Will One Side of Reese Strait-Line be More Difficult to Connect

Question:

Hello, on my trailer I have the reese strait line dual cam. When I connect it to my truck one I put the chain link on and use the bar to set it in place. My problem is one side is very easy to put on while the other side is very hard. Is that normal? Also can that be related to the sway and I mean the trailer sways a lot. Any information or help will be greatly appreciated Thank you for your time.

asked by: Alexander H

Expert Reply:

Yes, it is normal for one side of a Strait-Line system to be more difficult to put on than the other; attaching one side is going to create tension on the other side, so that would not be why your trailer is swaying a lot. The reason for that is almost certainly that you do not have the properly rated system.

In order to choose the best weight distribution system you will first need to know your total tongue weight (TTW), which is the tongue weight of your fully loaded and ready to go trailer plus the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle.

The tongue weight is typically between 10% and 15% of your trailer's GVWR but you'll want to verify it by using a scale such as the etrailer Tongue Weight Scale # e99044 or by using one of the methods outlined in the help article on determining tongue weight I've linked for you. From there, simply add on the weight of the cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle and you'll have your TTW. The ideal system would be one in which your TTW would fall somewhere in the middle of the weight distribution system's tongue weight capacity.

For example, if your TTW was 900 lbs you would want the Strait-Line Weight Distribution System w Sway Control # RP66084 which is for TTW between 600 lbs and 1,200 lbs. I have added a link to a help article on weight distribution as well which I strongly recommend checking out.

expert reply by: Kyle S