Weight distribution
Which weight distribution bars match your tongue weight?
Weight distribution spring bars are rated by tongue weight, not by a trailer's total weight, and the rating has to bracket the actual weighed figure, including anything carried on the A-frame: propane cylinders, batteries, a generator, a bike rack. Sizing bars to a trailer's brochure weight instead of its weighed tongue weight is the most common mistake in this category, and it goes wrong in both directions.
The bar ratings below repeat across every major hitch maker in the same steps: 400, 600, 800, 1,000, 1,200, 1,400 and 1,700 lb. That is a published figure rather than a rule of thumb. The separate and equally important rule is that a weight distribution hitch does not raise any capacity: it moves load already sitting on the tow vehicle's rear axle forward onto the steer axle and back onto the trailer axles. It creates no payload, and it raises no GVWR, GCWR or axle rating that was not already there.
Work out your own tongue weight with the tongue weight calculator, size a hitch directly with the weight distribution hitch calculator, then use the tables below to check a real hitch against your own weighed figure.
On this page
What are the published weight distribution bar ratings?
Read the bracket that contains your own weighed tongue weight, not the one closest to your trailer's advertised gross weight.
A trailer with a weighed 900 lb tongue weight needs 1,000 lb bars, and a trailer weighed at exactly 1,000 lb also needs 1,000 lb bars, because the top of a bracket is inclusive.
Published standard A published, traceable figure: a standards body, a federal regulation or a manufacturer specification states it.
| Tongue weight range | Bar rating | Typical trailer GTW at that rating |
|---|---|---|
| 200 to 400 lb | 400 lb bars | 4,000 lb |
| 400 to 600 lb | 600 lb bars | 6,000 lb |
| 600 to 800 lb | 800 lb bars | 8,000 lb |
| 800 to 1,000 lb | 1,000 lb bars | 10,000 lb |
| 1,000 to 1,200 lb | 1,200 lb bars | 12,000 lb |
| 1,200 to 1,400 lb | 1,400 lb bars | 14,000 lb |
| 1,400 to 1,700 lb | 1,700 lb bars | 17,000 lb |
These steps are published by CURT, Reese, Equal-i-zer, Blue Ox, Camco and Husky alike, in the same increments. The "typical trailer GTW" column is a common pairing, not a rating: size bars to your own weighed tongue weight, not to your trailer's brochure weight.
Which catalog hitches carry which bar rating?
These are real published tongue weight ratings from the weight distribution hitches in our catalog, grouped into the brackets above.
The 1,000 lb bracket has the widest catalog selection, including the Equal-i-zer 4-point 10K and the Fastway Connect.
Published standard A published, traceable figure: a standards body, a federal regulation or a manufacturer specification states it.
| Bracket | Hitches rated in this bracket |
|---|---|
| 600 lb bars | Equal-i-zer 4-point, 6,000 lb |
| 800 lb bars | Blue Ox BXW0750, 750 lb TW, Husky Center Line TS-Plus, 400 to 800 lb TW |
| 1,000 lb bars | Equal-i-zer 4-point, 10,000 lb, Blue Ox BXW1000 SwayPro, Fastway Connect, CURT 17062, Camco Eaz-Lift ReCurve R3 |
| 1,200 lb bars | Camco Eaz-Lift TR3 |
| 1,400 lb bars | Equal-i-zer 4-point, 14,000 lb, CURT 17063, Husky Center Line TS-Plus, 800 to 1,400 lb TW |
| 1,700 lb bars | Equal-i-zer 4-point, 16,000 lb, Blue Ox BXW1500 SwayPro |
No catalog hitch currently publishes a 400 lb bar rating; trailers this light rarely carry enough tongue weight to call for weight distribution at all. See weight distribution hitch vs standard ball mount for whether you need one in the first place.
What happens if the bars are the wrong size?
Bars sized well above the weighed tongue weight ride harshly and distribute poorly; bars sized below the weighed figure bottom out and stop distributing weight at all.
Rule of thumb Widely taught towing convention rather than a published specification. It is a good starting point and it is not a rating.
| Sizing error | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bars rated well above the weighed tongue weight | They barely flex under the actual load, so the ride is harsh and the weight distribution effect is weak | Step down to the bracket that actually contains your weighed figure |
| Bars rated below the weighed tongue weight | They bottom out under load and stop transferring weight, which quietly turns a weight distribution hitch back into a plain ball mount | Step up to the next bracket, and re-check the receiver's own weight-distributing rating |
| Bars sized to the trailer's brochure weight instead of a weighed tongue weight | Frequently wrong in both directions, because tongue weight is a percentage of the loaded weight, not a fixed number a brochure prints | Weigh the actual tongue weight loaded the way the trailer will travel, then read the bracket off the chart above |
Does a bigger bar rating mean a stronger hitch overall?
