Can Extremely Tight Turn Cause Spring Bar to Come Loose on Weight Distribution System

Question:

How tight can you turn with the dual arm sway control before the end of the bar falls out of the sway arm? Can the vehicle be close to 90 degrees to the trailer? And is it the same for the round bar version? Thanks!

asked by: Randy J

Expert Reply:

It's possible that an extremely tight turn (like jack-knifing) can result in the spring bar sliding too far and coming off the dual-cam mount on the Reese Straight-Line Weight Distribution System # RP66084 that you referenced. This is really the case with any weight distribution system. Under normal driving conditions and turns, though, you should not have any issue at all with the arms falling out. When something like this happens, it is usually the result of reversing while making a sharp turn, which creates a jack-knife situation.

This particular system features a tongue weight capacity of 600 to 1,200 pounds. You will just want to make sure your total tongue weight, which is the loaded tongue weight of your trailer plus any added cargo weight coming from behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle, falls somewhere near the middle of this range. This is a really great system that will evenly distribute weight over the axles of your trailer and vehicle, while its self-centering sway control will keep your trailer in line.

You will just need to add a compatible hitch ball, such as the 2 inch # A-90 or the 2-5/16 inch # 19286.

I have attached a short video demonstration on this system, along with the written installation instructions that you can take a look at.

expert reply by: Chris R