Weight Distribution-Sway Control Recommendation for Towing a Crossroads Sunset Trailer with 2010 Ram  

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The best way to select a weight distribution system for towing your Crossroads travel trailer with your 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 truck is to weigh the trailer when it is fully loaded and ready to tow. When weighing the trailer you will need to determine the gross trailer weight and the gross tongue weight, and add the weight of anything you may need to load behind the rear axle in the bed of your Ram to the tongue weight. Any time the gross trailer weight is heavier than 50 percent of the trucks gross weight a weight distribution system is recommended.

With this information you can select a weight distribution system that has a tongue weight capacity and gross weight capacity that is safe for use with your setup. We have an informational article, see link, that has weight distribution system information and explains how to weigh your trailers tongue weight.

As an example, if your trailer is 7477 lbs gross weight when fully loaded and ready to travel, and you do not have any weight behind the rear axle in the bed of the truck, the Reese Weight Distribution System, # RP66131, would be a good choice. This system is good for tongue weights from 800 - 1,500 lbs,

I recommend this system for your truck and trailer because your trailer gross weight rating of 7477 lbs could have a fully loaded tongue weight as high as 1495 lbs if loaded with 20 percent tongue weight. Normally travel trailer tongue weights are in the 10 to 15 percent range, but you will need to account for any weight loaded behind the rear axle in the bed of the truck.

To complete this system you will need a weight distribution shank, like part # RP54970, and a hitch ball with a 1-1/4 inch diameter shank, like the Tow Ready hitch ball # 63840.

This systems comes with dual cam sway control that works to keep trailer sway from occurring when traveling in high winds or when passing 18 wheelers on the highway.

Normally trailer sway can be corrected by properly loading the trailer, so if you experience trailer sway when you are just driving on the highway and no adverse conditions are causing it, you should check the trailer tongue weight. Most of the time weight will need to be added to the front of the trailer to stop sway in these circumstances.

expert reply by: Robert G

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