Weight Dsitribution and Sway control for a 2001 Silverado Towing a 6,800 lb Car Trailer

Question:

I am towing a car trailer Car Mate 24 with a 7000 GVW. My tow truck is rated at 8700. I will tow the trailer loaded close to 6800lbs. Is the PS49003 the right system for my rig or should I get the 49002? I have a tongue weight scale but I have not yet been able to load the trailer and check the exact weight.

asked by: Nigel

Expert Reply:

The best way to pick out a weight distribution system is to base it off of the loaded tongue weight of the setup when it is loaded and ready to tow. This figure also includes the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. I attached an FAQ on determining tongue weight for you to check out as well.

Typically tongue weight is 10-15 percent of the total trailer weight. So assuming your total trailer weight is 6800 lbs when loaded the tongue weight would most likely be between 680 and 1,020 lbs. This would put you at the max for the # PS49903 based on the weight of the trailer alone. Since you might have cargo behind the rear axle of your truck I would recommend you go with the next higher rated system, part # RP66560.

This system has a range of 600-1,200 lbs of tongue weight so it would be better suited for your trailer most likely.

See review video and FAQ article on WD systems I attached.

expert reply by: Jameson C