Not necessarily. A hitch head, shank and receiver each carry their own published gross trailer weight (GTW) rating, separate from the tongue weight rating stamped on the bars themselves. The CURT TruTrack 4P and the CURT TruTrack 2P are both rated to a 10,000 lb GTW, with the 4P adding two more points of integrated sway control rather than any extra tongue weight capacity, so the bar bracket and the GTW ceiling have to be checked as two separate numbers rather than assumed from one another.
See the hitch class chart for how the receiver side of this chain is categorized, and round bar vs trunnion bar weight distribution for how the two common bar shapes compare at the same rating.
How do you size your own bars correctly?
- Weigh the trailer loaded the way it will travel. Water in the tanks, propane on the A-frame, batteries connected, cargo where it will actually ride. A brochure weight or a dry weight from the sales lot is not the figure this chart uses.
- Measure the actual tongue weight. Use a dedicated scale such as the Sherline LM 2000 directly under the coupler, or weigh the rig hitched and unhitched at a public scale and take the difference.
- Read the bracket off the chart above. Find the row whose range contains your weighed figure, not the row nearest your trailer's advertised gross weight.
- Check the receiver's own weight-distributing rating. A bar bracket that is correct for your tongue weight is wasted on a receiver with no published weight-distributing rating high enough to match it. The hitch class chart covers the ceilings by receiver class.
- Re-weigh after any real change. A second battery, a full water tank instead of an empty one, or a generator added to the front box can move the tongue weight into a different bracket entirely.
Frequently asked questions
What tongue weight bars do I need for a 900 lb tongue weight?
A 900 lb weighed tongue weight falls in the 800 to 1,000 lb bracket, which calls for 1,000 lb bars. Several catalog hitches publish that exact rating, including the Equal-i-zer 4-point 10K and the Blue Ox BXW1000. Always weigh the actual loaded tongue weight rather than estimating it from the trailer's advertised gross weight before picking a bracket.
Can I use bars rated higher than my tongue weight for extra safety margin?
No. Bars rated well above the weighed tongue weight barely flex under the actual load, which makes the ride harsh and weakens the weight distribution effect instead of improving it. The correct approach is the bracket that contains your weighed figure, not the highest rating a hitch happens to offer.
Does a higher bar rating mean I can tow a heavier trailer?
No. A bar rating tells you which tongue weight the spring bars are built to distribute correctly. It does not raise a tow vehicle's payload, GVWR, GCWR or any axle rating, and it is not the same number as a hitch's own gross trailer weight rating, which is published separately on the receiver and shank.
What happens if my tongue weight falls exactly on the boundary between two brackets?
The top of each bracket is inclusive, so a weighed tongue weight of exactly 1,000 lb still calls for 1,000 lb bars rather than the next size up. If your figure is likely to grow, from adding batteries or a generator later, sizing to the upper bracket in advance avoids buying bars twice.
Do round bars and trunnion bars use the same rating chart?
Yes. The tongue weight brackets apply regardless of whether the hitch uses round bars, which hang below the A-frame, or trunnion bars, which sit higher for more ground clearance. See our round bar vs trunnion bar comparison for which shape suits a given trailer's frame.
Why do two hitches with the same GTW rating sometimes use different bar brackets?
Gross trailer weight and tongue weight are two different published ratings on the same hitch, and trailers of the same total weight can carry different tongue weight percentages depending on how they are loaded. A hitch's tongue weight bar rating always governs bar selection, even when two hitches share an identical GTW ceiling.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published standards, manufacturer towing guides and product specifications, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are towing convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Nothing here overrides your own ratings. Work your payload sum before your tow rating, because payload is the limit that actually binds on most half ton trucks and nearly every SUV. Load a conventional trailer to 10 to 15 percent tongue weight and a fifth wheel to 15 to 25 percent pin weight, and never lighter: a tail heavy trailer is what starts sway. Weigh the rig loaded rather than trusting a brochure dry weight. A weight distribution hitch and a set of air bags both restore ride height and control, and neither one raises a single rating. Trailer brakes are required by state law above a threshold that varies by state, and a breakaway battery that has quietly gone flat is the normal condition of most trailers on the road.