Should Weight Distribution Hitch Be Used To Tow 2021 Heartland RV Sundance 293RL W/ 2001 Ford F-350?

Question:

Hello, we recently bought a 2021 Heartland Sundance 293rl, dry weight 7100, gvwr of 9500 and a 950 tongue rating, picking it up Sat. Tow vehicle is a 2001 F350 longbed with the 7.3. It has a 8 inch lift with 37inch tires. My question is do I need a W/D hitch setup with sway control?. Truck had a pintal/ball hitch with a 8 inch on it. Previous owner said that is what he used to haul everything from horse trailers to hay trailers and much more. Several local hitch stores thought I probablyinch didnt need a W/D hitch, but everyone on some of the rv chat sites said absolutely do. If so....what is your opinion of the Curt 7150?.. Really appreciate any help or advice.

asked by: Mike A

Helpful Expert Reply:

A weight distribution hitch is recommended any time the weight of your trailer exceeds 50% of the weight of your tow vehicle. Since your 2021 Heartland Sundance 293RL has a dry weight of 7100lbs and a GVWR of 9500lbs I do recommend you use a weight distribution hitch, as that is well over 50% of the weight of your 2001 Ford F-350 Longbed Diesel.

Now the tongue weight you mentioned sounds like the specs the manufacturer of the trailer lists. If that is the case, you will want to measure the tongue weight yourself as their specs are typically not accurate as they do not know how you will be loading the trailer.

Weight distribution hitches are classified by total tongue weight, which is the tongue weight of your fully loaded and ready to tow trailer plus the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of your truck. Using a tongue weight scale like the # e99044
will give you an accurate tongue weight measurement, but there are other methods outlined in the included help article.

The Curt TruTrack Weight Distribution Hitch # C17501 may work for your setup, but it is designed for total tongue weights between 1000-1500lbs. As long as your total tongue weight falls in that range it will work perfectly for you.

If you find your total tongue weight is a bit lower than 1000lbs I recommend going with the Fastway e2 Weight Distribution w/ 2-Point Sway Control - Trunnion - 12,000 lbs GTW, 1,200 lbs TW # FA92-00-1200 which works with total tongue weights ranging from 800-1200lbs. This hitch does not include a hitch ball so you will either need 2" hitch ball # A-90 or 2-5/16" hitch ball # 19286 to match the coupler of your new trailer.

Now both of these kits do not include shanks that will offer enough from to level the trailer to your truck that has been lifted 8" and has 37" tires. You are going to need to purchase a shank with more drop. We have the Curt Weight Distribution Shank - 12" Long - 15-3/4" or 16-1/4" Drop - 1,500 lbs TW # C17125 which offers up to 13-3/4" drop for each of the systems, or the next most drop is the Reese Weight Dist Shank # RP3344 which offers up to 7-3/4" drop.

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