Those that tow regularly, know how serious things can be if it all goes wrong. When loaded up, you could experience the scary phenomenon called trailer sway. Other signs things are not right with your setup could include reduced steering…
Those that tow regularly, know how serious things can be if it all goes wrong. When loaded up, you could experience the scary phenomenon called trailer sway. Other signs things are not right with your setup could include reduced steering and braking responsiveness, less traction, and misaligned headlamps. Not ideal. So what’s a solution?
One way to prevent all this is by using a weight distribution hitch. But how do you know which one to choose, if you decide having a weight distribution hitch would be a wise call for your caravan?
The first thing you’ll need to do is work out the ball weight of your caravan. You can do this yourself by purchasing a tow ball weight scale. These are simple and quick to use, and not an expensive purchase. Why not see if your buddy with a caravan wants to go halves, and you can share the costs?
This is an important one, but easy to get right. Work out where your coupling on the van’s A-frame is. It could be positioned at the top, middle, or bottom of the A-frame. This is going to determine which weight distribution hitch kit you’ll need.
The final step is to measure the depth of your A-frame. Is it shallow (four inches), mid-sized (five inches), or large (six inches)? If you need a medium or heavy-duty kit, the coupling position as well as the size of your A-frame will determine if you are going to need a Standard style weight distribution hitch (this offers more A-frame clearance), or a Classic weight distribution hitch, which offers more ground clearance.
If you are looking for a simple solution for choosing what type of weight distribution hitch, we found a simple quiz on the Hayman Reese website. It takes roughly a minute, just answer each question, and the quiz results will show you what style of hitch is best for your needs and vehicle. Take the quiz here.
