Weight Distribution System for 2009 GMC Yukon Towing 2011 Puma Tandem Axle Travel Trailer

Question

Question:

Recently bought a 2011 19rl....23ft puma palomino. Towing it with a 2009 5.3 yukon... with towing package. Trying to decide if or what ill need for weight distribution bar and, or sway bar. Gw is 7446. Dry weight is 4248. Cargo is 2735. Hitch why is 446. Yukon is 7300 per manual.

asked by: Colleen H

0

Expert Reply:

Thank you for your photo and for providing the important details about your towing setup. I'm glad to help.

A weight distribution/sway control hitch setup is recommended whenever a loaded trailer's weight is more than half of the weight of the tow vehicle. Your tandem axle Puma Palomino and Yukon combination certainly qualifies.

Addition of a properly-rated weight distribution/sway control system (WD/SC) will enhance both the driving experience and your safety on the road. These systems work to level your tow vehicle so that the trailer's tongue weight (TW) does not cause rear-end sag or reduce front axle steering and braking performance in the Yukon. They also help control trailer sway from passing vehicles and wind gusts. Overall the right setup will make towing your travel trailer a nicer experience.

The key to picking out the right system is knowing the loaded trailer's actual TW, with all supplies and sporting gear in place, filled water and propane tanks, etc. You also need to account for any cargo weight in the Yukon that sits behind the rear axle. Any cargo behind the rear axle will act just like trailer TW and so you want to account for the weight of a generator or big loaded cooler, as examples. Based on the figures you provided it is likely that your loaded TW will fall in the range of 1000-lbs. Fortunately we offer a tongue weight scale # e99044 that takes all the guess work out of determining your loaded TW.

Once you know your total TW you can refer to then linked page that shows systems like the Pro Series # 49570. Since this setup tops out at 1200-lbs TW it will work well for your trailer. Ideally your total TW figure (trailer + cargo) falls in the middle of the operating range for the system you use. For an actual TW of 1000-lbs you will be even better served by a system like the Equal-I-zer # EQ37120ET which works for TW range of 800 to 1200-lbs. I linked a video on this item to show you its features and operation.

Another important consideration is that unlike the simple friction bar used in the Pro Series setup the Equal-I-zer has sway control that is built in. This means you can back up your trailer without first having to disconnect the friction bar. Systems with friction bars cannot be backed up with the bar in place. Also, the Equal-I-zer's integrated sway control will work much better than the friction bar and will actually prevent sway instead of only reacting to it once it has started. All you need to add is a thin-wall socket # ALL643216 for hitch ball installation.

If you have any questions please feel free to write back or you can refer to the linked article and video which provide lots of excellent background on these WD/SC systems.