NC F150

I have read many post about using a quality WDH.

My new TT will have a tongue weight of around 800lbs. Which weight spring bars should I get? Which brand hitch?

A large online retailer has a good selection of hitches with what seem to be really good pricing.

Thanks

Norotso

I'm a proponent of the Equal-i-zer brand

acadianbob

etrailer is a good place to buy. They also have good online tutorials.

With 800 lb dry tongue, you should probably get 1,000 bars. Any major brand is good. Your question is like asking what brand truck to buy! :-) Just make sure you also get good sway control built into the WDH. Don't get the friction bar type. I've had good success with Reese Straight-Line.

mark waller

Good luck here with Blue Ox 1000lb. bars. Spend $500 plus on a hitch. Do notget the cheaper ones with friction sway bars.

smokeywren

You want the spring bars rated for the most hitch weight you might ever have on that trailer. If that 800 pounds tongue weight is the dry tongue weight, then you need a minimum of 1,000 pound TW rating, and probably 1,200 TW rating. Determine the GVWR of the trailer, multiply that GVWR by 0.13 (13 percent), then add 100 pounds to the answer for the weight of your high-quality WD hitch.


Brand doesn't matter as long it's on the high end of the WD hitches from that source. Equal-I-Zer and Blue Ox don't make cheap hitches, so any WD hitch from those two would be good. Reese and Husky sell cheap hitches as well as good hitches, so if you get one of those brands you want only the highest-price WD hitches they sell. Reese Strait-Line with trunnion bars or Husky CenterLine HD. For the CenterLine HD, you have to order both the hitch head and the spring bars. If it comes with spring bars, then it's probably the cheaper TS and not the HD.

Mike Up

The Blue Ox Sway Pro hitch is now the favorite Anti-Sway hitch at Rv.net beating out Equalizer brand and Reese Strait-Line (Dual Cam Sway Control) hitches. I really like mine, much better than my previous Strait-Line.

NC F150

Is set up the same on these brands? Or is one easier than the others?

GVWR of the trailer is 6000 lbs. using the .13 formula, that equates to 780 lbs. you still think I need the 1200 lb bars or just stick with the 1000.

I have currently been using one of the Reese "cheap" weight distribution hitches. Honestly, with my limited towing experience, it has done quite well.

Thank you in advance. I always value the advice given on here.

Mike Up

Blue Ox is the easiest to set up, besides providing great sway control. It is more expensive than the Strait-Line and the Equalizer brand hitches though, but worth it IMO.

If you can't get your tongue weight weighed to find what bars you need, your dealer doing the install should have both size bars available to get the correct adjustment.

smokeywren

Stick with spring bars rated for 1,000 pounds TW - if they're available. If you want a Reese Strait-Line, 1,000 pound rated sprig bars are not available. They have 800 and 1,200 but no 1,000. 800 might be enough, but if your TT is one of those with 15% TW, then you'll overload the hitch. Remember that 13% is average TW but some have up to 15%. My TT has almost 15% TW.


Yes, it will do fine for weight distribution, and it will probably be fine for sway control for over 90% of sway-causing conditions. You want the better hitch in case you experience one of those rare 1% or 2% of sway-causing conditions. The Strait-Line will raise your sway control percentage to about 99%. To be covered for that final 1% you have to speed the big bucks for a ProPride or the older Hensley Arrow. I have the Strait-Line on my cargo trailer, but the ProPride on my TT.

SailorSam20500

As stated by others WD is based on your heaviest trailer. May be better to go with heavier rather than lighter, but I'm not an expert on that.

Regarding Sway. As Smokeywren alluded, Sway hitches fall in 3 groups.
1. Sway control by friction. This is a brake to absorb the sway energy. Many squeak badly. Often lowest cost. Mass produced, often overseas.
2. Sway control by spring - a heavy spring absorbs the sway energy and pushes the trailer back to a center position. More expensive than #1. Mass produced, again possibly overseas.
3. Sway elimination. A guy named Hensley designed a new type of hitch - not a ball mount. Design does not allow the trailer to sway. Most expensive. Occasionally available used. Custom fabricated to order (as far as I know). Made only in US.
I have found 3 videos that are related to this issue. All hitches in 1 and 2 are ball mount hitches and if not setup well and/or bad trailer loading are susceptible to sway as shown in the first video.
Bottom line, it's your decision...

Tongue weight and sway

Utube of Lego Hensley Hitch

ProPride Example