Will I Need a Weight Distribution and Sway Control Hitch on a 2006 Honda Odyssey

Question:

Do I need a weight distribution hitch w/sway control ? I have a 2006 Honda Odyssey EXL with a rated tow limit of 3,500 lbs. I have already installed a Drawtite class 3 hitch and am in the process of installing the brake controller and 7 pin wiring. The camper I will be towing is a Livin Lite Camplite 11FK weighing in at 1,840 lbs. dry weight and a 165lb. hitch weight. Additionally there are 5 of us and our gear. Will I need a WD hitch or does that just add another 80 lbs. putting me closer to my max weight? Also, do I have enough tongue weight to make a WD hitch work properly? does the Fastway FA94-00-0600 require a tongue weight of at least 400 lbs?

asked by: Mike M

Expert Reply:

When determining which weight distribution system you will need for your trailer and vehicle, you will need to know the total tongue weight. This would be the your tongue weight of a fully loaded ready to tow trailer and any cargo that will be stowed in the rear cargo area behind your rear axle. I have linked a help article that will explain how to find the total tongue weight of your trailer and vehicle.

With the numbers that you supplied, you are probably going to be looking at a gross trailer weight between 2,500 to 2,800 lbs. Tongue weight is usually 10 - 15 percent of the gross trailer weight. So, your looking at tongue weight range of 250 - 420 lbs.

Now according to the 2006 Honda Odyssey owner's manual, if your total trailer weight is more than 1,850 Honda recommends that you use a weight distribution hitch on your Odyssey.

So if you find that your total tongue weight falls between the 250 to 420 lbs range, then I recommend the Fastway E2 Weight Distribution w/ 2-Point Sway Control # FA92-00-0450. This weight distribution system is rated at a max tongue weight of 450 lbs. The Fastway system also uses a 2-point sway control system the helps alleviate trailer sway when towing. Smaller trailers are notorious for trailer sway, so a weight distribution system with sway control is the best option for your application.

This weight distribution system will also need a new trailer ball. I recommend # 40038 2 inch ball with a 1 inch shank.

I also linked a help article on weight distribution for you to review.