Can 1 Reese Strait-Line Weight Distribution System be Used on 2 Different Trailers

Question:

I have a 2001 Ford Excursion 7.3l SD Diesel, 4WD Stock height, I am looking at air bags for both the front and rear. Will the Reese system work with air bags? We tow a lot in the mountains. I want a weight distribution hitch with sway control. I like the Reese straight line system with the cams. My travel trailer is a 26ft 1980s model so it is heavy. My horse trailer is a three horse slant load. the weight can change according to the horses, plus the horses move. Can I purchase extra cams to go on to the horse trailer? This way both trailers will have sway control. Is there any reason a too heavy of a hitch, say 10000lbs with 500lbs TGW or a 12000lbs 800TGW hitch would it be bad to use the heavier hitch? The cost is not going to be the deciding factor. I understand to keep in the vehicles towing capacity. Can I back up with the WD hitch installed or do I have to release the WD hitch. This could be a real problem. We have to be able to back up. Some times the areas we go in to you can not turn around, so you have to back up the way you came in. I like the idea of stopping the sway before it happens.

asked by: Sean M

Expert Reply:

You can use a Reese Strait-Line weight distribution system with a vehicle that has air bag helper springs. You may need to play around with the amount of air pressure in the air bags to get the best ride but yes they can be used together. Also, you can back up the trailer when using the Strait-Line system though with extreme turns (like jackknifing) you will want to remove the spring bars.

You can purchase the dual-cam sway control separately, # RP26002, to use the same system on 2 different trailers.

You do want the weight distribution system you use to be rated appropriately for the tongue weight of the trailer. For weight distribution, tongue weight is calculated by taking the tongue weight of the trailer when loaded and ready to tow and adding in the weight of anything loaded behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

The Strait-Line systems fit a range of tongue weights and you want the one that puts your total tongue weight in the middle of the range or as close as possible. If a system is rated too high it can create a very stiff ride and in some cases it can damage the trailer.

The solution is to use a second set of spring bars rated appropriately for the second trailer. For 200 to 600 pounds tongue weight and trunnion style bars the replacement single bar is # RP23227. For 400 to 800 pounds we have # RP22225, and for 600 to 1,200 we have # RP66009.

For round bar systems the replacement springs bars are # RP58114 for 800lbs , and the 1200 lb bars are no longer available from the manufacturer. So if you know the total tongue weights of the trailers I can make some recommendations. I have also included links on weight distribution and determining tongue weight for you.