Best Weight Distribution for a 2018 Airstream Sport Bambi

Question:

I have a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a 3 inch towing a 2018 Airstream Sport Bambi. I currently have a sway control. I have somewhere between a 10-11 inch shank . I can you recommend the best weight distribution/sway control system available for my setup?

asked by: Gary S

Expert Reply:

I think you meant that you have a 2" receiver on your 2016 Jeep Wrangler. Some newer heavy duty pickups have 3" receivers, but most of them are still using 2-1/2" receivers. You can verify your receiver size by measuring from the bottom to the top of the inside of your receiver.

When looking for a Weight Distribution (WD) system you want to choose one that has a Tongue Weight (TW) range that the Total Tongue Weight (TTW) of your towing setup falls in the middle of. To find the TTW of your towing setup you will need to add the TW of your fully loaded and ready-to-go trailer along with the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle. Keep in mind that a properly loaded trailer will have a TW that is 10-15% of the loaded weight of your trailer. Since the max trailer capacity of your 2018 Airstream Sport Bambi is 3,500 lbs (from the Airstream website) this puts your max TW between 350 lbs and 525 lbs. If your TTW is outside of this range just let me know and I can help you find the correct WD system.

One of the best WD system that we have to offer is the Reese Strait-Line system . It uses a chain hanging system as well as dual cam arms to prevent your trailer from sway instead of correcting it after it starts. For your application we have the part # RP66082 that comes with a shank, but the max drop is only 1-1/4". If you need more of a drop than that you can use part # RP66072 and then select the correct WD shank from the linked page. Both systems have a TW range of 200 lbs - 600 lbs.

No matter which system you choose, you also need a hitch ball. Part # A-90 is a 2" hitch ball and part # 19286 is a 2-5/16" hitch ball both of which are compatible with the WD systems mentioned above.

From the pictures I found online it looks like you frame clearance issues due to the location of the propane tanks on your trailer. If you use the Chain Hangers # RP58305 for the Strait-Line you don't have to worry about the top of the frame being open.

Attached are some review videos as well as some helpful articles for you to reference.