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Recommend good weight distribution hitch

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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 08:59 AM
  #1  
rkelley's Avatar
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Recommend good weight distribution hitch

Greetings all,

We are just about to receive a new Keystone Hornet 27BHS travel trailer, and I need a good weight distribution hitch. The dealer wants to install one (not sure of brand or price), but I wanted to get input from other folks about a good/reliable unit. Which brand do you guys recommend?

Per the manufacturer, here are some specs on the TT:

Code:
Weight 	                6560
Carrying Capacity 	3550
Hitch 	                 755
Length 	               30' 7 
Width 	                8' 
Height 	               10' 9 
Fresh Water 	          45
Waste Water 	          38
Gray Water 	          38
LPG 	                  60
Tire Size 	  225/75D15D 
Rim Size             15 x 6

Thanks for any and all feedback.
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 09:24 AM
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I've got a Putnam class 5. All my trailers are pintle hitches except for my camper. Good hitch for the money.

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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 11:23 AM
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I've got a Reese and it works good,most times I don't Use it though,as my trailers never really get over about 9k,I Deliver Travel trailers for a living,with the truck in my sig,the Hitch is not hard to set up,and the dealer may soak you on the install..
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 11:25 AM
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Thanks for the replies. I have heard good things in the past about the Reese units. Where is the best place to buy one?
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 11:57 AM
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You might want to look at Equal-I-Zer hitches too. Then seem to be fairly easy to hook up / install / adjust. I talked to a full time RVer at the fuel stop the other day that had one that he's used for over 400K miles now, and still likes it.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 12:11 PM
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That also looks like a good one,not sure how it holds up,but if the fella had one for over 400k then it must be durable. The integrated sway control would be handy if you are overloading your truck,I've never had any sway issues..it may be that Arctic fox trailers don't sway,or could be I'm not using a 1/2 ton to pull the big ones...
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 12:49 PM
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Look at the Reese Dual Cam setup......

It integrates the sway control into the weight distributing hitch also.

One of the cheapest places to buy is rvwholesalers.com.

Took me all of 1 hr for the whole install, maybe a little more tweaking time.


Steve
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 12:51 PM
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I'm with truckjunkie Equal-I-Zer all the way. Great hitch. I pull a 20' TT and even on a V6 dakota its pin straight down the road. I even had Semis comming down a two lane fruit road (its a Florida thing) and not getting bounced around...not too much road suck.
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Old Nov 17, 2006 | 02:30 PM
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Hensley Arrow is the best hitch made. It costs more but it has saved me from two accidents in the 85,000 miles I have used it. Everyone will say you don't need it or it's too expensive, but I bet you will never find anyone who has one say they are not 100% happy with it. The company's customer service is second to none. Please check it out.
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Old Nov 18, 2006 | 01:53 AM
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Hensley if you can spend the money......Reese or Drawtite Dual Cam for a more budget setup.

I use the Dual Cam HP. Best I've ever had.
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Old Nov 18, 2006 | 10:18 AM
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I looked at the Hensley as well, but I preferred the Equal-I-Zer setup for a) it's simplicity, b) it's function, and c) the ability to move it fairly quickly between trailers.

Oh, and it's about $600 for a Equal-I-Zer vs. a couple grand for the Hensley.
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Old Nov 18, 2006 | 10:46 AM
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If you want to move it between trailers, I agree the Hensley is not the best choice. It is bolted to the frame and uses 4 u bolts to secure it further. However, it is very easy to hook up and un hook. People at campgrounds are surprised how easy it is. Most people think Hensleys are complicated or difficult to use. Just back in, clamp it, ratchet the wt. distributer jacks and you''re off. And keep in mind you can sell the H on ebay when you are done with it and get most of your money back.
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Old Nov 18, 2006 | 11:01 AM
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The Hensley is hands down the best, but very pricey. I tow alot of different trailers, most do not need sway control, but some do. I used a Reese for many miles and switch to a Equalizer brand. I will never own another Reese after towing with the Equi-L-izer. I got mine off Ebay - 12,000 lbs for $399 and free shipping.
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Old Nov 19, 2006 | 05:50 AM
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Many thanks to all who replied. I will take a look at the Hensley models. I found some Reese and Equalizer on the web RV Wholesalers for 1/2 the price of what the dealership is charging. However, the dealership includes installation, fitting, and adjustment as well as the unit. In addition, the sales guy (whom I respect) said it takes a few hours to install and fit the unit properly.
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Old Nov 21, 2006 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by rkelley
Many thanks to all who replied. I will take a look at the Hensley models. I found some Reese and Equalizer on the web RV Wholesalers for 1/2 the price of what the dealership is charging. However, the dealership includes installation, fitting, and adjustment as well as the unit. In addition, the sales guy (whom I respect) said it takes a few hours to install and fit the unit properly.
Takes me fifteen minutes,at most,he's full of it IMHO
(regular weight dist,no sway control.)
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