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Weight Distribution/Sway Control System for 23-Foot Trailer Pulled by 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500  

Updated 08/18/2014 | Published 08/15/2014

Question:

I need a weight distribution hitch and sway control set up. My truck is a 2010 1/2 ton Chevrolet with factory receiver and brake control. The trailer is a 23foot bumper pull travel trailer with an unloaded tongue weight of 550lbs and empty weight of 3,800lbs. The carrying capacity of the trailer is 1,100lbs. Please make recommendations on quality hitch components and provide part numbers. Thanks.

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Expert Reply:

Selection of a weight distribution/sway control system hinges primarily on the trailer's fully-loaded ready-to-tow tongue weight. Dry weight does not tell you what capacity system you'll need for proper weight distribution to your tow vehicle's front wheels. The system you referenced, Reese # RP66020, works with trailers whose fully-loaded tongue weight ranges from 200 - to 600-lbs and so this would likely be too light a system for your trailer's empty weight of 550-lbs.

The linked article on tongue weight will give you several methods to measure your trailer's tongue weight, and this needs to be done with all water and propane tanks filled, and with food, supplies and equipment loaded just as when you will be taking to the road. You also need to add the weight of anything in the truck bed placed behind the rear axle, such as a generator or loaded cooler.

Once you know your full effective tongue weight you can use the link provided to see all system suitable. Simply click on your effective tongue weight to see systems that can work for you. You can use the filters in the lefthand margin to select the type of brakes on your trailer and your hitch receiver size.

If for example, your trailer has 900-lbs tongue weight and you have a 2-inch hitch and want a system that includes the shank, you can use the Blue Ox trunnion system # BXW1000. This systems allows you to back up your trailer and works with both electric or surge brakes. All you need to add is a hitch ball, either 2-inch ball # A-90 or 2-5/16-inch ball # 19286.

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Adam R

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