Recommended Weight Distribution System for 7500 lb GVWR Grand Design Imagine 2400BH Travel Trailer

Question:

Could you give me recommendations on a weight distribution hitch for a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie tow vehicle with a tow rating of 9750 lbs. for a Grand Design 2400BH travel trailer. Tongue weight is 504 lbs. Trailer GVWR is 7495 lbs

asked by: David C

Expert Reply:

You'll want to choose a system rated for the tongue weight of the fully loaded and ready to tow trailer.

Due to the ~7500 lb GWVR, if the trailer was loaded to the gills with gear, the tongue weight would be about 1100 lbs at most, with a range of 600-1000 lbs being more likely. You can use a tongue weight scale like the Better Weigh # e99044 to help determine the actual as-towed tongue weight, and I'll link you to an article showing a couple of other ways of determining this.

Since travel trailers like your Grand Design Imagine 2400BH are very susceptible to trailer sway caused by cross winds or turbulence from oncoming or passing traffic, I'd highly recommend going with a system that has an integrated sway control component.

I'd recommend the Reese Steadi-Flex. Part # RP66559 is designed for trailers with fully loaded tongue weighs ranging from 500-1000 lbs. If your tongue weight is greater than 1000 lbs, which is pretty unlikely, use # RP66560, rated for 600-1200 lbs tongue weight. You'lll also need a 2-5/16 inch trailer ball, part
# 19286.

The Fastway # FA92-00-1200 you'd looked at would also be a good choice, but this particular system only offers sway control at the points where the spring bars contact the trailer frame brackets, rather than a 4 point system like the Steadi-Flex that offers at the bar/trailer frame bracket as well as at both points where the spring bars attach to the weight distribution head. In other words, the Fastway e2 is something I typically recommend for mild to moderate trailer sway, while the Steadi-Flex is what I'd recommend for moderate to severe sway.