Weight Distribution & Sway Control
The Best Weight Distribution Hitch For A 5,000 lb Trailer
This is the weight where people most often buy bars that are too stiff. Here is the band you actually want and the five hitches that cover it.
By Mike M. ·
How this page is funded: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we rank first. Prices come from Amazon and are read automatically — each one shows the date it was read. Full disclosure.
Quick picks
Filtered to bar ratings that suit a 500-800 lb loaded tongue weight. The 1,000 lb options are listed last on purpose: they fit the trailer and are over-sprung for the tongue.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-0601 The small-bar Equal-i-zer. Buying this instead of the 1,000 lb version is the fix for the harsh, over-sprung ride people complain about on light trailers. Top pick | Light trailers with a loaded tongue weight near 600 lb | 7.6/ 10 | |
| 2 |  Camco Eaz-Lift ReCurve R3 Weight Distribution Hitch, 48771 An 800 lb-max kit with adjustable sway control and the ball included. Sized for the small trailer most first-time buyers actually own, rather than the one they imagine. Best value | Light trailers under about 800 lb of tongue weight | 6.4/ 10 | |
| 3 |  Fastway e2 2-Point Sway Control Round Bar Hitch, 94-00-1033 Equal-i-zer's own value line: two points of built-in sway control instead of four, at a price that leaves money for the shank and ball you still have to buy. | A first hitch on a 5,000-8,000 lb trailer, on a budget | 7.5/ 10 | |
| 4 |  CURT TruTrack 4P Weight Distribution Hitch, 17500 CURT's answer to the four-point Equal-i-zer, with a 10,000 lb rating and an adjustable sway bias — generally a couple of hundred dollars under the hitch it is aimed at. | Four-point sway control at a mid-range price | 7.9/ 10 | |
| 5 | Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-1001 Four-point sway control built into the head, so there is no friction bar to unclip before you back into a site — the single biggest quality-of-life difference for a first-timer. If you will upgrade trailers | Most half-ton trucks pulling a 5,000-10,000 lb trailer | 7.9/ 10 |
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Prices come from Amazon and are read automatically — see each product below for the date.
The short answer
“Do I need a weight distribution hitch for a 5,000 lb trailer” is one of the most-asked questions in towing, and the answer has two halves. Whether you need one depends on your tow vehicle and its manual. Which one you need depends on a number almost nobody measures.
Do you need one at all?
Behind a half-ton truck, a 5,000 lb trailer is well inside the towing capacity and frequently inside the no-weight-distribution tongue weight limit too — many manuals set that threshold somewhere between 500 and 600 lb. You may genuinely not need a hitch.
Behind a mid-size SUV, a minivan or a half-ton with a light payload rating, the same trailer very often does require weight distribution. The trailer is a larger fraction of the vehicle weight, the wheelbase is shorter, and the tongue weight limit in the manual is lower. The rule of thumb that the trailer should not exceed roughly half the tow vehicle’s weight without weight distribution starts to bite here.
Read the towing section of your own manual. It is the only document that applies to your vehicle, and the decision guide walks the usual wording.
The band arithmetic
| Tongue ratio | Tongue weight | Bar band |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | 500 lb | 600 lb |
| 12% | 600 lb | 600 lb |
| 13% | 650 lb | 800 lb |
| 15% | 750 lb | 800 lb |
Everything in that table sits in the 600 lb or 800 lb band. A 1,000 lb bar set nominally “fits” a 5,000 lb trailer because the trailer weight rating is 10,000 lb, and that is how people end up over-sprung. The trailer rating is not the selection criterion; the tongue rating is.
The common mistake
When the bigger kit is the right call anyway
One scenario justifies buying up: you know you are trading this trailer for a bigger one within a year or two. Hitch heads and brackets are reusable, bars are not interchangeable across bands on most designs, and buying twice costs more than riding slightly stiff for a season.
If that is you, buy the 1,000 lb kit knowingly and accept the ride. If it is not, buy the correct band. The Equal-i-zer 1,000 lb option is listed last on this page for exactly that reason — it is a good hitch sized for a different trailer.
The verdict
Measure the tongue. If it comes in at 500–650 lb, the 600 lb Equal-i-zer is the hitch, and the Eaz-Lift ReCurve R3 is the cheaper option with the ball included. If it comes in at 650–800 lb you are in the 800 lb band and the Fastway e2 or the TruTrack cover it. If you are planning a bigger trailer soon, buy the 1,000 lb kit with your eyes open.
What to remember
- A 5,000 lb trailer is usually a 500-700 lb tongue, which is the 600 or 800 lb bar band.
- Whether you need weight distribution at all depends on the tow vehicle's manual, not the trailer weight.
- Bars stiffer than your tongue weight ride harsh and distribute less effectively.
- Buying up is only sensible if you know a bigger trailer is coming.
The picks in full
Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-0601
Equal-i-zer · Best for light trailers with a loaded tongue weight near 600 lb
The small-bar Equal-i-zer. Buying this instead of the 1,000 lb version is the fix for the harsh, over-sprung ride people complain about on light trailers.
