I am looking at buying an equilizer hitch for my travel trailer but am unsure if I should go with the 1000/10k rating or the 1200/12k rating. My truck is a 18 3.5 shortbed and my trailer is a 16 Keystone Hideout 27DBS with a gvwr of 7865lbs, but weighs in around 7200lbs with a 1050lb hitch weight loaded. Sales guy at Gander Outdoors told me the 1000/10k is what I should go with, but I am hesitant since technically my hitch weight is over the rating. Am I understanding that right and should go with the 1200/12k?

 

On the border of weight ratings always makes you wonder which way to go.
You’ll likely get recommendations for each, 1000# &1200#.
IMHO, both would work fine for you, just tension the 1200# less.
With a full load of water, I blow right past my hitch’s tongue weight limit. I’m using a 400-600# tongue, 4000-6000# towing rated Weight Distributing Hitch on a 3877# GVWR trailer. Since I already have the WDH, I see no reason to upgrade my bars.
You have a GVWR under 8000. IMO the 10000# capacity is more than enough even if you run a little over the tongue weight rating.

 

12K/1200. The Equal-i-zer website configuration tool is your friend:

What size Equal-i-Zer do I need?

You can also determine appropriate shank size from the same link.

The spring bars on the 12K are also beefier at 1-1/2" vs. 1-3/8" for the 10K

 

Also, I think it would be easier to dial the 1200 in less than try to overload the 1000...

 

I would do the 1200/12k. I hope you are not simply trusting the sales guy for the trailer numbers, sales guys typically do not report accurate information, especially in the trailer world. Not saying you will have an issue, I'm assuming you have done your towing and payload check against your actual truck? If not, start with the yellow sticker in drivers door and see what weight your as built truck can carry.

 

I went with a fastway e2 trunnion rated for 1200/12000.




our trailer is only GCVW for 8800#. But the tongue weight is right up there.





worksheet from the 2012 ram 2500 I traded in for the 2020 F150.

when you compare the specs, the F150 had a better tow and payload capacity over the 2012 ram.




spreadsheet I have for doing the calculations now.

 

When I had my V-Lite several years ago the EQ hitch that camp with it was 1000# rated. I managed to get the handling close but was never quite there. When I bought my pick up I came across a 1200# rig that I swapped for and never looked back.