"Equalizer" or "E2" WDH??

marc515

Well-known member
We have a Heartland MPG, and a Nissan Pathfinder with a 6,000Lb tow capacity for a TV.

With the MPG hooked up, the back end of the TV drops about 2", and the front goes up about 1/2"- 3/4".

Since the MPG is only 3,800 GVWR, I had a dealer tell me I really didn't need a WDH, but an "E2" would work just fine for such a light trailer; he basically indicated the Equalizer would be overkill.

So, just wondering how many of you guys use/have used an "E2- Trunion" for your MPG and what your opinions are of it; or is it worth paying the extra for an Equalizer.

Thank you
 
My brother in law has a Nissan Xterra and a camper (I think it is a Passport Express Super Lite 160EXP Travel Trailer by Keystone RV) with GVWR of 3,800 lbs and he has an equalizer hitch. I don't think overkill for towing is a bad thing as long as you can afford it. I think of it as a safety feature for my wife and two kids in the truck. I only tow a North Trail 22 FDS, but I use 1,000 lb bars and dual cam sway control.
 

Yellowreef

Well-known member
The E2 is rated at 600/6000 lbs. You could get an Equalizer rated for the same exact weight and pay $200 more or you could get the 10,000 lbs Equalizer and pay $300 more. I am a big fan of avoiding overkill and going with what you need. Would it technically be "safer" to go with the 10,000 lbs one? Who knows, but you're not towing a 10,000 lbs trailer and a 6,000 rating is more than enough.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
I don't know, mine is heavier than I actually need if you look strictly at the weight. It happens to be the one the dealer sold me for 200 bucks (he said it was his cost) when I bought my Edge M21 (Less than 5000 pounds). The WDH is the EAZ-Lift Elite 14,000 pounds with 1000 pound torsion bars. I didn't know anything about hitches when I bought it, but I am glad he gave me the heavier one. I never had a sway issue or bounce issue with my Edge. The nice thing about the heavier one is that seven months later I bought a bigger, heavier TT and we just readjusted the hitch and it worked very well with my F150 and North Trail 26 LRSS (just under 9000 pounds). Then I moved up to an F250 and just adjusted the hitch again and it works very well with no sway or bounce issues. I like the idea of overkill instead of going with what could be marginally acceptable if you have a lot of faith in the published ratings and the versatility of changing rigs and not having to reinvest in another new hitch. I did learn a lot about the capabilities and adjustment of the EAZ-Lift WDH.
 
I don't know, mine is heavier than I actually need if you look strictly at the weight. It happens to be the one the dealer sold me for 200 bucks (he said it was his cost) when I bought my Edge M21 (Less than 5000 pounds). The WDH is the EAZ-Lift Elite 14,000 pounds with 1000 pound torsion bars. I didn't know anything about hitches when I bought it, but I am glad he gave me the heavier one. I never had a sway issue or bounce issue with my Edge. The nice thing about the heavier one is that seven months later I bought a bigger, heavier TT and we just readjusted the hitch and it worked very well with my F150 and North Trail 26 LRSS (just under 9000 pounds). Then I moved up to an F250 and just adjusted the hitch again and it works very well with no sway or bounce issues. I like the idea of overkill instead of going with what could be marginally acceptable if you have a lot of faith in the published ratings and the versatility of changing rigs and not having to reinvest in another new hitch. I did learn a lot about the capabilities and adjustment of the EAZ-Lift WDH.

Case and point! I have owned three different TT's and have simply transferred the equipment without having to worry at all. Well said pegmikef!
 

marc515

Well-known member
Went to a local dealer today, and he indicated I could get by with simple sway control, but if I really wanted a WDH, the 600/6,000 Lb "E2"will more than do the job for the MPG.
 
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marc515

Well-known member
Wow,....this is so confusing. Talked to a 3rd RV dealer today and he indicated the same as the other two, that I really only needed sway control for a such a light trailer as the MPG, and that WDH's were meant for heavier and longer trailers.

I emailed Heartland and here's their response: "We have not designed or tested the units with weight distribution systems. You will find that some customers would insist they need one and some customers that don’t, it will be a preference. I would advise to test drive the unit without and see if the sway of the unit is acceptable. If the unit sways more than you are comfortable with then you would need to look into installing some type of system. Sorry we couldn’t be more helpful with this issue"

So, can you guys with light trailers like the MPG (3,800 GVWR) please explain the advantages to using a WDH Vs Sway control?

I'm really trying understand this WDH thing, and travel safely for all involved.
 

Yellowreef

Well-known member
There are 3 or 4 threads in this same forum where this is discussed. Just go to MPG General Discussion and look for anything with WDH in the title. You will find a ton of information.
 

kb0zke

Well-known member
We bought our mpg 181 in December, and the package deal included an Equal-i-zer WDH. My Mountaineer can tow the mpg without the WDH (supposedly), but the WDH makes things so much better. All is level going down the road and there is no sway. On one leg of this current trip we had pretty strong winds to deal with (~25 mph) either head-on or crosswinds, and there was no sway.

Get the WDH with a sway bar. That way you will be comfortable towing your mpg and when you trade to a bigger rig you will be set.
 
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