the system, creating the rotational friction that, essentially, forces your trailer in line. This type of friction is responsible for two points - one on either side of the trailer - of the 4-Point Sway Control. To ensure that enough tension is present, make certain that the socket bolts in the head assembly are torqued to at least 45 foot-pounds.
The other two points of sway control are created by the steel-on-steel friction that occurs when the spring bars slide within the L-brackets that are mounted on the trailer tongue. Most traditional weight distribution systems have spring bars that are suspended by chains. Although this ensures that the system is not so rigid as to create bounce in the trailer, it also allows a good deal of side-to-side play in the system. Letting the spring bars hang freely minimizes the rotational friction described earlier. It also eliminates your system's ability to create the type of direct friction that has been shown to be so effective in limiting trailer sway.
This direct friction that is applied to the spring bars in the Equal-i-zer system helps to stop sway once it has begun. The concept is similar to the way in which an add-on friction sway control device functions. When each spring bar moves forward or backward, or side to side, it rubs along the bracket, creating friction. The resistance created by this action limits the movement of the spring bar, thus preventing further side-to-side movement of the trailer.
Most add-on units feature some sort of friction material similar to that used in automotive brakes. But the Equal-i-zer uses direct steel-on-steel contact to create resistance. This is the same sort of friction that is used with locomotives that pull loaded railcars weighing tons. No additional materials are needed. The steel will outlast any of those other materials, providing an extremely durable, functional sway control system.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (751 Customer Reviews)
Steel-on-steel friction works to prevent and correct trailer sway in this unique weight distribution system. Sway control brackets ensure that your trailer stays in line with your tow vehicle. Shank sold separately. 2-5/16" Hitch ball included.This is the second Equalizer hitch I have had. I needed to replace my first one as I bought a larger camping trailer and the older equalizer didn't have the proper tongue weight rating.
We drive a 2011 Tundra TRD 4x4 with a 5.7 liter. We pull a 2017 mallard M292 by hartland that is 34'-9" with a height of 10''- 4" weight is 6905 lbs. Dry with a tongue weight of 725 lbs.
Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina I have many curves and tractor trailers to deal with on I-40. Everywhere we go is down the mountain and to return home is always up hill. At no time have I ever had my trailer do any swaying. Leveling issues are never a problem with my Equalizer hitch. I believe it is the best hitch on the market, hands down.
Having the wife happy and relaxed and not thinking about the trailer while on long hauls keeps me calm and focused.
It took about 2 hours to install and adjust.
etrailer has done a great job once again and Molly was the best
1 of 2 packages was not shipped with the initial order. After notifying e-trailer they shipped the second package.
The 12k Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch is an AWESOME product and did all it said it would do. Bombed hills, kept my ride steady, and most important kept my family safe on the SoCal/NorCal roads more than 28 hrs of driving north to the redwoods @ Jedidiah Smith then back south again. Next trip coming up quick in a week getting ready for another adventure. With the new EQ WDH set up is a snap! Thank you etrailer Team for all the help and great pricing! See you on the road.
I purchased a trailer used over ten years ago. It was a 26 foot travel trailer approximately 7500 lbs. It was old and heavy. The previous owner had purchased this same equilizer hitch and gave it to me with trailer. It was on there since day one every time I towed so I never realized how well it benefited me. I sold that trailer some years back. Last year I bought a new travel trailer. 26 foot but only 6000lbs. I bought a harbor freight weight distribution hitch and installed it at rv dealer. I worked with the guys to ensure it was installed correctly. Well I can tell you the combo was the most dangerous rig I ever operated. I made adjustments over and over again but never felt safe. At that piont I decided it must be the cheap harbor freight hitch and started looking for a new hitch. I came across the equilizer and remembered how well and stabil that rig felt. So I sized the correct one and purchased it. I installed it as per manufacturer instructions. Right away it was a million times better. It took some adjustments but got it perfect. In my opinion it one of the best and good price too. Easy to use and adjust . Nothing fancy but a good old design that works quiet and safe. I have traveled at over 85 mph by accident because it's all so smooth.
The 12,000 pound Equal-i-zer is my third weight distribution hitch and by far the most effective. It is heavy and cumbersome but once on the road you forget that the trailer is behind you. I have had no problem with cross winds or passing 18 wheelers. I would buy it again. The trailer is winterized and in deep snow so no photos.
Bill A.
Bill A.
2/12/2020
After 4,000 plus miles of towing with the Equal-i-zer hitch I am more than satisfied with its function. I have recommended it to others and would buy it again myself.
Shipped missing one of the Spring bars. Delayed delivery on the part caused issues regarding install timing. Will required some additional time later. Was not notified with tracking on the replacement part.
I ordered from here because they had them in stock and this kit came with everything I needed including the ball! Unfortunately when my packages came the ball was not there and when I called to inform them they without question shipped me the ball that should have came the first time. I have not installed the hitch yet but it’s very heavy and seems like it will do as expected and the costumer service was great!
Ordered this without the drop down hitch because I already had one. I had it installed by my local RV dealership. They were impressed with the quality of the hitch. I was impressed with the towing results. Put around 5000 miles on it. From big rigs to high winds traveling across the states. This hitch with built in sway control did it's job. I have recommended this hitch to others. Only down side is that you have to make sure that your straight with the hitch when backing up. Well worth the extra effort.
Great WDH. There is a little trial and error getting it set up but the instructions are easy to follow. Don't forget to grease the moving parts on the head and buying plastic jackets for the brackets greatly reduces noise.
