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Old 03-22-2017, 09:44 PM   #1
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EQUAL-I-ZER WDH Sizing Question

My 25 ft double axle TT has a max GVWR of 6200 lbs, dry weight of 4200 lbs but the only time I took it out for a few days it weighed in at about 4800 lbs with a tongue weight of about 580 lbs. I plan on going on short trips no longer than a week in no more than 400-500 mile radius and staying at places with hookups. When I purchased the trailer the dealership mounted a Equalizer 6k/600 lb head assembly and spring arms kit.

I am concerned that they should have used a 10k/1k kit even though the Equalizer support person told me that I was ok with the 6k/600 lb kit as long as I stayed at about 6k and 600lbs. The one trip I have taken it towed fine with minimal to no sway or bouncing. All of the pass through and under bed storage, fresh water tank, propane tanks, batteries are at the front of the trailer followed by kitchen and bathroom than rear dinette. I tow with a 2016 Ford F-150 4x4 SuperCrew cab, 3.5 Ecoboost, max towing package.

I know that I will probably not go over 6k trailer weight but am concerned that I may exceed the 600 lb tongue weight when at say 5000 lbs for trailer weight.
Should I replace the 6k/600lb kit with a 10k/1k kit or will it cause too much bounce and rough handling at 4800 lbs and 580 lbs tongue weight??

Thoughts??

Thanks in advance.
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Old 03-23-2017, 05:09 AM   #2
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Can't answer your question but, I am curious what your trucks tow ratings are and how the 3.5 handled the towing duty?
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Old 03-23-2017, 05:44 AM   #3
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I had a TT of similar size and used a 1k/10k Equalizer. The tongue weight was right on the edge of being too much for the 600/6k EQ hitch and wanted to play it safe. It was a great hitch. Take the time to get it setup correctly and add the rubber/plastic pads to the L brackets. They will quiet the noise down quite a bit.

One drawback to EQ is you can't mix and match heads and bars. If your next TT is bigger than 1k, you'll have to replace the whole system. I moved to a Blue Ox because of this issue; BO can have the bars upgraded or downgraded without changing the head. I disliked it from day one and wished I had gone with EQ again.
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Old 03-23-2017, 08:39 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OregonPerson View Post
Should I replace the 6k/600lb kit with a 10k/1k kit or will it cause too much bounce and rough handling at 4800 lbs and 580 lbs tongue weight??
You want the spring bars rated for at least as much as the heaviest tongue weight (TW) you might ever have. With trailer GVWR of 6,200 pounds, your TW could be few pounds over 800 pounds without overloading the trailer. So I would want a WD hitch rated for at least 800 pounds TW.

There's nothing wrong with using a hitch rated for more than the max TW you could have. You just don't tighten the spring bars as tight as they will go. You simply tighten the spring bars to the point that your front fender height off the ground is the same with the trailer as without.

My WD hitch is rated for up to 1,400 pounds TW, but my actual TW is about 650 pounds. No problem. My trailer tows great with that hitch properly adjusted to handle the actual TW. The idea that my hitch should cause "too much bounce and rough handling" is a myth.

So with your rig, I would use a tongue weight scale and carefully measure TW after the trailer is wet and loaded for the road for every RV trip. If TW ever goes over 600 pounds, I would buy a hitch with more TW rating. 1,000 pound Equal-I-Zer sounds about perfect for your trailer. In other brands, you can get a WD hitch rated for up to 800 pounds TW, which would probably be okay for your needs as long as you don't load the trailer to the gills. But Equal-I-Zer doesn't offer a WD hitch rated for 800 pounds TW, so if you want Equal-I-Zer, then go with the 1,000.
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Old 03-23-2017, 02:31 PM   #5
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Think you are OK have a similar set up - - But call equi-I-zer and ask them they are very happy to help.
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Old 03-23-2017, 09:10 PM   #6
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This is so confusing,

Using a Sherline Tongue Weight scale, my tongue was 550 lbs with just my pass through and bed storage loaded with the things I would be taking, hitch and spring arms, 2-6 volt batteries, 2 filled propane tanks.

Empty fresh water, empty hot water heater, empty gray and black tanks, no food or clothing. The fresh water tank is under the front queen bed so I'm assuming I will exceed 600 lbs once I load about 20 gallons water, food, and clothing.

Equalizer customer support says I should go with 10k/1k and the dealership says it will swap the kits for me BUT they want me to sign something saying they don't recommend that size for the trailer due to possible frame/tongue damage??
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Old 03-23-2017, 09:21 PM   #7
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Equalizer customer support says I should go with 10k/1k and the dealership says it will swap the kits for me BUT they want me to sign something saying they don't recommend that size for the trailer due to possible frame/tongue damage??
I agree with the recommendation on the 10k kit but I'm at a loss on the waiver signing. As previously mentioned your trailer is clearly on the bleeding edge of the limit of the hitch they sold you and there is nothing wrong with pulling that trailer with a 10k equalizer. The good news is they will swap you. I'd read the fine print on whatever it is that they are trying to get you to sign and make sure they are not trying to void your warranty etc.

FWIW I tow a 5700lb TT with a 1/2 ton and the 10k equalizer hitch. It sagged badly on the way home as they did not setup properly even for an empty trailer. Definitely not "overkill" for my TT empty.
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Old 03-24-2017, 10:24 AM   #8
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After considering responses, talking to Equalizer, and the trailer manufacturer I am going to switch to the 10k/1k kit.

Thanks everybody, this forum is invaluable, especially for those new to the rv experience like me.
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