Weight Distribution System for Towing 7,000 lb Trailer

Question:

The factory tow hitch on our 2008 Ford F-150 needs weight distribution for TW 500 lb. and/or towing 5000 lb. With WD, it is rated for 1000 lb. TW and 10,000 lb. towed. We have stayed under the WD requirement limit with our 7k aluminum car hauler when moving our small tractor, but recently bought a 7K dual axle dump trailer and want to add weight distribution to handle its fully loaded weight potential. Empty tongue weight on the dumper is 384 lb. and the unloaded weight is about 2200 lb. I want to accommodate a full load approaching 7000 lb. when moving gravel/top soil. I am looking at the Curt 17001 and Curt 17002 kits. The 17001 has a tongue weight range of 600 - 800 lb w/8000 lb towed max, the 17002 has a tongue weight range of 800 - l000 lb. w/10,000 towed max matching the factory hitch WD limits. I am leaning toward the 17002 as the top end TW seems more appropriate for a potential TW of 15 of 7000 lb being 1000 lb. I have not actually loaded the trailer to a max load and measured the TW because that would be beyond the factory limits without WD so I really dont know what it will be. Also, there may be numerous occasions when I will be using the dump trailer with a tongue weight only modestly over the 500 lb. limit, i.e. in the 500 - 600 lb range, when carrying lighter materials like cut wood. Should I go for the higher limit, just in case?

asked by: Schoeneck H

Expert Reply:

When picking out a weight distribution system you'd want to aim for the weight range needed for how your trailer is loaded to the heaviest you'll be at. I recommend a system with a wide range like the Reese Weight Distribution System part # RP66542 which has a range of 600-1,200 lbs which would be ideal for you since you'll have a few different tongue weights depending on how you load it.

expert reply by: Jameson C