Class III Hitch & Weight Distribution System for 2005 Cadillac SRX Towing 5000-lb Travel Trailer

Updated 04/27/2017 | Published 04/26/2017

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

(47)

$303.89

Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

(19)

$318.77

Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution System w/ 4-Point Sway Control - 10,000 lbs GTW, 1,000 lbs TW

(853)

$850.00

Thin Walled Socket for Equal-i-zer Hitches

(100)

$95.59

Question:

I have a 2005 Cadillac SRX. Need to upgrade to a class 3 hitch. I see you have two available. One says max frame round tube in the title and I was wondering what that means? Which would be the strongest/most heavy duty of the two hitches available? And which weight distribution system would you recommend for a 5000 lb load with surge brakes? Thanks.

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Expert Reply:

Both the Curt # C13050 and Draw-Tite # 75174 Class III round tube hitches for your 2005 Cadillac SRX share identical capacities and installation steps so between them I'd go for the Curt since it costs a bit less. The phrase 'max frame' is marketing terminology and does not denote any special feature or capability. Hitches with round versus square cross tubes are sometimes considered to have more eye appeal on passenger cars, but this is purely a cosmetic matter.

When used with a weight distribution/sway control (WD/SC) system this Curt hitch offers a 500-lb TW rating and 5000-lb trailer weight rating. You'll want to ensure the vehicle too is rated adequately for the trailer weight by consulting your owner's manual.

Selecting a WD/SC system requires knowing the trailer's actual TW when it is fully loaded, with water and propane tanks full, and all supplies and gear loaded up. Dry hitch weight (from the trailer's specs) is not enough to pick out the right system, one that will be stiff enough to do the job of shifting TW forward to the SRX's front axle, but without being so stiff that it causes jumpy handling from the trailer. Ideally your fully-loaded TW will fall right in the middle of the particular WD system's operating range.

A properly loaded 5K trailer should have a TW in the range of 12-14% of its gross weight, which would be 600 to 700-lbs. We offer a handy scale # e99044 for measuring TW.

On the page I linked for you are systems that are compatible with surge brakes. Jut click on your TW figure to see properly-rated options. For a 700-lb TW an excellent choice is the Equal-i-zer system # EQ37100ET which works over a TW range of 600- to 1000-lbs. All you need to add is a thin-wall socket like # EQ70-00-4800 for hitch ball installation.