advice

If you have a 3500 lb tow rated vehicle it’s tongue weight limit is most likely 350 lbs. If you have dual batteries on your 179 plus a full propane tank your tongue weight is well above that. Weigh it so you really know.

Your rig swaying like crazy is trying to tell you something. It’s telling you your loaded 179 is just too much trailer for that vehicle. A weight distribution hitch won’t fix that, it’s not intended as a substitute for staying within your spec limits. Nor is sway control.

I have the same trailer with dual batteries on the tongue as well. It’s tongue heavy. I don’t think I could get mine below 10% on the tongue if I tried. I have no sway tendency. The tow vehicle configuration also has an impact on sway. So In this case I suspect that the sway is occurring at a higher tongue weight than usual because the tow vehicle is so light.

In any case, the sway is saying something is wrong, and the tongue and total weight is going to be high for that vehicle, so I think it’s important to know the weight of the trailer, tongue and tow vehicle as loaded for travel so that can be compared to the limits for each vehicle and the combination.

Wheelbase makes a big difference in towing capacity.

Again, my advice is to weigh your rig fully loaded for travel. By using a public scale and weighing it one axle at a time you can get the weight on each axle and the total rig weight. Then run through the scale again without the trailer. Your local waste transfer station is a good place to try for scale access.

The difference in tow vehicle weights with and without the trailer is your tongue weight. You can then compare each axle, total trailer, and total rig weights to the maximum load specs for each. I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised. I was, I’m at 3800 lbs and 550 on the tongue. No way I’d tow with a 3500 lb tow rated vehicle.

If after doing that you want to proceed with a weight distribution hitch you’ll have the weights you need to pick the right hitch and get it set up correctly. You’ll also need to be sure your receiver is capable of taking a wdh, many are not.

This calculator is helpful:


https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptrailertow/weightdistributionhitch.php

Thanks "offgrid", that will help to figure whether I need a weight distribution hitch.  Hopefully I can find all the information needed to fill in the data?

Well I purchased a WDH from Amazon for $300, a Husky 32217 Center Line TS, and I am happy to report it made a big difference in the way it towed my Rpod 179. I now feels like my SUV and trailer move like an integrated system much like the SUV alone. I would highly recommend the Husky TS it as it heavy duty built, quiet (unlike sway bar systems) and offers integrated sway for a great price. You could easily spend double the cost and not get a better WDH.