I emailed RockyMtnRay, but I think he must be out RV-ing someplace
My wife and I just bought our first travel trailer last weekend and I need to get set up for towing it safely...I've never towed anything LARGE before.
Vehicle is a 2001 Sequoia 4WD w/ factory tow package (reciever hitch, 4-pin harness, trans cooler)....GVWR is 6600lb, CGVWR is 11800. Truck weighs about 5400 empty, leaving 6400lbs for trailer & gear. The stock reciever hitch doesnt have any stickers on it for weight capacity.
Trailer is a 2001 Coachmen Catalina Lite 249QB....base weight was about 3800#, but with optional equipment it is sitting at about 4300lbs. Tongue weight was about 400 base, but with 2 30# LP tanks on the tongue, I'm around 500lbs.
(PO gave me his two 800# Reese round bars, but I dont have the shank/head/ball/anti-sway and it is cheaper to just buy a whole package).
I need a weight distribution setup AND anti-sway, because I'm not pulling this trailer across the Mackinac Bridge without anti-sway
I don't have the $$ to take it to the local RV store, pay their inflated price for the parts, and have them do a sloppy install job.
Here' what I've found so far:
1) Putnam round bar weight distribution hitch with shank, etc (Made in USA)10,000lb Max /1,000 tongue with 2 add-on friction sways for about $335.00 to my door.
2) Equal-i-zer hitch with built in friction sway control 10,000 max/1,000 tongue with shank for $400.00 to my door.
3) Reese weight distributing hitch with Dual Cam anti-sway for $435.00 from the nearby RV store. Not sure if it is a round or trunion bar (is there a performance difference?) or what capacity...
(I'll be running a Prodigy brake controller).
Can anyone give any advice/guidance/opinions on which hitch to choose? I read that some of these are a PITA to hook up, and have to be removed for backing them up??
This is the price range I can afford (I've avoided the Curt Mfg hitch, because I called them today and they said the WD hitches are made overseas, and I don't want something that is going to fail on me).
I also need to know if the standard adjustable shank is going to work on the truck or not.......the rear end of a stock Sequoia 4WD sits fairly high up.......is there something I can measure to check?
Thank you!