Key specifications
- Trailer weight rating
- 6,000 lb
- Tongue weight rating
- 600 lb
- Sway control
- 4-point, integral to the head
- Included
- Weight distribution kit; shank and ball sold separately
Capacity figures read from Equal-i-zer product specifications, October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)9
- Tongue-weight range (20%)6
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)8
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)6
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Correctly sprung for a 400-600 lb tongue, where the 1,000 lb bars ride stiff
- Same four-point sway geometry as the bigger versions
- Light enough that one person can hook up without a fight
What it is bad at
- No headroom if you upgrade trailers later — the bars are the limit, not a suggestion
- Costs close to the 1,000 lb kit, so the saving is in ride quality, not money
- Shank and ball still sold separately
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Camco Eaz-Lift ReCurve R3 Weight Distribution Hitch, 48771
Camco Eaz-Lift · Best for light trailers under about 800 lb of tongue weight
An 800 lb-max kit with adjustable sway control and the ball included. Sized for the small trailer most first-time buyers actually own, rather than the one they imagine.
Key specifications
- Max tongue weight
- 800 lb
- Ball
- 2 in ball included, 8,000 lb max rating
- Sway control
- Adjustable
- Rating
- 600 lb nominal / 800 lb maximum tongue weight
Capacity figures read from Camco Eaz-Lift specifications, October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)7
- Tongue-weight range (20%)5
- Backing up (20%)7
- Setup effort (15%)7
- Quietness (10%)7
- Price for capability (10%)5
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Correctly sprung for a genuinely light trailer
- Ball included and rated to match
- Sway resistance is adjustable rather than fixed
What it is bad at
- No headroom whatsoever above 800 lb of tongue weight
- Priced like a heavier kit
- Sway adjustment is by feel, with no scale to repeat a setting
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Fastway e2 2-Point Sway Control Round Bar Hitch, 94-00-1033
Fastway · Best for a first hitch on a 5,000-8,000 lb trailer, on a budget
Equal-i-zer's own value line: two points of built-in sway control instead of four, at a price that leaves money for the shank and ball you still have to buy.
Key specifications
- Trailer weight rating
- 10,000 lb
- Tongue weight rating
- 1,000 lb
- Sway control
- 2-point, integral
- Included
- Weight distribution kit; shank and ball sold separately
Capacity figures read from Fastway e2 product specifications (Equal-i-zer / Progress Mfg), October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)7
- Tongue-weight range (20%)8
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)7
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)8
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Integral sway control, so nothing to unclip before backing
- Cheaper than the four-point Equal-i-zer with most of the behavior
- Round bars are more forgiving of an imperfect bracket height
What it is bad at
- Two friction points rather than four, so it works less hard in a crosswind
- Still creaks, same as its four-point sibling
- Shank and ball sold separately
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
CURT TruTrack 4P Weight Distribution Hitch, 17500
CURT · Best for four-point sway control at a mid-range price
CURT's answer to the four-point Equal-i-zer, with a 10,000 lb rating and an adjustable sway bias — generally a couple of hundred dollars under the hitch it is aimed at.
Key specifications
- Gross trailer weight
- 10,000 lb
- Sway control
- 4-point, integral
- Adjustment
- Sway-control bias adjustable
- Included
- Weight distribution kit with sway control
Capacity figures read from CURT TruTrack specifications, October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)9
- Tongue-weight range (20%)8
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)6
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)8
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Four points of sway control for less than the obvious four-point alternative
- Bias adjustment lets you dial sway resistance to the trailer
- No bar to unclip before backing
What it is bad at
- More parts to understand on first setup than a two-point kit
- Less owner experience published than the market leaders, so fewer reports to read
- Friction surfaces mean friction noise
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control Hitch, 90-00-1001
Equal-i-zer · Best for most half-ton trucks pulling a 5,000-10,000 lb trailer
Four-point sway control built into the head, so there is no friction bar to unclip before you back into a site — the single biggest quality-of-life difference for a first-timer.
Key specifications
- Trailer weight rating
- 10,000 lb
- Tongue weight rating
- 1,000 lb
- Sway control
- 4-point, integral to the head
- Included
- Weight distribution kit; shank and ball sold separately
Capacity figures read from Equal-i-zer product specifications, October 2026.
How it scored
- Sway control (25%)9
- Tongue-weight range (20%)8
- Backing up (20%)9
- Setup effort (15%)7
- Quietness (10%)5
- Price for capability (10%)7
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Sway control is always on — nothing to remember, nothing to remove
- Back up and turn sharply without unhooking anything
- Bracket height is adjustable in the field with a wrench, not a shop visit
What it is bad at
- It creaks and groans in tight turns; owners report this consistently and it is normal, not a fault
- Needs a shank and ball bought separately, which catches people out on price
- Heavier to lift onto the coupler than a friction-bar setup
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Common questions
It depends on the tow vehicle. Behind a half-ton, often no. Behind a mid-size SUV or minivan, usually yes. The towing section of your own manual is the only document that applies.
Usually 600 lb or 800 lb. A 5,000 lb loaded trailer typically carries 500–750 lb on the tongue; the band should bracket that measured figure, not the trailer total.
It will fit, but the bars are too stiff for a 500–700 lb tongue — harsh ride, less effective load transfer. Only buy up if a heavier trailer is coming.
Sources
- Equal-i-zer published hitch specifications and bar ratings — read October 2026
- Blue Ox SwayPro published specifications — read October 2026
- CURT published weight distribution specifications — read October 2026
- Andersen Hitches weight distribution hitch specifications — read October 2026
- SAE J684 — trailer couplings, hitches and safety chains — read October 2026
- 49 CFR 393.70 — coupling devices and towing methods — read October 2026