Suspension Enhancement or Weight Distribution to Fix Sag on a 2012 Dodge Ram

Question:

I have a small 20foot travel trailer 4000 lbs. and last year switched vehicles I always pulled it with a std. draw bar with a Ford Expedition std. suspension that pulled it fine with no sag, now I have a 2012 Dodge Ram Quad cab and when I pulled it this past summer I noticed a decent sag in the rear. Would you recommend switching from the std. draw bar to a weight distribution hitch or do you think the Timbren suspension helpers in the rear would do the trick? Its not like they are much different in price.

asked by: Jim

Expert Reply:

When vehicle sag is caused by a trailer then the best solution is to use weight distribution. Suspension enhancement is better for loads that are in the truck or 5th wheel/gooseneck trailers.

For weight distribution 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.

Typically tongue weight is 10 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight. A 4,000 pound trailer would then have a tongue weight between 400 and 600 pounds. To determine the actual tongue weight you can use the help article I have linked for you.

I would go with a system rated for 400 to 800 pounds if your tongue weight falls in that range. For a system without sway control you can use # RP67509. It includes a shank but the shank offers a maximum drop of 1-1/4 inches and maximum rise of 6-1/2 inches. Other shanks are available if you need more rise or drop to tow the trailer level.

If you wanted to add sway control to this system use # 83660. You will also need to add a properly sized ball. Use # A-90 for a 2 inch or # 19286 for a 2-5/16 inch.