Choosing Weight Distribution System for 30 Foot 8000lb Trailer

Updated 12/23/2019 | Published 12/21/2019

Products Featured in This Question

Blue Ox SwayPro Weight Distribution w/ Sway Control - Clamp On - 15,000 lbs GTW, 1,500 lbs TW

(500)

$809.84

Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution System w/ 4-Point Sway Control - 12,000 lbs GTW, 1,200 lbs TW

(870)

$900.00

Thin Walled Socket for Equal-i-zer Hitches

(102)

$81.42

Question:

I am considering the Blue Ox sway Pro. Trailer will be around 30foot total length and fully loaded would weigh around 8000 lbs. Dry Tongue weight is about 700 lbs. When the trailer is fully loaded with additional items behind the TV rear axle the tongue weight may be a little shy of 1000 lbs. QUESTION: Would there be any problem if up-sized to the 1500 lb Blue Ox even though I may not need it?

asked by: Mike O

Helpful Expert Reply:

The first thing I'd recommend doing is to verify the trailer's as-towed tongue weight. I've linked you to a help article that shows a few ways to do this.

Weight distribution set-ups will typically have a range of tongue weights for which they're effective. The # BXW1506 for example is effective on tongue weighs ranging from 1000-1500 lbs. If you're just shy of the 1000 lb figure, the system should work well for you. Ideally, you'd want your trailer's as-towed tongue weight to fall as close as possible to the middle of the effective weight range but if you are indeed that close to the 1000 lb mark, the 1500 lb # BXW1506 system is what you'd need. Better to shoot a little high than it would be to overload the spring bars.

For the best sway control performance, I'd recommend going with the # EQ37120ET system from Equal-i-zer. This system is effective on trailers with tongue weights ranging from 800-1200 lbs, so if your trailers as-towed tongue weight is just shy of 1000 lbs, this system would be perfect. Weight distribution and sway control systems are the only thing Equal-i-zer manufactures so they know what they're doing, while sway control isn't a core business for Blue Ox. The system includes the weight distributing shank and 2-5/16 inch trailer ball, but a thin walled 1-7/8 inch socket like # EQ70-00-4800 makes installing the trailer ball much easier. I've linked you to a product demonstration video that shows how the Equal-i-zer system works.