Selecting Weight Distribution/ Sway Control Hitch for 5000-lb KZ 2802 Tandem Axle Travel Trailer  

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Helpful Expert Reply:

A properly-rated and correctly-installed trailer weight distribution/sway control (WD/SC) system can make a big difference in the handling and feel of your travel trailer towing setup. WD/SC hitches can correct for vehicle rear-end sag, which tends to degrade both steering and braking performance, and they also reduce the sway-inducing effects of passing semi trucks that blast you and your trailer with substantial air pressure as they go by. All in all the right setup will make your towing experience less stressful by substantially improving overall vehicle and trailer handling.

The linked video and article are great resources to give you all the important information you need to choose the right WD/SC system for your tandem-axle KZ travel trailer. The real key is knowing the actual fully-loaded trailer tongue weight (TW) with all your usual gear and supplies loaded up. We have a handy scale # e99044 that makes it really easy to measure accurately (and frequently) so that you can develop a good sense for when your trailer is properly-loaded. Ideally the TW of a travel trailer will be in the range of 12- to 14-percent of its fully-loaded gross weight.

Another part of this TW equation is the weight of any cargo in the Tundra that sits behind the rear axle, say a generator or big loaded-up cooler for instance. Anything behind the rear axle will appear as TW to the WD hitch so this weight, if any, needs to be added to the trailer's own actual loaded TW. Once you have that total TW figure nailed down you're ready to choose the system.

All WD/SC systems operate properly over a pretty wide range of TWs, usually several hundred pounds, but you still want your actual total to fall near the middle of that range. For example, the Fastway e2 system # FA94-00-0800 that you referenced will work effectively with total TW from 400- up to 800-lbs.

The specs for the 2006 KZ 2802PF (I used that year for an example) indicate a dry hitch weight of 570-lbs. By the time you fill your propane and water tanks, load your recreational equipment (and some beer, maybe) you might have a loaded TW closer to 750-800-lbs. In this example, the Fastway # FA94-00-0800 would be a touch under-rated. It would work okay, but since you are selecting a new system it is worth it to get a correctly-rated one that will maximize the improvements. For a total TW of 750-800-lbs I recommend a system rated for up to 1000-lbs. Please refer to the linked page that displays all systems that prevent sway, work with your electric brakes and that allow you to back up the trailer without having to mess with anything on the WD hitch.

In this case I recommend the all-inclusive Equal-i-zer system # EQ37100ET which works for TW from 600- to 1000-lbs. This trunnion bar setup provides better ground clearance than the Fastway; it includes the shank and 2-5/16-inch hitch ball and its smaller brackets are easier to mount on the A-frame. It also has a limited lifetime warranty as compared to the 10-year warranty on the Fastway. Should you change trailers in 5 or 10 years all you need do is swap out the spring bars for ones rated for that new trailer's TW. Buy it once, buy it right.

Please have a look at the two linked review videos.

expert reply by: Adam R

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