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Weight Distribution System for an Arctic Fox Travel Trailer and 2006 Dodge Ram 2500  

Question:

I will be towing a Arctic Fox 22GQ trailer with a Gross Dry Weight of 5030, and a GVWR of 7500 lbs. My tow vehicle is a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Heavy Duty, 5.9L Cummins Diesel, Automatic Transmission. Do I need a weight distribution hitch for this vehicle and trailer combination?

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Expert Reply:

Weight distribution is a good idea if the trailer weighs at least 50 percent of the vehicle weight or if when hitched up the back of the tow vehicle sags. In your case weight distribution would be a good idea.

When choosing a system you will want to go by the total tongue weight of the set up. This is calculated by taking the tongue weight of the trailer when loaded and ready to tow and adding to that the weight of anything loaded behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. If the dry weight of the trailer is 5,030 pounds then the minim tongue weight of the trailer will be 503 pounds. When loaded to capacity at 7,500 pounds it could be as high as 1,125. This does not include anything loaded behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

Curt system # 17301 will not be rated high enough if you are on the upper end of the scale. I recommend a system with a wide tongue weight capacity range of 600 to 1,200 pounds, # RP66542. With this system you will need to add a ball. You can use # A-90 for a 2 inch or # 19286 for a 2-5/16 inch.

To add sway control you can use # 83660. If the gross trailer weight ends up being over 6,000 pounds then go with 2 of these systems because 1 will not be sufficient for a trailer over 6,000 pounds.

If your trailer has anything mounted at the front of the frame like propane or water tanks, those can interfere with the bracket installation. If this is the case on your trailer you will need to replace the regular lift brackets with chain hangers # RP58305.

I have included some links on weight distribution and tongue weight for you.

expert reply by:
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Michael H

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