Is Noise and Slightly Bent Trunnion Bars Safe for a Weight Distribution System

Question

Question:

Thanks Jon! I have the RP66083 My vehicle is rated for 7000lbs, I'm guessing loaded trailer tongue weight at 400-500lbs, the trailer weighs 6,000 lbs and I rarely carry anything in the suburban. I don't know if you can see enough of the hitch and bars here but it's the only picture I have.

asked by: Aaron S

0

Expert Reply:

As long as your Strait-Line Weight Distribution (WD) System, like part # RP66083, isn't underrated for your towing setup and you haven't gone past the 5th chain link like you mentioned then you should be good to go. With friction sway control there is always going to be some noise because it is metal on metal and if you check out the attached photo you can see that there was a slight bend to the trunnion bars when we installed this same system.

If you can give me some more details about what your system is rated for, how much tongue weight your trailer has, how much weight you have behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle (in regards to cargo), and send me a picture of your setup so I can see the bars I will be more than happy to verify that everything is safe.

expert reply by: Jon G

0

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Aaron S.

6/26/2019

Thanks Jon! I have the RP66083 My vehicle is rated for 7000lbs, I'm guessing loaded trailer tongue weight at 400-500lbs, the trailer weighs 6,000 lbs and I rarely carry anything in the suburban. I don't know if you can see enough of the hitch and bars here but it's the only picture I have.

Reply

Jon G.

6/26/2019

Thank you for the picture and the information! The Reese Strait-Line # RP66083 that you own has a TW range of 400 lbs - 800 lbs. Since you don't carry cargo in the back of your Suburban you just have to make sure that the TW of your trailer stays within this range. If you were to place cargo behind the rear axle of your Suburban then that would be considered TW when it comes to a WD system. If your loaded trailer weighs in at 6,000 lbs but you only have about 400 lbs - 500 lbs of TW then you actually need to adjust the cargo inside your trailer so that you fall in-between the 10-15% range. For 6,000 lbs that range is 600 lbs - 900 lbs. If you are on the heavier end of things then I recommend upgrading your trunnion bars to part # RP66009 which changes your tongue weight range to 600 lbs - 1,200 lbs. Two of these bars are all you need for the upgrade as all of the other components are all the same.

Reply

Answer 1

Spring bars are designed to bend, but if you are putting a significant bend into your spring bars and you think that even more spring tension would help you tow better, but you don't have any adjustment left then it sounds like you have spring…

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Answer 2

By hitch I assume you mean the shank. I would need to know the model number of the weight distribution system to get you the correct replacement arms. If you could get back to me with that information I may be able to find a solution for you.

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Answer 3

Yep, you can absolutely just upgrade the 800 lb trunnion bars to 1,200 lb bars on your Reese Strait-Line weight distribution hitch and not have to get any parts. All you will need are two of the following: - Replacement Trunnion Spring Bar for Reese…

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Answer 4

You would need to go with lower rated spring bars on your Reese Strait Line WD system since you are going to a much lighter trailer. If you have too high rated bars you will have a very rough ride quality. Since your total trailer weight is 6,000 lbs…

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Answer 5

According to my research, the Draw-Tite Weight Distribution System 06623-099 became obsolete in 2010 therefore replacement parts are no longer available. However, if you can send me a few photos of your weight distribution system's head I may…

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Answer 6

For your 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche with a loaded truck and trailer and a tongue weight of 880 pounds as opposed to 610 pounds of the original estimation I would definitely recommend upgrading to the 1,200 pound capacity trunnion bars for your weight…

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Answer 7

I don't really have an answer as to why Reese doesn't have a 1,000 pound rated Strait-Line. With that being said I don't understand your hesitation with the 1,200 pound bars, part #RP66009. The weight range is 600 to 1,200 pounds which is…

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Answer 8

Thank you for all of the pictures. I do have a solution for you but when I reached out to my contact at Reese he said that you have the older SC weight distribution (WD) system and there aren't any replacement bars that will fit your application.…

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Answer 9

Thanks for the pictures! The Replacement Trunnion Spring Bar for Reese Weight Distribution System item #RP66009 is exactly what you need and I went ahead and attached a diagram below so you can compare the dimensions.

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Answer 10

I spoke with my contact at Reese and he informed me that about a year ago they changed the angle on the Replacement Trunnion Spring Bar for Reese Weight Distribution System, part #RP66009, to make it a little sharper. He said that as long as the Dual…

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Answer 11

I have a solution for you, but the bars you have aren't compatible with the current bar designs made so it's going to come down to you replacing the head and the bars of your setup. So for bars you would need the part #RP66009 which has the…

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Answer 12

If the loaded tongue weight (TW) of your trailer is around 2,300 lbs then any weight distribution (WD) system that is rated for a max of 1,200 lbs TW will not be strong enough to help out at all. Check your TW to ensure that it is 10-15% of the…

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