Weight distribution hitches

Looking at replacing our weight distribution hitch on our trailer. It is 25+ years old and really starting to show some wear and tear.
Trailer can haul 10,000lbs (we usually are around 8). Tounge weight weight is around 500lb.
Our current one is a trunnion style.

Now I see there are 3 difference types.
1.TruTrack hitch
2.trunnion bar hitch
3.round bar hitch

So now I am not sure which one to get? Do I get the one the that we have been using all these years and has served us well. Or is there a better one out now that we will like better..
Anyone one with real world experience with any of these hitches?
Pres?
Cons?

jeeppoor said:

Looking at replacing our weight distribution hitch on our trailer. It is 25+ years old and really starting to show some wear and tear.
Trailer can haul 10,000lbs (we usually are around 8). Tounge weight weight is around 500lb.
Our current one is a trunnion style.

Now I see there are 3 difference types.
1.TruTrack hitch
2.trunnion bar hitch
3.round bar hitch

So now I am not sure which one to get? Do I get the one the that we have been using all these years and has served us well. Or is there a better one out now that we will like better..
Anyone one with real world experience with any of these hitches?
Pres?
Cons?

Click to expand...

I had to look up what a trunion style is. Looks like that would be a bitch to turn since the bars can't turn with you.
I've got this one and have no complaints. I don't have the sway control, but also don't feel like I need it. I pull a 6x12 dump or 20' equipment trailer with this setup and it's a game changer. I'll never pull without one.

Markrobinson said:

I had to look up what a trunion style is. Looks like that would be a bitch to turn since the bars can't turn with you.
I've got this one and have no complaints. I don't have the sway control, but also don't feel like I need it. I pull a 6x12 dump or 20' equipment trailer with this setup and it's a game changer. I'll never pull without one.

Click to expand...

No the bars turn with you.
I think the trunion and the round bar hitch are basically the same.

I have the one like in the pic where the bars hang from chain. I think it was a Curt I bought from local Northern Tool for appx $229. The chain is easy to work with, can very how much help it gives you depending on your load. It takes a minute but you also adjust the slide in receiver, head angle?, to also adjust the bar angle to get however much help you need.

Chain style gives you no anti sway help, you add those sliding sway bar things, has the handle to adjust how much affect they give you. I ended up using 2 of them.

What I like is I can hook to my truck, adjust quickly and head out of town. Next trip hook to motorhome which has a tail end about 12 miles long behind the tires, adjust accordingly and hit the road. Took just a couple trips to dial everything in. Motorhome really needed this, truck not so much. But it really locks the truck down nicely.

I'm curious about this as well. My truck is so wide on 37s I really don't feel it but every time I hook it up I second guess that I could be doing it better. My setup

I only have experience with one of the three weight distribution setups listed above.

Our first toy hauler had the trunnion style weight distribution setup. It took me awhile/trial and error to get the setup right for the truck we had at the time, but once it was setup right, it made a huge difference in how everything towed. Like @JEEPKEVIN mentioned, it seems like the trunnion style would be the easiest to adjust for different tow vehicles if you use different ones, but they seem pretty straightforward for making adjustments.

Got any pics of your current weight distribution setup? I'm curious about the wear and tear on it.

I had a trunnion set up nearly 20 years ago. towed a 16ft enclosed trailer with a 1/2 ton 2wd reg cab pick up. rode great, but the trailer also had torsion axles, so maybe that helped the ride? i had bought the set up used and the hitch was about wore out, called Reese and they warrantied it and sent me a new one. easy to set up, not sure it would be real convenient to change vehicles and trailers regularly though since the angle/height of the hitch may need adjusted each time depending how different each set up was.

mine has the chain style above....works well for the camper, I dont use it on the open car trailer. Biggest tip is jack the trailer up once the ball is connected, then set the WD bars.....allows you to actually get preload with having to muscle the bars.