Hitch, weight and towing setup

Sway, bounce and weak braking are often setup problems, not broken parts. Look at how it's hitched and loaded before you tear anything apart.

The short version

• A travel trailer's tongue weight should be about 10–15% of its loaded weight. Too little invites sway.
• Fifth-wheel pin weight usually runs about 15–25% of the trailer's loaded weight.
• A weight-distribution hitch has to be set up for that truck and trailer. Follow the hitch maker's setup and measure front fender height before and after.
• Set the brake controller gain on a test drive: firm stops without locking the trailer wheels.
• The trailer should sit close to level when hitched. Nose-high or nose-low changes how it tows and how the axles share the load.

Numbers

• Travel trailer tongue weight: ~10–15% of loaded weight
• Fifth-wheel pin weight: ~15–25% of loaded weight

Shop tip

Ask how they load it. Heavy gear behind the axles takes weight off the tongue and makes sway worse.