Is Weight Distribution Needed for 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Towing Rockwood Geo Pro Travel Trailer

Question:

Have a 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 and will be pulling a 16foot Geo Pro that weighs 2667 dry with a 257 pound tongue weight dry. Am I likely to need weight distribution or would a simple sway bar suffice?

asked by: Kay

Expert Reply:

Weight distribution is typically recommended if your trailer weight is more than 50% of your vehicle's weight. From what I have found, your 2021 Chevy Silverado has a GVWR of 6,800 to 7,100 lbs. Based on the information you provided, it sounds like you have the Rockwood Geo Pro G15TB. This has a GVWR of 3,877 lbs. Since this is more than 50% I would definitely recommend a weight distribution hitch.

When choosing a WDH tongue weight is the most important factor. Tongue weight is typically 10-15% of the trailer weight. In order to get the most accurate measurement, I recommend using a scale like the # e99044 to find the tongue weight of your loaded trailer. It is also important to remember that the weight of any cargo behind your rear axle is part of your tongue weight.

It looks like the dry tongue weight of this trailer is actually 357 lbs which would be just over 13% of the dry weight of the trailer. Using that, your fully loaded tongue weight is about 519 lbs. Based on that information I recommend the Fastway e2 Weight Distribution w/ 2-Point Sway Control - Trunnion - 6,000 lbs GTW, 600 lbs TW # FA92-00-0600.

The tongue weight range on this system is 250-600 lbs which means you will be in the middle of the range even when your trailer isn't loaded. This has integrated 2-point sway control and comes with a 10-year warranty. In addition to the WDH you will also need # EQ91-00-6080 for a 2" ball or # EQ91-00-6100 for a 2-5/16" ball. You will also need a 1-7/8" thin walled socket like the # ALL643216 for installation.

If you will have a lot of cargo in your Silverado that is going to push you close to or over the 600 lb tongue weight, you could use the Fastway e2 Weight Distribution w/ 2-Point Sway Control - Trunnion - 8,000 lbs GTW, 800 lbs TW # FA92-00-0800 instead. The tongue weight range for this system is 400-800 lbs.

I have attached a review video along with some helpful articles for your reference.