Comparing Weight Distribution Hitch And Adjustable Ball Mount For 3500lb Trailer Being Rented Out

Question:

Hi, I have a small trailer with a gvwr of 3500 lbs and 409lbs for tongue weight. I am wanting to rent this trailer out and am looking for a way to accommodate different tow vehicles. My current set up for towing is a husky equalizer weight distribution hitch with a 2” receiver and a 2” ball and I was looking at an adjustable hitch receiver extension so I could include my hitch setup with the weight distribution. I also have been told that for my trailer size I don’t need weight distribution or sway control and so what are thoughts on just buying an adjustable ball hitch? Would one be better than the other? Safety wise I want to do what’s in the best interest of my renters and know I will get some more suv style inquiries that will have lower recovers than my current truck.

asked by: Sonya

Helpful Expert Reply:

For renting your trailer I would not recommend a weight distribution hitch, as it will need to be setup for each individual vehicle that the renter has. Since the trailer only has a 3500lb GVWR a weight distribution hitch is not necessarily required so you won't be causing a safety issue. An incorrectly setup weight distribution hitch would actually cause a greater safety issue.

Instead I recommend using an adjustable ball mount like the B&W Tow & Stow 2-Ball Mount - 2" Hitch - 7" Drop, 7-1/2" Rise - 10K - Black # BWTS10040B which has up to 7" drop and 7-1/2" rise so it should work on the majority of vehicles.

Now trailers that have GVWR of 3500lbs typically have electric trailer brakes so a trailer brake controller would be required as well. To keep the renters legal I recommend adding a trailer brake controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy RF # TK94FR which mounts on the trailer so the tow vehicle only needs a 7-way connector, and not its own trailer brake controller.

I included videos of the products mentioned for you to take a look at.

expert reply by: Samuel C