Weight Distribution/Sway Control Recommendation for a 38 Foot Monaco RV Towing an Enclosed Trailer

Question:

I have a 38 ft Monaco diesel pusher RV and I plan to tow a 22 ft enclosed trailer. Do I need weight distribution bars? If so, which one? I’m not sure of the tongue weight. I’m guessing the trailer weight is around 2,500 lbs dry plus it has a 100 gal water tank under the front of the trailer. I figure I will be loading 3,500 lbs of cargo including the water weight. Please fell free to contact me if you need additional informantion. Thanks for any help you can give me…

asked by: Dan

Expert Reply:

Since RVs usually have a larger section of the body behind the rear axle as compared to a passenger vehicle, you could experience a rougher ride, trailer sway, or RV sag, so weight distribution would be a good idea in this situation.

I recommend a system that has built in sway control. Since you will be towing an enclosed trailer, the large flat sides of it will catch a lot of the wind from passing big rigs, and cross winds blowing across the highway. You will need a system that has a tongue weight capacity range that encompasses the trailer weight loaded and ready to tow. By adding up the weights you have provided, I have come to a gross trailer weight of 6,100 pounds. Tongue weight is usually 10 to 15 percent of gross trailer weight which would be 610 to 915 pounds.

I recommend the Strait-Line Weight Distribution with Sway Control, # RP66074, for use with shank # RP54970. This system has a tongue weight capacity range of 600 to 1,200 pounds and a gross trailer weight capacity of up to 12,000 pounds. The dual-cam sway control stops trailer sway before it starts, and the trunnion bars are generally considered more heavy duty than round bars. I have included a link to the installation details below along with a link to our weight distribution FAQ article.

expert reply by: Michael H