Hitch shank length
01-19-2014, 06:03 PM
#11
Senior Member
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If your tongue weight is 1,000 lbs, are you better off going with the 1,200 lb weight distribution bars which have a range of 600 to 1,200 lbs or should one go with the 1,500 lb bars which have a range of 800 to 1,500 lbs. Not sure if better to be at the lower end of the weight range or higher end when sizing bars. Is there a great stiffness difference between the bars. Hoping someone can tell me what they use. Again, talking with Etrailer and other suppliers it sounds either way is fine.
If your tongue weight is 1,000 lbs, are you better off going with the 1,200 lb weight distribution bars which have a range of 600 to 1,200 lbs or should one go with the 1,500 lb bars which have a range of 800 to 1,500 lbs. Not sure if better to be at the lower end of the weight range or higher end when sizing bars. Is there a great stiffness difference between the bars. Hoping someone can tell me what they use. Again, talking with Etrailer and other suppliers it sounds either way is fine.
On the Equal-i-zer web site, they have a little form that tells you what size to order, depending upon trailer weight, tongue weight and what's in the truck bed behind the rear axle. http://www.equalizerhitch.com/About%...hitchsizes.php
According to that, I need somewhere between 1200# to 1400# bars. With the 1400# bars there will be less head tilt necessary, but they'll be heavier, and I'm over the truck's rear GAWR right now. Leaning toward the 1200# bars.
01-19-2014, 10:13 PM
#12
Grumpy Old Man
Mine is a different weight class. My TT has 650 pounds tongue weight and my hitch has trunnion bars rated for up to 800 pounds tongue weight. Good match.
For my enclosed cargo trailer, the wet and loaded tongue weight is usually about 750 pounds, so the 800-pound spring bars are fine. But if I load the trailer to the GVWR, then my hitch weight could be over 800 pounds unless I purposely loaded the trailer to have a tongue weight of not more than 11.4% of gross trailer weight.