The manual that came with my E2 hitch(not used - came from the first owner that had a Jeep) says that the minimum trailer tongue weight needs to be 400 lbs. I would be really pushing the limits of my suspension on the Dakota if I loaded the front of the trailer to that level, given that the hitch itself weighs close to 100 lbs.
Any comments? I am thinking of putting it on this weekend to see if it makes a difference in the ride.

Yeah   ...keep us posted. I got a great price (all things being relative) on the Equalizer 600/6,000 and it has made a world of difference in the ride and feel of towing our 177. No sway any more and it pretty much glides over the seams in the highway - - well, maybe not the really bad ones :-)

'Slogger

I think I'm going to go with the Andersen hitch.  It seems simpler and I don't have to deal with shims and L brackets, just loosen or tighten the chains.   The main reason I probably won't buy the E2 is that I don't like being nickle and dime'ed to death.  I have to buy the hitch, then the ball, then the socket, then the ratchet bar.  I thought I had a big air impact wrench but it only goes to 250 ft/pounds.  I called my mechanic and he said he didn't know anyone around with a 450 pound torque wrench.  

Now my only problem is figuring out how much drop/rise I need for the xterra and the tacoma.  That will have to wait for a sunny day.

Originally posted by danthoman Thanks for the help.  How much does the hitch weight?  The shipping weight is 100 pounds.   That  seems like a lot to add to the tongue weight. I also own a boat, and yes,  I'm always throwing money into it.  I hope I use the r-pod a lot more than I use the boat.

Originally posted by this_is_nascar Thanks for all the helpful info.  By time you add the ball and the thin-walled socket, you just added another $60 or so to the total price.  Having a camper is getting like owning a boat............. you're constantly throwing money into it.