How to Select Weight Distribution/Sway Control System for 28-Foot Keystone Hideout Travel Trailer

Question:

I am looking for advice on a weight distribution hitch with anti-sway technology. I have a 2016 F-150 XLT w/ the towing package. No lift kits or anything like that. Trailer is a 2016 28foot hideout total length is around 33. I know max weight for the trailer could be 9510 lbs. I did take it to a scale on the last trip out and the axle weight for the trailer was 7520....I am guessing the tongue weight would be around 10-12. The setup I am currently using is an older setup that is about 15 years old and has a friction anti-sway pad. When I hit about 60 mph with that trailer it gets hairy when there is any cross wind or a small car passes me. Obviously the anti-sway is not working on that trailer. It was used on a smaller 21foot toy hauler before this and worked well enough. I have been trying to compare the Blue Ox swaypro rated at 15,000 lbs or something equivalent to that. What are your recommendations and what things should I look for when making the final decision.

asked by: Ben B

Expert Reply:

They key to choosing a weight distribution/sway control system (WD/SC) is knowing your trailer's fully-loaded road-ready tongue weight (TW) with water tanks filled and all gear and supplies loaded. This is important as it allows you to pick a system with enough stiffness to shift some trailer TW forward to the F-150's front axle but without being so stiff that it leads to weird handling. We offer a handy scale # e99044 for measuring TW but other methods are outlined in the linked article. You also need to count the weight of anything in the truck bed that sits behind the rear axle, say a generator or loaded cooler. The ideal situation is that your total TW falls in the middle of the system's operating range.

Let's say for example your total TW is 1200-lbs (about 12-1/2 percent of its 9500-lb gross weight). Use the linked page and just click on your total TW figure to see systems suitable for your setup.

Our installers like the Equal-i-zer 4-Point system because their smaller brackets are easier to fit on the trailer tongue. System # EQ37140ET works overs a TW range of 1000 to 1400-lbs, making it perfect for a 1200-lb TW. Since a 2-5/16-inch ball is included all you need to add is a thin-walled socket for ball installation, part # EQ70-00-4800. This system's integrated sway prevention will perform far better than simple friction-style anti-sway units like # 83660.

For a suitably-rated Blue Ox system you could use # BXW1500. You'll need to add the hitch ball, either 2-inch ball # A-90 or 2-5/16-inch # 19286.

The linked article and videos may be helpful to you in making your choice.