Recommended Weight Distribution System for 36-foot Trailer Towed by 2015 Ford F-150  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

You're on the right track with the Reese Strait-Line. We consider it the champ of weight distribution (WD) and sway prevention systems.

The key to selecting the correct Strait-Line system for your new 36-foot trailer is knowing your actual fully-loaded road-ready tongue weight (TW). Fill your water and propane tanks, load your gear and supplies and have the trailer loaded just the way you intend to when you head out. Then measure the TW with a scale like # e99044 or by one of the methods outlined in the linked article. This also includes the weight of anything in the truck that sits behind the rear axle, such as a loaded cooler or generator. With this total TW figure you can choose an appropriately-rated system with enough stiffness to shift TW forward to your front axle but without being so stiff that is leads to weird handling from the trailer.

The linked page will show you all Strait-Line systems. Just click on your TW figure to see the one tuned correctly for your set up. If your loaded weight is 9800-lbs, then we're probably looking at a TW in the range of 1300 to 1400-lbs. For such a TW you can use # RP66130 which works effectively over a TW range of 800- to 1500-lbs. Ideally your TW will fall right in the middle of the system's operating range.

All you need to add is the shank and hitch ball. For a 2-5/16-inch hitch ball use part # C40086 and for a shank use part # RP54970. If you need a different shank to keep the hitched trailer level use the link provided.

expert reply by: Adam R

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