Weight Distribution Recommendation for 36 ft Keystone Cougar with 800 lb Dry Tongue Weight

Question:

Hello Just purchased a 36foot keystone cougar. The tow hitch rating empty is 800 lb. My vehicle is a Ford F250, 6.0 Diesel, 2005, my stock tow hitch rating is 600 lb. Do you recommend a 1500 lb or 2000 lb system if per you article, you are trying to get system in mid range of specs. Finally, what model numb... per your site, the 1500 and 1506 blue ox differ in ball height levels... Is best way to measure difference between truck and trailer ball height assuming you want ball and ball hitch as level as possible. regards

asked by: Shaun S

Expert Reply:

If your unloaded tongue weight is 800 lbs I wouldn't recommend either of the Blue Ox systems you mentioned as you'll most likely have a pretty harsh ride quality. In general the Blue Ox systems aren't bad but for the price but you are much better off with a Reese system like part # RP66542 which has a tongue weight range that's perfect for your setup at 600-1,200 lbs and in general our customers prefer over the Blue Ox setups. The Reese bars seem to not be quite as harsh as the Blue Ox ones and are also easier to connect. This comes with a shank that can do up to a 1-1/4 inch drop as well.

For a 2-5/16 inch ball # 19286 is what you'd want and you'd be set.

I attached a help article that will walk you through the process of determine the correct rise/drop you'd need.

expert reply by: Jameson C