Recommended Weight Distribution System for 3,500 Pound Trailer

Question:

Guys: I need some help. I recently purchased a 2018 Jayco Flight SLX 174BH travel trailer and paired it with my tow vehicle, 2015 Dodge RAM Quad Cab V8, 4x4, 3.21 axel. The max trailer weight for my truck is roughly 8,100 lbs, the dry weight of my trailer is 2945 lbs, and the gross vehicle weigh rating is 3500 lbs. All considered, do I need a weight distribution hitch and stabilizer to safely tow this vehicle? I plan to travel in some rather mountainous regions such as Colorado and northern New Mexico. If so, do you have any recommendations? Any advice in regard would be very much appreciated as this. Thank you for helping a noob.

asked by: David S

Expert Reply:

Generally speaking, a weight distribution system is recommended for trailers that weigh more than 50 percent of the tow vehicle, which will be the case with your 2015 Dodge Ram and trailer with a 3,500 pound GVWR. I do recommend adding a weight distribution system, especially considering your specific application, as a properly rated system will do a nice job at fighting sway when going through mountainous regions that will surely provide some attention grabbing winds.

When choosing a weight distribution system, the most important factor to consider is the total tongue weight of your setup. This will include both the loaded tongue weight of your trailer, along with any added cargo weight coming from behind the rear axle of your Dodge Ram. Ideally, this number should fall somewhere around the middle of the system's operating range.

A trailer's tongue weight should be 10-15 percent of its total weight. With this in mind, we can estimate a loaded tongue weight of 350 to 525 pounds using the trailer's 3,500 pound GVWR. You can also verify your trailer's loaded tongue weight, as if it is ready for a trip, with a tongue weight scale like the # e99044.

For this estimated range, I recommend looking at the Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution System # EQ37060ET. This system has a tongue weight capacity range of 200 to 600 pounds and will do a great job of evenly distributing weight over the axles of your truck and trailer. The integrated 4-Point Sway Control will limit side-to-side movement and the steel-on-steel friction will help to minimize sway caused by winds and curvy roads.

I have attached the installation instructions along with a video demonstration for this system that you can check out.

expert reply by: Chris R