Selecting a Weight Distribution Hitch for 2010 Ford F-150 Towing 9700-lb GVWR Jayco Trailer

Question:

I own a 2010 Ford F-150 equipped to tow up to 9700 lb. Im planning to purchase a 2015 Jayco Eagle 306RKDS published dry wt=7095, tongue wt=1025, GVWR=9700. The published TW is 14.4 of the published dry wt. At that ratio, the TW would be ~1400 lb if the trailer was loaded to 9700 lb. Which Reese Straight Line hitch do you recommend? Can I purchase different spring bars if the TW changes with different loads?

asked by: Bob H

Expert Reply:

First, I wish you many happy miles and good times with your soon-to-be Jayco Eagle.

Also, thank you for providing the details about your truck, and your trailer specs and weight ratings.
Since the Jayco is over 34-feet in length I do suggest a weight distribution system that incorporates sway prevention, such as the Reese Strait-Line System # RP66130 that you referenced.

The key for selecting a properly tuned weight distribution system - one that provides the desired shift in weight to the truck's front axle but that does not degrade trailer handling - is to know your actual fully-loaded road-ready tongue weight with all gear and supplies, full water and propane tanks, etc. There are several ways to measure tongue weight, the easiest being a scale like the etrailer # e99044, that the linked article covers. To this measured tongue weight you need to add the weight of anything in the truck bed that sits behind the rear axle, such as a loaded cooler or generator. Once you know your total effective tongue weight you can choose a system whose operating range is such that your effective tongue weight falls in the middle of its range.

The Reese system # RP66130 you referenced has an operating tongue weight range of 800 to 1500-lbs. For this system an effective tongue weight of 1200-lbs would be ideal. If your actual total tongue weight ends up being near to 1400-lbs then a better choice is the Reese Strait-Line system # RP66075. This and other sway-preventing systems are visible on the link at right.

It is absolutely possible to swap out your trunnion bars to a set with a higher or lower rating, but the Reese # RP66075 will work just fine even if your tongue weight varies by a hundred pounds or so between trips.

This Reese system does not include a shank or hitch ball so you'll need these items too. You can use a shank like Reese # RP54977 depending on how much rise or drop you need to level your trailer. You'll also need a ball with a 1-1/4-inch diameter shank. For a 2-inch ball use # A-90 or # 19286 for a 2-5/16-inch.