New Equal-i-zer Hitch

[WayneAt63044]

My E4 rated at 1,000/10,000 lbs has cracked and requires replacement. Considering the GVWR of my trailer is 7,800 lbs and 15% tongue weight is nearly 1,200 lbs, should I replace it with one rated at 1,200/12,000 or 1,400/14,000?

I'm leaning toward the 1,400 but seek your wisdom/experience. Will the 1,400 be too much & affect the ride or stress the trailer frame or hitch receiver?

(Dealer installed the 1,000 5 years ago when I purchased the trailer.)

[lbrjet]

The 12 and 14 use the same bars, so I don't see how the 14 is going to put more stress on your frame. The 14 hitch head will be heavier to lug around.

[opnspaces]

LVJJJ wrote:
opnspaces, I see you have a 3/4 ton 96 Burb with a 350. How does it tow? seems like a lot of weight for a 350. I have a '94 Burb with 350 K-1500, 3.73 1/2 ton, the engine runs good but is low compression and is really weak. I've done several exterior upgrades so it tows halfway decent, pulling a TrailCruiser 26' just okay. Have you had to upgrade your engine much?
(dual exhaust, Fastchip computer upgrade chip, two cold air intakes, adjustable timing control, 15* advance)

Mine is stock, and up until the last few months it has towed great. Lately I notice it is not as fast up the hills as it used to be but it also just turned 190,000. I do have the 4.10 rear end which I'm sure helps and I'm also not shy about dropping it to second, putting my foot on the floor and holding it there until I get to the top. The worst thing is encountering a commuter car half way up the grade that causes me to drop out of the power band. Then it's just a slow crawl to get back up to speed. Since I still have kids I'll probably look for a 3/4 ton with a 454 when this one dies.

[scottsnider]

I have a 5000 lbs trailer and got an equal-izer hitch from Craigslist for $75 make for a 1000 lbs trailer and it works great, was not planned that way but if works for me. Over kill for me works good.

[LVJJJ]

opnspaces, I see you have a 3/4 ton 96 Burb with a 350. How does it tow? seems like a lot of weight for a 350. I have a '94 Burb with 350 K-1500, 3.73 1/2 ton, the engine runs good but is low compression and is really weak. I've done several exterior upgrades so it tows halfway decent, pulling a TrailCruiser 26' just okay. Have you had to upgrade your engine much?
(dual exhaust, Fastchip computer upgrade chip, two cold air intakes, adjustable timing control, 15* advance)

[opnspaces]

Definitely contact Progress Mfg (Equal-i-zer) when my square sockets developed cracks they sent me new ones under warranty. They never asked for a sales date or anything. Even if your trailer is overweight you should at least fix the hitch for free so you can sell it.

[Huntindog]

I will not make an "armchair" recommendation.
You need to determine if there are limitations of your TT frame. With many of todays TTs having lighter frames.... Going to heavy a bar could cause a problem. One of my TTs actually listed what size bars were permissable for each frame size. So.... First step.... Contact your TT manufacturer. Second step. determine your ACTUAL TW. Do these things first, and you will have your answer.

[DocP]

I recently asked etrailer.com a similar question. My soon-to-be-delivered Cougar 32RLI has an unloaded tongue weight of 1165 pounds, and I am trying to determine which Equal-i-zer hitch to get. Here was their response to me:

"The weight distribution kits for the most part work in a range of weights. For example, the Equal-i-zer 14K gross & 1400 lb TW kit (part number EQ37140ET) has a tongue weight range of 1000 to 1400 pounds. This range is listed on all of our weight distribution product pages under "Specs", unless the kit you are looking at is a low capacity kit. In that case it will give a maximum tongue weight spec only. For this 1,400- Equal-i-zer example, the bar will begin to spring at 1000 lbs and it can break after 1400. When the bar springs, it is doing its job (distributing the weight up your tow vehicle frame and down the trailer frame). Ideally, you will want your actual loaded tongue weight to fall right in between whatever the listed tongue weight range is. For this Equal-i-zer kit, you would want to achieve the closest to a 1200 pound tongue weight as possible, even if that means rearranging some weight in the trailer to help facilitate this goal. If you can reach the middle of the tongue weight range, and the kit is properly installed, it will perform to the standards the manufacturer intended it to for you and you will be very satisfied with it!"

[ScottG]

Good to know!

[TundraTower]

15% tongue weight seems high. Mfr suggests 10% minimum and most folks seem to prefer 11-12%. My trailer is about the same weight and I have a 1/10K EQ hitch with 925-975 lbs. tongue wt. by the Sherline scale depending on what we pack. Works fine.

I discovered my "sockets" (the female square tube receivers on the truck part of the hitch) were cracked at the corners. I discovered this 3 days before we left for a 3,600 mile run to Colorado. I called Progressive Industries and sent pictures. They over-nighted new sockets for free, but actually said cracks in that area were not unusual. Then he asked me to go check the length of the shank on my hitch ball and see if it extended below the flat plate.

Sure enough the dealer had installed a ball with a shank too long. In a hard turn, the sockets hit the shank and can't rotate any further, but while the truck/trailer are still rotating further. He said this is what caused my cracks. They see it a lot because the shank length they require is a bit hard to find.

A structural failure on a hitch this heavy would really be alarming. Suggest you see if the shank of your hitch ball extends below the surface of the top plate where the sockets rotate.

[WayneAt63044]

The Equal-i-zer "find your hitch size" website indicates I need the 1,400 version. I live near eTrailer so will go that route; cheaper than the manufacturer's website. Thanks all!

[WayneAt63044]

I had the whole thing on a scale a couple of years ago and was over the RAWR by 100 lbs and trailer axles were 1,000 under combined. No load changes since. Thanks for the advice; reckon I'll call Equal-i-zer tomorrrow.

[ScottG]

That's just about right where i am and I needed to go to a 1400# spring bar.
Even if you don't "need" it, you will be well within the weight range for a 1400.

[JBarca]

Have you actually weighed the loaded tongue weight of the camper? Size it according to the actual loaded TW to be equal too or greater.

Unless you weigh it, you really do not know how heavy it is. It could be over 15% or under. My prior 7,000# GVWR rated camper had a 20% loaded TW.

Dealers have been know to supply a WD hitch too small for a loaded camper floor plan. The day it left their shop it may have been OK. Then you start loading it and it can then be too small. Unless they do some kind of study on actual loaded TW campers per floor plan by know their customers who use them, they really have no idea either.

If you find your loaded TW requires an upgrade in hitch size, make sure you check the rating of the receiver on the truck that it can handle the upgrade. Also check the rear axle rating on the truck too.

Every time a camper and truck is weighed there is often a surprize, wow how did it get that heavy? Darn stuff just plain adds up...

Hope this helps

John

[beemerphile1]

I wouldn't be surprised if the manufacturer recommends the 1000/10000. I bet they would like more info about this cracked one and may replace for free, they should not crack.