[DocP]

I had a similar question when I bought my former 2018 Cougar 21RLI, which had an unloaded hitch weight of about 1165 pounds. I was leaning towards the 1400 pound bars (and did go that route), so I asked Customer Service at etrailer.com for advice. Even though your hitch weight is lighter, there may be some useful information in what the told me:

"The weight distribution kits for the most part work in a range of weights. For example, the Equal-i-zer 14K gross & 1400 lb TW kit (part number EQ37140ET) has a tongue weight range of 1000 to 1400 pounds. This range is listed on all of our weight distribution product pages under "Specs", unless the kit you are looking at is a low capacity kit. In that case it will give a maximum tongue weight spec only. For this 1,400- Equal-i-zer example, the bar will begin to spring at 1000 lbs and it can break after 1400. When the bar springs, it is doing its job (distributing the weight up your tow vehicle frame and down the trailer frame). Ideally, you will want your actual loaded tongue weight to fall right in between whatever the listed tongue weight range is. For this Equal-i-zer kit, you would want to achieve the closest to a 1200 pound tongue weight as possible, even if that means rearranging some weight in the trailer to help facilitate this goal. If you can reach the middle of the tongue weight range, and the kit is properly installed, it will perform to the standards the manufacturer intended it to for you and you will be very satisfied with it!

Assuming 1165 is the listed dry tongue weight of the trailer, and not the capacity limit, I would first think about these things:

How many axles does the trailer have and where are they located? Anything loaded din the front of the first axle will typically go straight to tongue weight and be calculated in the loaded tongue weight specification. It is important to consider where the location of the axles are as well, if they are split axles, it is usually more difficult to gain a higher loaded tongue weight and the complete opposite is true for a tandem axle trailer with the axles toward the rear.

Sometimes weight behind the axles can offset the tongue weight enough that this has to be taken into consideration. A good example of this is a toy hauler trailer. Whatever is located in the toy hauler at the rear often times lowers the tongue weight dramatically.

Another example is a single axle trailer with the axle placed in the center of the trailer. Though less issues arise from this set up when trying to find the right weight distribution kit (since they are typically so light weight any ways) a single axle trailer of this sort can behave like a teeter-totter. Anything in front of the axle will add to tongue weight and anything behind the axle takes away from it.

With these details being said, consider how much space there is in front of the first axle, and how much weight you think you may add to it. When picking out the right kit, this will be important for you. You will also want to confirm your tow vehicle hitch is high capacity enough to handle whatever the loaded tongue weight is. When you do this, make sure to take into consideration anything in the bed of the tow vehicle (assuming it is a truck) behind the rear axle. If you plan to haul a lot of weight behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle, you will also want to calculate this into your loaded trailers tongue weight, so the bars are strong enough to offset the weight in the rear of the vehicle when distributing the weight up the vehicle frame.

Other things to consider to make sure you have everything you need in 1 shipment is confirming the shank that comes with the weight distribution kit will work for your application. You will want to inquire about the height of the trailer and measure the height of your hitch. If the shank that comes with the kit won't work to provide a level trailer, you will need to go for a kit that doesn't come with the shank and then order the proper shank separately.

If you click the provided link, you can see an FAQ article that explains how to determine the rise/drop of ball mount you'll need. The same principle holds true for choosing a weight distributing shank. Knowing the brand and model of weight distribution system would be helpful as well.

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-ballmount.aspx

Lastly, also ensure the space the brackets will be placed at along the frame of the trailer is free. For Equal-i-zer the brackets need to be spaced 27" - 32" back from center of coupler on each side of the frame.

Based off the information you have provided, I do not believe the 1400 Equal-i-zer bars to be an overkill for you. If you do find that you are unable to keep the tongue weight around 1200 and beyond the 1400 capacity, we will need to look in another direction for you for weight distribution, as this kit is Equal-i-zers highest rated kit.

Here is a reference parts list:

https://www.etrailer.com/partlist.as...41ET&csrid=594

Here are alternate Equal-i-zer shanks:

https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Acc...ual~i~zer.aspx