Choosing the Correct Blue Ox SwayPro Weight Distribution for a 6,500 lb Dry Travel Trailer

Question:

Hi there! I recently bought a new travel trailer. It weighs 6500lbs dry. The tongues weight is 650 lbs dry. I am towing it with a 2012 F-150. I am looking at the blue ox swaypro 1500. Is that the right size hitch? Or should I go with the swaypro 1000. Thanks very much.

asked by: Jaret S

Expert Reply:

That's a really great question! While I don't have a direct answer for you since there are some variables in play, I can give you some information that will help you figure out is the 1,000 lb tongue weight (TW) # BXW1000 or the 1,500 lb TW # BXW1500 Blue Ox SwayPro weight distribution (WD) system would be best for your travel trailer.

First thing to note is that you want to base the TW range of your WD system off of the loaded TW of your trailer plus any weight that sits behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle; the total of this is called total tongue weight (TTW).

Next you want to make sure you have your trailer loaded properly. This means that you want your TW to be 10-15% of the total weight of your trailer. This helps your trailer to ride even and you get the best performance out of all the different components. I recommend using a tongue weight scale like the etrailer # e99044 to do so.

Once we have all of these numbers we can then start plugging them in to see what WD system would be best for us. Typically travel trailers will have about 1,000 - 1,500 lbs of extra weight when everything is loaded so at the max of 8,000 lbs (which you'll just want to use the trailer GVWR) that puts us at a range of 650 lbs - 1,200 lbs for the tongue weight. If you're on the lower end go with the 1,000 lb SwayPro but if you'll be on the higher end go with the 1,500 lb SwayPro.

Don't forget to also pick up a hitch ball to complete the towing setup. Use part # A-90 for a 2" ball or part # 19286 for a 2-5/16" ball.