Very stable towing.
Mike L.
10/30/2018
The jackets do indeed quiet the hitch to a degree, but be aware that using them can diminish the effectiveness of the sway control. The metal-on-metal contact is what provides the sway control, and the jackets diminish that.
John
11/4/2019
Still working Great!
I have purchased several items from etrailer.com over the last several years and the quality of the products have all been top notch and shipped quickly. You really don't know how good a company is with their products and services until there is an issue.
My Equal-i-zer hitch came as expected, but the boxes were damaged in transit and had several items missing. Whether they were missed during packaging, or lost as a result of the shipping damage, Teresa was very responsive and accommodated quick shipping of the missing part and provided me credit for the item I purchased locally due to my tight time line. ... FYI the thin walled socket is a 3/4" drive, so I will still need to stop by the local tire shop to have them drive the ball nut on as my home shop doesn't have 3/4 drive, but I do have the socket.
I will absolutely do business again with etrailer.com.
I was having sway issues with my previous hitch setup. Was looking for a better system to combat sway and to also allow backing up without taking off an anti sway device. This is the setup to take care this. Easy setup and installation. Advice would be to really have to follow step by step instructions to get the correct setup for your vehicle. Add a 2-1/2” shank to fit your hitch and get rid of the sleeve in the Fords. This helped with eliminating the sway. Great product!
We just moved from a light weight Lance to a much heavier Arctic Fox. I was inclined to use the same Fastway hitch but most of the AF owners recommended the Equalizer. I had to order the shank separately to get the right size (thanks Ford) but it all came in two (very) heavy boxes. Assembly was fairly straight forward and adjustments are easy. Quality wise, the EQ hitch appears better built than the Fastway and I really like the heavier duty construction of the parts that mount on the tongue of the trailer. The tension bars are easier to manage being straight but this also means that you have extra little parts to lose so we'll be packing a spare kit.
The hitch portion itself is a heavy duty affair, much more so than I had imagined. Quality of materials and fit and finish are first rate and with the extra holes, I can use a cable lock to secure the hitch when it's off the truck.
As always, we got the best price on etrailer and shipping was very quick. This is definitely a "buy once cry once" decision and etrailer's support made this an easy purchase.
This is one strong hitch. Assembly and adjustment instructions are well written and easy to follow but you'd better have the right tools and a level, smooth parking lot to do the work. The instructions do not mention how stiff the arm sockets will be when the hitch is being assembled and do not cover lubrication until later in maintenance.
Be sure to get the correct height/drop shank. I used the Equal-i-zer "Find the right shank" wizard on their website and came up short (literally) so had to order a second, longer one. etrailer was great about taking the short shank back as long as it hadn't been used (installed and adjusted on vehicle was OK, just not having actually towed anything).
etrailer also wasted NO time in getting my parts to me--three days via Big Brown to a small town in Idaho. USPS can't get a letter delivered that far away any quicker (not bashing USPS by any means).
I ordered this Equalizer 4 point anti sway system without shank and added the 2 1/2 inch shank to fit properly on my new tow vehicle. All parts arrived in Canada within 5 days. I am very particular about setup. From the start of disassembling my old system to driving away with the new setup was over 3 hours. But it tows beautifully. Something I never said about my old spring bars with chains. This is the first time ordering from etrailer. They do a good job.
After a pretty easy set up of my new Equal-I-zer hitch I took a 160 mile trip with my travel trailer and I was amazed at how well the anti sway worked. Being passed by large vehicles at high speeds caused virtually no sway in my rig. I am impressed by how well this hitch worked and would recommend it to any one who pulls a travel trailer.
The hitch took about 2.5 hours to install, that’s with me removing the previous WDH, taking my time to go through the installation, and double-checking each step. Using a break bar helped out tremendously. Can’t wait for my next camping trip. I’ll update my review to mention the hitches performance.
Great product, excellent communication, and lightning fast shipping.
We had an E2 12,000 pound hitch to tow our travel trailer, GVWR of 10,000 pounds. We could not adjust the sway out of it and did not feel comfortable towing long distances. We contacted Lindy at etrailer and she had the new Equalizer hitch out to us in two days. I will set it up this weekend and no doubt be much more relaxed when traveling. Great customer service and cost was better than other sources we checked. Products arrived in perfect condition.
I did alot of reading on equalizing and sway control hitches and I am very happy with my choice on this one. Great product and good price. I will be doing business with etrailer.com again. Thanks
Great service from etrailer!!!
Hitch is great holds a 34 ft travel trailer straight with no sway in wind and passing big rigs
Socket is perfect for my hitch
Easily hooks up with the camper less parts to keep up with. Does a better job with sway than the friction style does with chains.
shipment was very quick , everything looked great, very satisfied with etrailer, trailer had a lot of sway with previous hitch, after installation and a quick trial run everything seemed better, time will tell
Arrived promptly, and great quality. I was able to install with a friend, we are knowledgeable with adjusting hitch height, etc. 4th of July week will be my first time towing/using it.
The Equal-i-zer works great! I've only used it on 3 trips, but have put about 1,500 miles on it. I have no sway whatsoever. It's also VERY easy to hook up once you get it all assembled. It is a little bit noisy, but I don't mind that much. They make little pad that helps quiet the squeaking so I may try that and see how that works.
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Tom
6/24/2018
I bought a heavier truck in past year. Im using same hitch and trailer. I had to make a height adjustment but other than that the hitch is still delivering the same great stable service.