Should I Use a Ball Mount or Weight Distribution Hitch?

Which should I use, a ball mount or a weight distribution hitch?

Our support team addresses this question all the time. Dave Lewis and Jason Harper, resident towing experts, gave the following advice, which we turned into an awesome infographic for you. (Check it out below!)

What types of trailers do you usually see using weight distribution?

We see heavier cargo trailers, campers and toy haulers using weight distribution hitches. Occasionally, we see a horse trailer using weight distribution, but not often. Considering the value of the horses and the weight of a loaded horse trailer, we recommend using an e2 weight distribution hitch when towing a horse trailer. If you are towing a tall recreational vehicle trailer or a heavy enclosed trailer, which can get blown around by high crosswinds, we recommend using sway control, which helps eliminate side-to-side movement that can be unnerving and dangerous at freeway speeds.

What size trailers generally work well with ball mounts?

The NATM has guidelines outlining the safe ratios of tow vehicle and trailers. We typically recommend ball mounts for towing lighter trailers, well below the towing capabilities of the vehicle, including, boat trailers, ATV trailers, light-weight cargo trailers and small U-Haul-type trailers. You can tow a heavier trailer with a ball mount if the tow vehicle is rated to handle the weight.

At what weight do you recommend using a weight distribution hitch?

This is a tricky question. There isn’t a specific weight that defines the point where you should switch from a ball mount to a weight distribution hitch. Instead, you need to consider the tongue weight and gross vehicle weight (GVW)of your trailer and the size and weight ratings of your tow vehicle. Using a weight distribution hitch becomes more necessary the closer your trailer weight gets to being the same as your tow vehicle weight (1:1 ratio). Please see the Towing Stability Graph below from The Trailer Handbook, by NATM.

For more helpful information on safe towing and weight distribution take a look at a few of our most popular blog posts:

Safe Towing Tips From Fastway’s Engineers, How to Get Better Weight Distribution From Your e2 Hitch and Towing Capacity.