How to Know When to Use a Weight Distribution System

Question:

I have a jeep patriot 2015 patriot and towing a jay pop up 1006 st rd. on the scale the full pop up is 2360. I suppose to tow 2000. my hitch is a 400/4000 type 3. should I consider a swan kit or weigh distribution or both. my axel weigh is 3900. Help

asked by: Weith D

Expert Reply:

If the trailer you plan on towing weighs more than half of the weight of the tow vehicle we recommend the use of weight distribution.

The best way to pick out a weight distribution system is to base it off of the loaded tongue weight of the setup. You should note that the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of your vehicle should be considered tongue weight as well. I attached an FAQ on determining tongue weight for you to check out.

You are pretty close to going either way based on the weight of your trailer. If the trailer seems to tow fine as-is I would recommend you just keep doing what you are doing. If you are experiencing sway or suspension sag then I would go ahead and go with a WD system.

A system like the part # RP66540 should work well as it has a tongue weight range of 200 lbs - 600 lbs.

For a 2 inch ball you would want part # A-90 and for a 2-5/16 inch ball # 19286.

expert reply by: Jameson C