Recommended Weight Distribution System for 2013 Nissan Frontier Towing Tandem Axle Travel Trailer

Question:

I am purchasing a dual axle travel trailer, 3340 pound dry weight, GVW is 5900 pounds. Empty tongue weight is 364. Do I want to go with a 450 pound max tongue weight or 600 for a weight distribution hitch? And will the Curt trailer hitch #13241 work with the Fastway weight distribution hitches? Truck is a 2013 Nissan Frontier, 6500 pound towing capacity.

asked by: Dale

Expert Reply:

Curt 2-inch hitch # 13241 is a confirmed fit for your 2013 Nissan Frontier and it is rated for use with weight distribution systems like those from Fastway and others.

The key to selecting a weight distribution/sway control system for your tandem axle travel trailer is to measure its actual tongue weight (TW) when the trailer is fully-loaded in its road-ready condition, with water tank full and all supplies and gear loaded. To this measured actual TW you will add the weight of anything in the truck bed that sits behind the rear axle, such as a loaded cooler or generator. With this total TW figure known you can select a system with enough stiffness to shift some TW forward to the Frontier's front axle, but without being so stiff that it creates weird handling from the trailer.

The easiest way to measure TW is with a scale like the # e99044 but other methods are outlined in the linked article. The ideal situation is that your total TW will fall right near the middle of the system's operating range. For example, if your loaded total TW is 550- to 650-lbs, then a system rated for 400- to 800- lbs would be ideal.

For example, the Fastway system # FA94-00-0800 works with such a TW range and requires that you add only a hitch ball, like # EQ91-00-6100. A nice feature of this system is that its lift brackets take up much less space on the trailer frame (2-inches) as compared to those for other systems that can need as much as 5 to 6-inches.